Cost of Living in Massachusetts
What it costs to live in Massachusetts, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 7,136,171
- Median household income
- $104,828
- State income tax
- Up to 9%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 105.8
What a typical paycheck keeps in Massachusetts
The typical Massachusetts worker earns $63,590 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $5,400 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $63,590
- Federal income tax
- −$5,451
- Payroll taxes
- −$5,157
- State income tax
- −$2,960
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$25,044
- Everyday costs
- −$19,578
a year, or $450 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Massachusetts.
Cost of living in Massachusetts
Prices across Massachusetts run 6% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing28% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)1% below the US average
- Utilities52% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% above the US average
- All items6% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $2,087 | $25,044 |
| Food | $488 | $5,856 |
| Transportation | $386 | $4,632 |
| Healthcare | $362 | $4,344 |
| Utilities | $396 | $4,752 |
| Total before taxes | $3,719 | $44,628 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Massachusetts taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 5% |
| $1,083,150 | 9% |
Payroll programs withheld from wages
- Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)0.5% up to $184,500
The Paid Family and Medical Leave contribution (0.46% of wages) is counted under payroll taxes.
Taxes on the median household income
$104,828 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$14,232 |
| Payroll taxes | −$8,502 |
| State income tax | −$5,021 |
| Effective tax rate | 26.5% |
Cities in Massachusetts
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Massachusetts city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Massachusetts
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $181,600 | $81,072 |
| Lawyer | $176,680 | $77,978 |
| Software engineer | $165,210 | $70,764 |
| Nurse practitioner | $142,440 | $56,444 |
| Physician assistant | $142,410 | $56,426 |
| Veterinarian | $140,260 | $55,074 |
| Pharmacist | $138,170 | $53,758 |
| Data scientist | $131,750 | $49,721 |
| Mechanical engineer | $119,300 | $41,842 |
| Project manager | $114,190 | $38,525 |
| Financial analyst | $111,040 | $36,482 |
| Lineman | $110,210 | $35,943 |
| Civil engineer | $106,730 | $33,684 |
| Registered nurse | $104,550 | $32,270 |
| Physical therapist | $103,790 | $31,777 |
Salary pages in Massachusetts, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Massachusetts
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $285,250 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $277,490 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $267,290 |
| Physicians, All Other | $236,580 |
| Pediatricians, General | $221,170 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $214,960 |
| Marketing Managers | $212,020 |
| Financial Managers | $206,760 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $201,430 |
| Sales Managers | $191,200 |
| Managers, All Other | $182,950 |
| Human Resources Managers | $181,780 |
| Dentists, General | $181,600 |
| Lawyers | $176,680 |
| Public Relations Managers | $171,740 |
Living in Massachusetts
Massachusetts against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Massachusetts | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $607,400 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,848 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 9.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 48.3% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 30.6 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 14.8% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Massachusetts with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Massachusetts?
Prices in Massachusetts are 6% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $2,087 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,632 a month.
Does Massachusetts have a state income tax?
Yes. Massachusetts's income tax rate is up to 9%. On a typical wage of $63,590, a single filer pays about $2,960 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Massachusetts?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $56,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Massachusetts earns $63,590 and keeps $5,400 after those costs.
Where in Massachusetts does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Massachusetts cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Worcester ($6,601 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Boston ($393).
What jobs pay the most in Massachusetts?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Massachusetts goes to General Internal Medicine Physicians ($285,250); Family Medicine Physicians ($277,490); Natural Sciences Managers ($267,290) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate