City comparison
Norwalk, CT is about 40 miles (60 km) from Waterbury, CT in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 47 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 Norwalk, CT to Waterbury, CT takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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 91,050 in Norwalk — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Waterbury covers about 29 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Norwalk.
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 | Norwalk | Waterbury | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,861/mo | $1,140/mo | 63.2% higher in Norwalk |
| Median home value | $491,800 | $162,800 | 202.1% higher in Norwalk |
| Median household income | $97,879 | $51,451 | 90.2% higher in Norwalk |
| Groceries index | 106.7 | 97.4 | 9.5% higher in Norwalk |
| Utilities index | 128.3 | 148.4 | 15.7% higher in Waterbury |
| Transportation index | 104.3 | 101.0 | 3.2% higher in Norwalk |
| Healthcare index | 105.1 | 101.8 | 3.2% higher in Norwalk |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Norwalk, you'd need $77,609 in Waterbury to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterbury, CT is about 22.4% cheaper overall than Norwalk, CT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 80% higher in Norwalk than in Waterbury. If you earn $80,000 in Norwalk, you'd need about $62,087 in Waterbury to keep the same standard of living.