Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Bellevue, WA
VS
New Bedford, MA
🏆 Bellevue leads 14 of 23 categories
Bellevue
Washington
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
113.0⚠ High
Median Household Income
$149,551 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
36 ✓ Safer
Population
150,606 ✓ Larger
New Bedford
Massachusetts
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
100.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$54,604
Violent Crime Index
93
Population
100,620
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Bellevue, WA
Pros
Households earn $94,947 more per year on average
61% less violent crime than New Bedford
More college-educated — 70.0% hold a bachelor's or higher
Stronger job market — unemployment is 3.2 pts lower (4.0%)
Violent crime is well below the national average (138.6 vs 380/100k)
Milder winters — January highs near 47°F vs 39°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $1,139,500
Higher rents — median is $2,422/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 113.0)
Cost of living runs 12% higher than New Bedford
New Bedford, MA
Pros
Homes cost $848k less ($291,300 vs $1,139,500)
Rent averages $1396/mo less ($1,026 vs $2,422)
12% cheaper overall cost of living than Bellevue
Smaller class sizes — 11.7:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Bellevue by $94,947/yr
Higher unemployment (7.2% vs 4.0%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Bellevue
Median Income
$94,947
$149,551 vs $54,604/yr
Bellevue
Violent Crime
61% lower
138.6 vs 353.2 per 100k
Bellevue
Unemployment
3.2 pp lower
4.0% vs 7.2% unemployment
New Bedford
Cost of Living
12% cheaper
COL index 100.9 vs 113.0 (100 = US avg)
New Bedford
Median Home Value
$848k less
$291,300 vs $1,139,500
New Bedford
Summer Heat
6.0°F warmer
July avg high 82.5°F vs 76.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Bellevue, WA | New Bedford, MA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 113.0⚠ High | 100.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $1,139,500⚠ High | $291,300 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,422⚠ High | $1,026 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $149,551 ✓ Higher | $54,604 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.0%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 7.2%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 23.6 min ✓ Shorter | 25.4 min |
| Work From Home % | 29.9% ✓ Higher | 4.3% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 85 | 82 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 36 ✓ Safer | 93 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 159⚠ High | 65 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A- (115) ✓ Better | B- (94) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 17.8:1 | 11.7:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 70.0% ✓ Higher | 16.4% |
| High School or Higher | 95.9% ✓ Higher | 76.3% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Bellevue School District | New Bedford |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 47.4°F ✓ Warmer | 39.1°F |
| Avg High — July | 76.5°F | 82.5°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.9" ✓ Drier | 45.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.8" ✓ Less | 32.5" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 150,606 ✓ Larger | 100,620 |
| Median Age | 38.3 ✓ Older | 36.8 |
| Homeownership Rate | 51.7% ✓ Higher | 39.9% |
| Under 18 | 20.0% | 23.5% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.6% | 15.8% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Bellevue's cost of living index is 113.0 vs New Bedford's 100.9 (US average = 100).
New Bedford is 12% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Bellevue leads 14 of 23 categories. Bellevue wins 14 and New Bedford wins 9. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Bellevue to New Bedford or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($1,139,500 vs $291,300 median home), income ($149,551 vs $54,604), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Bellevue, WA and New Bedford, MA are about 2,505 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.