City comparison
Brookline, MA is about 30 miles (50 km) from Worcester, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 43 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 Brookline, MA to Worcester, MA takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Worcester has a population of 204,191, vs 62,698 in Brookline — about 3.3× larger by population. By land area, Worcester covers about 37 sq mi vs 6.8 sq mi for Brookline.
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 | Brookline | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,702/mo | $1,312/mo | 105.9% higher in Brookline |
| Median home value | $1,181,200 | $305,600 | 286.5% higher in Brookline |
| Median household income | $130,600 | $63,011 | 107.3% higher in Brookline |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.4 | 2.5% higher in Brookline |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 150.2 | 4.1% higher in Worcester |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 100.7 | 2.2% higher in Brookline |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 101.5 | 2.2% higher in Brookline |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Brookline, you'd need $85,622 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Worcester, MA is about 14.4% cheaper overall than Brookline, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% higher in Brookline than in Worcester. If you earn $80,000 in Brookline, you'd need about $68,497 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.