City comparison
Medford, MA is about 10 miles (10 km) from Newton, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 10 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 Medford, MA to Newton, MA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Newton has a population of 88,453, vs 61,748 in Medford — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Newton covers about 18 sq mi vs 8.1 sq mi for Medford.
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 | Medford | Newton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,305/mo | $2,252/mo | 2.4% higher in Medford |
| Median home value | $669,600 | $1,136,200 | 69.7% higher in Newton |
| Median household income | $114,863 | $176,373 | 53.6% higher in Newton |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 144.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 102.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 103.7 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Medford, you'd need $99,874 in Newton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Medford and Newton have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Medford, you'd need about $79,899 in Newton to keep the same standard of living.