City comparison
Bristol, CT is about 50 miles (80 km) from Norwalk, CT in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 60 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 Bristol, CT to Norwalk, CT takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Norwalk has a population of 91,050, vs 61,052 in Bristol — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Bristol covers about 26 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Norwalk.
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 | Bristol | Norwalk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,228/mo | $1,861/mo | 51.5% higher in Norwalk |
| Median home value | $235,700 | $491,800 | 108.7% higher in Norwalk |
| Median household income | $82,094 | $97,879 | 19.2% higher in Norwalk |
| Groceries index | 97.4 | 106.7 | 9.5% higher in Norwalk |
| Utilities index | 148.4 | 128.3 | 15.7% higher in Bristol |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 104.3 | 3.2% higher in Norwalk |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 105.1 | 3.2% higher in Norwalk |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bristol, you'd need $128,490 in Norwalk to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bristol, CT is about 22.2% cheaper overall than Norwalk, CT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 78% higher in Norwalk than in Bristol. If you earn $80,000 in Bristol, you'd need about $102,792 in Norwalk to keep the same standard of living.