City comparison
Brockton, MA is about 40 miles (70 km) from Lowell, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 51 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 Brockton, MA to Lowell, MA takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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 104,713 in Brockton — about the same size. By land area, Brockton covers about 21 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for Lowell.
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 | Brockton | Lowell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,446/mo | $1,466/mo | 1.4% higher in Lowell |
| Median home value | $364,700 | $362,800 | 0.5% higher in Brockton |
| Median household income | $74,016 | $73,008 | 1.4% higher in Brockton |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.4 | ≈ equal (Brockton slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 141.1 | 2.3% higher in Brockton |
| 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 Brockton, you'd need $98,751 in Lowell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lowell, MA is about 1.2% cheaper overall than Brockton, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Brockton than in Lowell. If you earn $80,000 in Brockton, you'd need about $79,001 in Lowell to keep the same standard of living.