City comparison
Springfield, MA is about 40 miles (60 km) from Worcester, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 49 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 Worcester, MA 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.
Worcester has a population of 204,191, vs 155,305 in Springfield — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Worcester covers about 37 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Springfield.
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 | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,047/mo | $1,312/mo | 25.3% higher in Worcester |
| Median home value | $198,500 | $305,600 | 54.0% higher in Worcester |
| Median household income | $47,677 | $63,011 | 32.2% higher in Worcester |
| Groceries index | 97.4 | 97.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 150.0 | 150.2 | ≈ equal (Worcester slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.5 | ≈ equal |
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 $116,043 in Worcester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MA is about 13.8% cheaper overall than Worcester, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 47% higher in Worcester than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Springfield, you'd need about $92,835 in Worcester to keep the same standard of living.