City comparison
Arlington, MA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Lowell, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 21 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 Lowell, MA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Lowell has a population of 114,737, vs 45,906 in Arlington — about 2.5× larger by population. By land area, Lowell covers about 14 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 | Lowell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,466/mo | 29.7% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $362,800 | 131.3% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $73,008 | 86.7% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.4 | ≈ equal (Arlington slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 141.1 | 2.3% higher in Arlington |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 102.9 | ≈ equal (Lowell slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 103.7 | ≈ equal (Lowell 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 Arlington, you'd need $97,673 in Lowell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lowell, MA is about 2.3% cheaper overall than Arlington, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Arlington than in Lowell. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $78,139 in Lowell to keep the same standard of living.