City comparison
Meriden, CT is about 10 miles (20 km) from Waterbury, CT in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 16 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 Meriden, CT to Waterbury, CT takes about 2 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.
Waterbury has a population of 114,480, vs 60,556 in Meriden — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Waterbury covers about 29 sq mi vs 24 sq mi for Meriden.
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 | Meriden | Waterbury | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,191/mo | $1,140/mo | 4.5% higher in Meriden |
| Median home value | $199,100 | $162,800 | 22.3% higher in Meriden |
| Median household income | $63,671 | $51,451 | 23.8% higher in Meriden |
| Groceries index | 97.4 | 97.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 148.4 | 148.4 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 101.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 101.8 | ≈ 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 Meriden, you'd need $99,833 in Waterbury to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Meriden and Waterbury have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Meriden, you'd need about $79,867 in Waterbury to keep the same standard of living.