City comparison
Springfield, MA is about 70 miles (100 km) from Waltham, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Springfield, MA to Waltham, MA takes about 8 min, covering roughly 70 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.
Springfield has a population of 155,305, vs 64,711 in Waltham — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 32 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 | Springfield | Waltham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,047/mo | $2,141/mo | 104.5% higher in Waltham |
| Median home value | $198,500 | $679,000 | 242.1% higher in Waltham |
| Median household income | $47,677 | $113,443 | 137.9% higher in Waltham |
| Groceries index | 97.4 | 99.8 | 2.5% higher in Waltham |
| Utilities index | 150.0 | 144.3 | 3.9% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 102.9 | 2.2% higher in Waltham |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 103.7 | 2.2% higher in Waltham |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Springfield, you'd need $133,750 in Waltham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MA is about 25.2% cheaper overall than Waltham, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 97% higher in Waltham than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Springfield, you'd need about $107,000 in Waltham to keep the same standard of living.