City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 30 miles (50 km) from Wilmington, DE in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 35 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 Wilmington, DE takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 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 71,034 in Wilmington — about 22.4× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Wilmington.
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 | Wilmington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,157/mo | 8.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $203,600 | 5.8% higher in Philadelphia |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $54,731 | 5.1% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal (Philadelphia slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 112.6 | ≈ equal (Wilmington slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 102.8 | 1.1% higher in Wilmington |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 102.3 | ≈ equal (Philadelphia slightly higher) |
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 $99,953 in Wilmington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia and Wilmington have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $79,962 in Wilmington to keep the same standard of living.