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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Retirement planning isn't just about lowest rent — it's about protecting a fixed income from healthcare costs and state taxes. And in most cases, we scored 4 cities in Massachusetts on what hits retirees hardest: cost of living, healthcare, and tax burden. Boston leads with index 205 — though some p…
Retirement planning isn't just about lowest rent — it's about protecting a fixed income from healthcare costs and state taxes. And in most cases, we scored 4 cities in Massachusetts on what hits retirees hardest: cost of living, healthcare, and tax burden. Boston leads with index 205 — though some people might weigh that differently — , a 9% state tax rate, and a healthcare index of 121.
The numbers for Boston are straightforward: 205 on the cost index, $3,510/month rent, $94,755 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. About what you'd guess (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). Solidly above average.
Bottom line: Boston leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Boston — cost index 205, rent $3,510/mo, income $94,755
73-point cost gap between #1 and #4
Retiree-weighted scoring: healthcare index 121, state tax 9%, cost index 205 — protecting fixed retirement income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
653,833 residents · Massachusetts
In plain English: the numbers for Boston are straightforward: 205 on the cost index, $3,510/month rent, $94,755 income. That tracks. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. About what you'd guess (we double-checked this one).
207,621 residents · Massachusetts
Here's Worcester by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 126. Rent: $2,150/month. Income: $67,544/year. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. Home price: $423,326. Population: 207,621. The strongest category is Healthcare at 105; the most expensive is Housing at 126. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $3,060 more per year vs. the national median. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
118,214 residents · Massachusetts
Cambridge earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 196 cost index sits 85 points above the national baseline, and the $126,469 — we had to double-check this one — median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $1,019,841 — $552,471 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 119, while Housing trails at 196.
114,296 residents · Massachusetts
The numbers for Lowell are straightforward: 132 on the cost index, $2,262/month rent, $76,205 income. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. Pretty standard for this type of city (that's pre-tax, of course).
Boston ranks #1 in Massachusetts for this analysis with a cost index of 205 and median income of $94,755.
Boston scores highest for retirees due to its strong income potential, median rent of $3,510/mo, and above-average median income of $94,755.
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.
Boston (ranked #1) has a cost index of 205 and rent of $3,510/mo, while Lowell (ranked #4) has a cost index of 132 and rent of $2,262/mo — a 73-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 Boston is $3,510/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $1,615 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Boston is $768,702, which is 8.1× 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.