City comparison
Fall River, MA is about 60 miles (100 km) from Lowell, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Fall River, MA to Lowell, MA takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 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 93,638 in Fall River — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Fall River covers about 33 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 | Fall River | Lowell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,020/mo | $1,466/mo | 43.7% higher in Lowell |
| Median home value | $328,100 | $362,800 | 10.6% higher in Lowell |
| Median household income | $52,734 | $73,008 | 38.4% higher in Lowell |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 99.4 | 1.9% higher in Lowell |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 141.1 | 2.3% higher in Fall River |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 102.9 | 1.2% higher in Lowell |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 103.7 | 1.2% higher in Lowell |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Fall River, you'd need $116,832 in Lowell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fall River, MA is about 14.4% cheaper overall than Lowell, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% higher in Lowell than in Fall River. If you earn $80,000 in Fall River, you'd need about $93,465 in Lowell to keep the same standard of living.