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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: Massachusetts isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Worcester proves it with a cost index of 126, the lowest in Massachusetts, and we've ranked all 4 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive l…
207,621 residents · Massachusetts
Worcester is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $2,150/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 126. Income sits at $67,544. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious.
114,296 residents · Massachusetts
Dive into Lowell's numbers: cost index 132 (21 points above national average), rent $2,262/month, income $76,205, and a home price of $471,792. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 106, while Housing runs 132. With 114,296 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
118,214 residents · Massachusetts
What does daily life actually cost in Cambridge? Start with the 32% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Healthcare (index 119) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 196) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $126,469 and homes at $1,019,841 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
653,833 residents · Massachusetts
The #4 spot goes to Boston, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $3,510/month — costing renters $19,380 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 121, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 205. The 44% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
#1 Ranked: Worcester — cost index 126, rent $2,150/mo, income $67,544
0 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Let's be honest: Massachusetts isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Worcester proves it with a cost index of 126, the lowest in Massachusetts, and we've ranked all 4 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Dive into Worcester's numbers: cost index 126 (15 points above national average), rent $2,150/month, income $67,544, and a home price of $423,326. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 105, while Housing runs 126. With 207,621 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
For all that, there's a counter-signal worth noting: Across Massachusetts, the average cost of living index is 165 — 54 points above the national median. Known for Boston's biotech boom and old-money pricing, the state offers 4 tracked cities with median rents averaging $2,819/month. That's $924 more than the national average of $1,895. This is the kind of number that should get your attention.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Worcester | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $21,637 |
2Lowell | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $21,637 |
3Cambridge | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $21,637 |
4Boston | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $21,637 |
We model what a $30K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Worcester ranks #1 in Massachusetts for this analysis with a cost index of 126 and median income of $67,544.
Yes. On a $30K salary in Worcester, rent would consume about 86% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Worcester (ranked #1) has a cost index of 126 and rent of $2,150/mo, while Boston (ranked #4) has a cost index of 205 and rent of $3,510/mo — a 79-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Worcester is $2,150/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $255 above the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 9% state income tax, estimated take-home on $30K in Worcester is approximately $21,637/year ($1,803/month). After median rent of $2,150/month, you'd have roughly $0/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Worcester is $423,326, which is 6.3× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Massachusetts has a 9% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.25%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.04%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.