City comparison
Arlington, MA is about 70 miles (125 km) from Springfield, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 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 Arlington, MA to Springfield, MA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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.
Springfield has a population of 155,305, vs 45,906 in Arlington — about 3.4× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 32 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 | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,047/mo | 81.7% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $198,500 | 322.8% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $47,677 | 185.9% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.4 | 2.5% higher in Arlington |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 150.0 | 3.9% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 100.7 | 2.2% higher in Arlington |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 101.5 | 2.2% higher in Arlington |
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 $75,195 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MA is about 24.8% cheaper overall than Arlington, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 94% higher in Arlington than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $60,156 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.