City comparison
New York, NY is about 175 miles (300 km) from Waltham, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 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 York, NY to Waltham, MA takes about 22 min, covering roughly 175 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.
New York has a population of 8,622,467, vs 64,711 in Waltham — about 133.2× larger by population. By land area, New York covers about 300 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for Waltham.
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 York | Waltham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,714/mo | $2,141/mo | 24.9% higher in Waltham |
| Median home value | $732,100 | $679,000 | 7.8% higher in New York |
| Median household income | $76,607 | $113,443 | 48.1% higher in Waltham |
| Groceries index | 109.6 | 99.8 | 9.9% higher in New York |
| Utilities index | 128.8 | 144.3 | 12.0% higher in Waltham |
| Transportation index | 105.4 | 102.9 | 2.4% higher in New York |
| Healthcare index | 105.3 | 103.7 | 1.6% higher in New York |
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 York, you'd need $100,198 in Waltham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New York and Waltham have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Waltham than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in New York, you'd need about $80,159 in Waltham to keep the same standard of living.