City comparison
Cambridge, 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 Cambridge, 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 117,962 in Cambridge — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 32 sq mi vs 6.4 sq mi for Cambridge.
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 | Cambridge | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,628/mo | $1,047/mo | 151.0% higher in Cambridge |
| Median home value | $997,600 | $198,500 | 402.6% higher in Cambridge |
| Median household income | $121,539 | $47,677 | 154.9% higher in Cambridge |
| Groceries index | 100.1 | 97.4 | 2.8% higher in Cambridge |
| Utilities index | 147.4 | 150.0 | 1.8% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 100.7 | 1.5% higher in Cambridge |
| Healthcare index | 106.4 | 101.5 | 4.8% higher in Cambridge |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cambridge, you'd need $73,646 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MA is about 26.4% cheaper overall than Cambridge, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 101% higher in Cambridge than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Cambridge, you'd need about $58,917 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.