Cost of Living in Massachusetts
How much does it cost to live in Massachusetts? This page pulls together the numbers that actually shape your budget — graduated state income tax from 5.0% to 9.0%, a median home price of $672,867, and a median household income of $104,828. Every figure is cited and refreshed monthly, and the calculators below let you plug in your own salary and household to see what life in Massachusetts really costs you.
Key Massachusetts figures
State income tax
5.0%–9.0%
Graduated brackets
Source: Massachusetts Department of Revenue via PolicyEngine US parameters · as of 2020-01-01 · methodology
Median home price
$672,867
Typical home value
Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI) · as of 2026-06 (pending review) · methodology
Median household income
$104,828
$57,789 per capita
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2024 · as of 2024 · methodology
Electricity price
28.82¢/kWh
Residential average
Source: US EIA, Electric Power Monthly (residential price) · as of 2026-05 (pending review) · methodology
Population
7,136,171
US Census estimate
Massachusetts calculators
Paycheck Calculator
Take-home pay after taxes
Cost of Living
Budget against local prices
Salary Needed
Income to live comfortably
Rent Affordability
Rent you can afford
Home Affordability
Home price you can afford
Budget Planner
50/30/20 at local prices
Retirement
What you need to retire here
Salary Equivalence
Compare pay across states
Where people move to and from Massachusetts
Top states moving into Massachusetts
- New York 21,374
- California 14,217
- New Hampshire 11,334
- Florida 10,314
- Rhode Island 8,568
Where Massachusetts residents move
- New Hampshire 22,047
- Florida 19,189
- New York 18,933
- California 14,818
- Rhode Island 13,465
Net interstate migration: -42,037 more people left than arrived (vs. the other 49 states).
Full Massachusetts migration report →
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS State-to-State Migration Flows · as of 2022 · methodology
Living in Massachusetts: what the numbers say
Massachusetts uses graduated income tax brackets, so your marginal rate climbs as you earn more — from 5.0% on the first dollars to 9.0% at the top. Only income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate, but high earners still feel it, and it's the single biggest reason two people with the same salary keep very different amounts here.
Housing is where Massachusetts is won or lost. At a median home price of $672,867 against a median household income of $104,828, homes cost about 6.4× yearly income — a stretch that pushes many households toward renting. Use the home and rent calculators below to see what your income supports here.
Day-to-day costs add up too: residential electricity in Massachusetts runs about 28.82¢ per kilowatt-hour, one of the recurring bills the cost-of-living tools fold into a realistic monthly budget.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Massachusetts an expensive state to live in?
- It depends on your income and housing situation. Massachusetts has graduated state income tax from 5.0% to 9.0% and a median home price of $672,867. The calculators on this page turn those figures into a number for your specific salary and household.
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Massachusetts?
- That varies with household size, whether you rent or own, and your lifestyle. Start with the Massachusetts paycheck calculator to see your take-home pay, then the cost-of-living tools to compare it against local expenses.
- Where do these Massachusetts numbers come from?
- Tax figures come from state and IRS sources, home values from Zillow, income and population from the US Census, and energy prices from the EIA — each shown with its date. See our methodology page for the full list and update schedule.