City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Worcester, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 4 h 45 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 Worcester, MA takes about 28 min, covering roughly 225 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 204,191 in Worcester — about 7.8× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 37 sq mi for Worcester.
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 | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,312/mo | 5.0% higher in Worcester |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $305,600 | 41.8% higher in Worcester |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $63,011 | 9.5% higher in Worcester |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 97.4 | ≈ equal (Worcester slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 150.2 | 33.7% higher in Worcester |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 100.7 | 1.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 101.5 | 1.1% higher in Philadelphia |
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 $103,059 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 3% cheaper overall than Worcester, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $82,447 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.