City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 250 miles (425 km) from Waltham, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Philadelphia, PA to Waltham, MA takes about 31 min, covering roughly 250 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 64,711 in Waltham — about 24.6× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for Waltham.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Philadelphia | Waltham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $2,141/mo | 71.3% higher in Waltham |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $679,000 | 215.1% higher in Waltham |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $113,443 | 97.2% higher in Waltham |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 99.8 | 2.8% higher in Waltham |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 144.3 | 28.5% higher in Waltham |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 102.9 | 1.2% higher in Waltham |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 103.7 | 1.0% higher in Waltham |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need $118,784 in Waltham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 15.8% cheaper overall than Waltham, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in Waltham than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $95,027 in Waltham to keep the same standard of living.