City comparison
Fall River, MA is about 80 miles (125 km) from Springfield, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 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 Springfield, MA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 80 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 93,638 in Fall River — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Fall River covers about 33 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Springfield.
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 | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,020/mo | $1,047/mo | 2.6% higher in Springfield |
| Median home value | $328,100 | $198,500 | 65.3% higher in Fall River |
| Median household income | $52,734 | $47,677 | 10.6% higher in Fall River |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.4 | ≈ equal (Fall River slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 150.0 | 3.9% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 100.7 | 1.0% higher in Fall River |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 101.5 | 1.0% higher in Fall River |
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 $89,945 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MA is about 10.1% cheaper overall than Fall River, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% higher in Fall River than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Fall River, you'd need about $71,956 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.