City comparison
Lawrence, 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 Lawrence, MA to Springfield, MA takes about 10 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 88,067 in Lawrence — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 32 sq mi vs 6.9 sq mi for Lawrence.
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 | Lawrence | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,502/mo | $1,047/mo | 43.5% higher in Lawrence |
| Median home value | $370,600 | $198,500 | 86.7% higher in Lawrence |
| Median household income | $53,977 | $47,677 | 13.2% higher in Lawrence |
| Groceries index | 99.4 | 97.4 | 2.0% higher in Lawrence |
| Utilities index | 141.1 | 150.0 | 6.3% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 100.7 | 2.2% higher in Lawrence |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 101.5 | 2.2% higher in Lawrence |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lawrence, you'd need $76,917 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MA is about 23.1% cheaper overall than Lawrence, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 87% higher in Lawrence than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Lawrence, you'd need about $61,534 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.