City comparison
Lowell, MA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Toms River, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 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 Lowell, MA to Toms River, NJ takes about 28 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Lowell has a population of 114,737, vs 92,827 in Toms River — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Toms River covers about 39 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for Lowell.
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 | Lowell | Toms River | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,466/mo | $1,592/mo | 8.6% higher in Toms River |
| Median home value | $362,800 | $356,100 | 1.9% higher in Lowell |
| Median household income | $73,008 | $92,012 | 26.0% higher in Toms River |
| Groceries index | 99.4 | 107.2 | 7.9% higher in Toms River |
| Utilities index | 141.1 | 121.4 | 16.2% higher in Lowell |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 103.3 | ≈ equal (Toms River slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 104.1 | ≈ equal (Toms River slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lowell, you'd need $100,139 in Toms River to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lowell and Toms River have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lowell, you'd need about $80,111 in Toms River to keep the same standard of living.