City comparison
Peabody, MA is about 50 miles (70 km) from Worcester, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 58 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 Peabody, MA to Worcester, MA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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 54,204 in Peabody — about 3.8× larger by population. By land area, Worcester covers about 37 sq mi vs 16 sq mi for Peabody.
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 | Peabody | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,795/mo | $1,312/mo | 36.8% higher in Peabody |
| Median home value | $508,400 | $305,600 | 66.4% higher in Peabody |
| Median household income | $91,125 | $63,011 | 44.6% higher in Peabody |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.4 | 2.5% higher in Peabody |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 150.2 | 4.1% higher in Worcester |
| Transportation index | 102.9 | 100.7 | 2.2% higher in Peabody |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 101.5 | 2.2% higher in Peabody |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Peabody, you'd need $87,482 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Worcester, MA is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Peabody, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% higher in Peabody than in Worcester. If you earn $80,000 in Peabody, you'd need about $69,986 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.