City comparison
Fall River, MA is about 50 miles (80 km) from Worcester, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 1 h 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 Worcester, MA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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 93,638 in Fall River — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Worcester covers about 37 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Fall River.
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 | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,020/mo | $1,312/mo | 28.6% higher in Worcester |
| Median home value | $328,100 | $305,600 | 7.4% higher in Fall River |
| Median household income | $52,734 | $63,011 | 19.5% higher in Worcester |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.4 | ≈ equal (Fall River slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 150.2 | 4.0% higher in Worcester |
| 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 $104,375 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fall River, MA is about 4.2% cheaper overall than Worcester, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Worcester than in Fall River. If you earn $80,000 in Fall River, you'd need about $83,500 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.