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MAMassachusetts rankings

Towns where rent is easiest to afford in Massachusetts

Ranked by the share of renter households spending 30% or more of their income on rent, the federal "cost-burdened" line. 114 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Uxbridge 1 Uxbridge Worcester County 25.6% Median rent $1,555 2 Reading Middlesex County 27.8% Median rent $1,991 3 Arlington Middlesex County 35% Median rent $2,082
#TownRenters paying 30%+Median rentRenter households
1 Uxbridge UxbridgeWorcester County · 14,473 people 25.6% $1,555 1,033
2 ReadingMiddlesex County · 25,612 people 27.8% $1,991 1,702
3 ArlingtonMiddlesex County · 46,350 people 35% $2,082 7,400
4 Somerville81,036 people 36.2% $2,517 22,910
5 WalpoleNorfolk County · 26,388 people 37.8% $2,205 1,449
6 MansfieldBristol County · 23,931 people 38.2% $1,803 2,316
7 AndoverEssex County · 36,652 people 39.7% $2,201 2,413
8 Agawam Town28,539 people 39.8% $1,256 2,839
9 ClintonWorcester County · 15,563 people 40.3% $1,402 3,041
10 HudsonMiddlesex County · 20,077 people 40.8% $1,406 2,079
11 WestboroughWorcester County · 21,944 people 40.9% $2,106 2,947
12 Medford59,354 people 41.1% $2,509 10,542
13 NatickMiddlesex County · 36,873 people 41.7% $2,134 4,666
14 Stoneham StonehamMiddlesex County · 23,355 people 41.9% $2,035 2,701
15 BedfordMiddlesex County · 14,727 people 42% $2,622 1,721
16 BillericaMiddlesex County · 42,003 people 42.3% $2,282 3,031
17 North Attleborough Town30,984 people 42.6% $1,509 3,607
18 Watertown Watertown35,543 people 42.7% $2,502 8,268
19 Newton Newton89,044 people 43.3% $2,370 9,079
20 WakefieldMiddlesex County · 27,793 people 43.7% $1,958 3,132
21 WellesleyNorfolk County · 30,347 people 44.1% $2,886 1,311
22 Map of Shrewsbury ShrewsburyWorcester County · 38,876 people 44.2% $2,116 3,921
23 Waltham64,902 people 44.7% $2,268 12,224
24 MaynardMiddlesex County · 10,712 people 44.9% $1,800 1,114
25 Cambridge118,796 people 45% $2,787 31,465
26 Easthampton16,086 people 45.5% $1,292 3,033
27 Belmont BelmontMiddlesex County · 27,175 people 45.6% $2,527 3,458
28 WebsterWorcester County · 17,748 people 45.7% $1,228 2,837
29 Newburyport18,652 people 46.4% $1,592 1,751
30 Westfield Westfield40,378 people 46.5% $1,117 4,574
31 Map of Brookline BrooklineNorfolk County · 63,266 people 46.9% $2,835 14,190
32 DudleyWorcester County · 11,929 people 47.4% $1,217 1,017
33 ActonMiddlesex County · 24,155 people 47.7% $1,986 2,135
34 Attleboro46,762 people 48% $1,590 5,539
35 Franklin Town33,154 people 48% $1,899 2,514
36 Methuen53,475 people 48.4% $1,749 4,849
37 Quincy102,114 people 48.7% $2,118 23,528
38 South HadleyHampshire County · 17,754 people 48.7% $1,325 1,461
39 Danvers DanversEssex County · 28,098 people 48.8% $2,076 3,305
40 Leominster43,909 people 48.9% $1,354 6,693
41 MarbleheadEssex County · 20,413 people 49.5% $1,764 1,101
42 Gardner21,148 people 49.7% $1,109 3,504
43 Fitchburg41,798 people 49.9% $1,222 7,407
44 LexingtonMiddlesex County · 34,295 people 50.1% $2,891 2,267
45 Melrose29,650 people 50.3% $1,970 3,892
46 BurlingtonMiddlesex County · 26,274 people 50.4% $2,718 2,436
47 Map of Spencer SpencerWorcester County · 12,008 people 50.6% $1,078 1,762
48 LudlowHampden County · 20,904 people 50.7% $1,223 1,729
49 Map of Abington AbingtonPlymouth County · 17,053 people 50.7% $1,724 1,553
50 Boston Boston666,442 people 51.2% $2,147 172,826
51 Malden65,906 people 51.2% $2,204 14,512
52 Northbridge NorthbridgeWorcester County · 16,458 people 51.2% $1,207 1,694
53 Auburn AuburnWorcester County · 16,970 people 51.4% $1,467 1,354
54 Map of Holyoke Holyoke37,813 people 51.7% $1,021 8,470
55 ChelmsfordMiddlesex County · 36,446 people 51.7% $2,062 2,247
56 RocklandPlymouth County · 17,701 people 51.7% $1,610 1,548
