City comparison
Lawrence, MA is about 40 miles (70 km) from Worcester, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 56 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 Worcester, MA takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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 88,067 in Lawrence — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Worcester covers about 37 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 | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,502/mo | $1,312/mo | 14.5% higher in Lawrence |
| Median home value | $370,600 | $305,600 | 21.3% higher in Lawrence |
| Median household income | $53,977 | $63,011 | 16.7% higher in Worcester |
| Groceries index | 99.4 | 97.4 | 2.0% higher in Lawrence |
| Utilities index | 141.1 | 150.2 | 6.4% higher in Worcester |
| 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 $89,257 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Worcester, MA is about 10.7% cheaper overall than Lawrence, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% higher in Lawrence than in Worcester. If you earn $80,000 in Lawrence, you'd need about $71,406 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.