City comparison
Fall River, MA is about 10 miles (10 km) from New Bedford, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 11 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 New Bedford, MA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
New Bedford has a population of 100,620, vs 93,638 in Fall River — about the same size. By land area, Fall River covers about 33 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for New Bedford.
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 | New Bedford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,020/mo | $1,026/mo | 0.6% higher in New Bedford |
| Median home value | $328,100 | $291,300 | 12.6% higher in Fall River |
| Median household income | $52,734 | $54,604 | 3.5% higher in New Bedford |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 144.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 101.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 102.5 | ≈ equal |
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 $100,019 in New Bedford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fall River and New Bedford have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Fall River, you'd need about $80,015 in New Bedford to keep the same standard of living.