Northeast ranking
30 Massachusetts cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 94
Index 128
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield | 94 | $1,047/mo | $47,677 | 155K | Compare → |
| 2 | Chicopee | 94 | $1,058/mo | $63,866 | 55K | Compare → |
| 3 | Barnstable Town | 102 | $1,711/mo | $94,387 | 49K | Compare → |
| 4 | Fall River | 105 | $1,020/mo | $52,734 | 94K | Compare → |
| 5 | New Bedford | 105 | $1,026/mo | $54,604 | 101K | Compare → |
| 6 | Taunton | 105 | $1,180/mo | $72,782 | 59K | Compare → |
| 7 | Attleboro | 106 | $1,359/mo | $91,378 | 46K | Compare → |
| 8 | Worcester | 110 | $1,312/mo | $63,011 | 204K | Compare → |
| 9 | Methuen Town | 121 | $1,514/mo | $93,681 | 53K | Compare → |
| 10 | Haverhill | 123 | $1,462/mo | $81,989 | 67K | Compare → |
| 11 | Lowell | 123 | $1,466/mo | $73,008 | 115K | Compare → |
| 12 | Lawrence | 123 | $1,502/mo | $53,977 | 88K | Compare → |
| 13 | Brockton | 124 | $1,446/mo | $74,016 | 105K | Compare → |
| 14 | Lynn | 124 | $1,511/mo | $70,046 | 101K | Compare → |
| 15 | Salem | 125 | $1,678/mo | $79,196 | 45K | Compare → |
| 16 | Framingham | 125 | $1,689/mo | $94,909 | 72K | Compare → |
| 17 | Weymouth Town | 125 | $1,718/mo | $95,879 | 57K | Compare → |
| 18 | Revere | 125 | $1,790/mo | $78,968 | 61K | Compare → |
| 19 | Peabody | 125 | $1,795/mo | $91,125 | 54K | Compare → |
| 20 | Everett | 125 | $1,892/mo | $77,796 | 49K | Compare → |
| 21 | Quincy | 126 | $1,901/mo | $90,668 | 101K | Compare → |
| 22 | Arlington | 126 | $1,902/mo | $136,312 | 46K | Compare → |
| 23 | Malden | 126 | $1,962/mo | $90,295 | 65K | Compare → |
| 24 | Boston | 126 | $1,981/mo | $89,212 | 666K | Compare → |
| 25 | Waltham | 126 | $2,141/mo | $113,443 | 65K | Compare → |
| 26 | Newton | 127 | $2,252/mo | $176,373 | 88K | Compare → |
| 27 | Medford | 127 | $2,305/mo | $114,863 | 62K | Compare → |
| 28 | Somerville | 127 | $2,357/mo | $120,778 | 80K | Compare → |
| 29 | Brookline | 128 | $2,702/mo | $130,600 | 63K | Compare → |
| 30 | Cambridge | 128 | $2,628/mo | $121,539 | 118K | Compare → |
Why do people move to Massachusetts? The most common reasons line up with what the data and geography support: incomes run above the us median, boston pulls major-metro weight, plus 2 more. The rest is below.
Median household income across Massachusetts cities averages about $89,637 — a step above the US median of around $75k. Not a uniformly high-wage state, but the labor market here pays more than most of the country.
Boston (population about 665,945) gives Massachusetts a genuine major-city anchor. Big airports, headquartered employers, professional sports, specialty hospitals, and the kind of job market you don't get in mid-sized towns — and you can live close to it or an hour away, depending on the lifestyle you want.
We track 30 Massachusetts cities with full cost data, ranging from small towns to major metros. That means you can actually pick a fit — urban density vs. small-town quiet, expensive vs. cheap, big-job-market vs. easier-commute — instead of having "the state's one big city" be your only option.
Massachusetts has Atlantic coastline — meaning the ocean is reachable without a flight, and for plenty of residents it's reachable in under an hour. That changes the rhythm of a year: summer plans default to the water, the weather is moderated by being near it, and a lot of the state's culture is tied to fishing, ports, or beach towns.
Reasons reflect aggregated city data for Massachusetts (Census ACS, BLS, BEA) plus well-known state-level geography. We only list points that are actually supported — different states show different sections.
Across Massachusetts, Springfield is the most affordable city we track (cost index 94, with median rent around $1,047/mo), while Cambridge sits at the top of the range with an index of 128—roughly 36% pricier than Springfield. Use the table above to compare any Massachusetts city directly against Springfield.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.