57 PlymouthPlymouth County · 63,953 people 51.9% $1,933 5,339
58 Chicopee55,295 people 52% $1,157 10,070
59 Lowell118,368 people 52.4% $1,625 23,769
60 CantonNorfolk County · 24,748 people 52.4% $2,315 2,375
61 Fall River Fall River94,082 people 52.5% $1,155 25,956
62 New Bedford100,998 people 52.6% $1,137 24,245
63 Pittsfield43,457 people 52.8% $1,134 6,904
64 Braintree Town Braintree Town38,899 people 52.9% $2,024 3,010
65 Palmer Town12,381 people 52.9% $1,075 1,508
66 North Andover North AndoverEssex County · 31,490 people 53% $2,223 3,312
67 Saugus SaugusEssex County · 28,773 people 53% $2,241 2,947
68 Westford WestfordMiddlesex County · 24,690 people 53% $2,436 1,119
69 ConcordMiddlesex County · 18,223 people 53.2% $2,631 1,488
70 Framingham72,399 people 53.4% $2,033 11,619
71 Winthrop Town Winthrop Town18,759 people 53.6% $2,064 3,303
72 DartmouthBristol County · 33,328 people 54% $1,462 2,631
73 Worcester207,055 people 54.2% $1,487 43,594
74 Falmouth FalmouthBarnstable County · 33,039 people 54.2% $1,451 2,449
75 NorwoodNorfolk County · 31,542 people 54.3% $2,116 5,848
76 Brockton105,386 people 54.5% $1,641 14,697
77 Salem Salem44,795 people 54.9% $1,836 9,672
78 Gloucester30,075 people 55.1% $1,411 4,612
79 Weymouth Town Weymouth Town58,505 people 55.5% $1,941 7,747
80 Beverly42,665 people 55.5% $1,771 6,283
81 Woburn41,939 people 55.5% $2,221 6,899
82 Southbridge Town17,928 people 55.8% $1,256 4,006
83 NeedhamNorfolk County · 32,459 people 55.9% $2,409 1,793
84 Everett50,045 people 56.4% $2,076 10,203
85 DedhamNorfolk County · 25,237 people 56.4% $2,042 2,481
86 Taunton Taunton60,433 people 56.8% $1,324 8,478
87 MilfordWorcester County · 30,431 people 56.8% $1,909 3,836
88 MiddleboroughPlymouth County · 24,505 people 57.2% $1,706 2,137
89 Dracut DracutMiddlesex County · 32,574 people 57.6% $1,839 2,282
90 Northampton30,962 people 57.6% $1,439 5,489
91 Springfield154,749 people 57.7% $1,144 26,994
92 Revere60,012 people 57.9% $2,076 11,440
93 Peabody Peabody54,695 people 58.3% $1,950 7,243
94 Marlborough Marlborough41,647 people 58.9% $1,871 7,154
95 DennisBarnstable County · 14,868 people 59.2% $1,420 1,422
96 Map of Chelsea Chelsea39,908 people 59.4% $1,956 9,874
97 Lynn Lynn101,709 people 60% $1,722 17,688
98 West Springfield Town28,772 people 60.1% $1,144 5,191
99 Haverhill Haverhill67,698 people 60.2% $1,668 9,523
100 Hingham HinghamPlymouth County · 24,283 people 60.3% $2,465 1,730
101 Lawrence88,736 people 60.6% $1,662 21,627
102 SalisburyEssex County · 9,281 people 61.9% $1,691 1,177
103 Randolph Town34,878 people 62.1% $2,103 3,329
104 AdamsBerkshire County · 8,074 people 62.1% $963 1,403
105 Map of Bourne BourneBarnstable County · 20,323 people 62.8% $1,379 1,759
106 Greenfield17,664 people 63.2% $1,107 3,472
107 Map of North Adams North Adams12,606 people 63.7% $793 2,723
108 Barnstable Town Barnstable Town49,568 people 64.6% $1,917 4,940
109 MontagueFranklin County · 8,482 people 64.6% $1,207 1,333
110 Amesbury Amesbury17,403 people 66.7% $1,683 2,311
111 Amherst Town38,182 people 68.1% $1,671 4,837
112 MarshfieldPlymouth County · 25,879 people 68.1% $1,772 1,770
113 StoughtonNorfolk County · 29,225 people 68.4% $2,050 2,781
114 Map of Yarmouth YarmouthBarnstable County · 25,224 people 75.2% $1,721 1,984

How this ranking works

We rank every town by the share of renter households spending 30% or more of their income on rent, the federal "cost-burdened" line. Lower is better. Only towns with 1,000+ renter households are ranked, because smaller samples are too uncertain. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. For comparison, the figure for Massachusetts as a whole is 51.8%.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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