City comparison
Arlington, MA is about 10 miles (10 km) from Boston, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 12 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 Arlington, MA to Boston, MA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Boston has a population of 665,945, vs 45,906 in Arlington — about 14.5× larger by population. By land area, Boston covers about 48 sq mi vs 5.1 sq mi for Arlington.
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 | Arlington | Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,981/mo | 4.2% higher in Boston |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $684,900 | 22.5% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $89,212 | 52.8% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 100.1 | ≈ equal (Boston slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 147.4 | 2.1% higher in Boston |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 102.2 | 0.7% higher in Arlington |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 106.4 | 2.6% higher in Boston |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington, you'd need $100,550 in Boston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington, MA is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Boston, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $80,440 in Boston to keep the same standard of living.