City comparison
New Bedford, MA is about 60 miles (100 km) from Worcester, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 New Bedford, MA to Worcester, MA takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 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 100,620 in New Bedford — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Worcester covers about 37 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for New Bedford.
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 | New Bedford | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,026/mo | $1,312/mo | 27.9% higher in Worcester |
| Median home value | $291,300 | $305,600 | 4.9% higher in Worcester |
| Median household income | $54,604 | $63,011 | 15.4% higher in Worcester |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.4 | ≈ equal (New Bedford slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 150.2 | 4.0% higher in Worcester |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 100.7 | 1.0% higher in New Bedford |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 101.5 | 1.0% higher in New Bedford |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in New Bedford, you'd need $104,355 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New Bedford, MA is about 4.2% cheaper overall than Worcester, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Worcester than in New Bedford. If you earn $80,000 in New Bedford, you'd need about $83,484 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.