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How Much You Have To Make To Afford Rent – No Surprise, Massachusetts Is Near The Top

Author Melissa
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: People chant as striking McDonald's restaurant employees are arrested and put onto buses for sitting in an intersection after walking off the job to demand a $15 per hour wage and union rights during nationwide 'Fight for $15 Day of Disruption' protests on November 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Police made 40 peaceful arrests. Protest rallies are expected in nearly 20 airports and outside restaurants in numerous cities, according to organizers. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

It’s no secret that Massachusetts is one of the most expensive states to live in the United States. Now, thanks to a study from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, we know exactly how much money one needs to make to be able to afford rent in Massachusetts, and it’s not pretty. Overall, Massachusetts ranks #3 for the most expensive states to live. The study looked at minimum wage and how much it would take for you to be able to afford a modest one bedroom apartment and how many hours you’d need to work. To live in Massachusetts, with the minimum wage being $15.00 an hour, you’d need to work 91 hours EACH WEEK to afford a modest 1 bedroom rental home at Fair Market Rent. The average one bedroom apartment in Massachusetts at fair market rent is $1772 a month and the average two bedroom apartment in Massachusetts at fair market rent is $2165.

They even look at the different occupations and how much each  makes per hour. For example, people working as cashiers, in retail, servers, cooks, janitors, teachers, nursing assistants make anywhere from $15-$20 an hour. They also look at the average income needed to be able to afford the different apartments in Massachusetts. For a 1 bedroom, the annual salary needed is $70,899. The income needed to afford the average 2 bedroom apartment in MA is $86,613.

Two other states in New England made the top 20 of most expensive to rent. Connecticut is ranked ninth and Rhode Island is ranked 16th. In CT, you must make $32 an hour and work 85 hours a week. While in RI, you must make $28 an hour and work 85 hours a week.

Now with all of that being said, there is an ultimate list of places to live IN Massachusetts, should you decide to stay here. Keep scrolling for the top 10 places.

A 29 year radio veteran, Melissa has made notable media appearances including serving as a judge and correspondent on the Emmy Award-winning TV show Community Auditions, Phantom Gourmet, Chronicle and many more. Additionally, Melissa won a Gracie Award in 2019 for her work as Co-Host of The GetUp Crew with Ramiro, Pebbles, Melissa & Leroy. She volunteered coaching cheerleading for 20 years. Melissa is a social influencer who creates videos promoting area businesses, movies, concerts and other lifestyle events.

The 10 Best Zip Codes To Live In Massachusetts Are Mainly In One County

Where are the best zip codes to live in Massachusetts? We will tackle that very topic and it’s all based on the website Niche.com. They based their findings on some very specific criteria. Some of those criteria are: cost of living, higher education, housing, public schools, diversity, crime, health and fitness, jobs, nightlife, walkability, weather and more. They aren’t just revealing cities and towns in Massachusetts. They broke it down into specific neighborhoods in these cities and towns to give you a more focused area. So whether you’re looking to move OR if you just want to see if your neighborhood made the cut, just keep scrolling to find out.

Right off the top of your head, when you’re thinking of best places to live in Massachusetts, you’re automatically thinking places like Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley and other areas outside of Boston proper. These cities constantly receive high reviews for things like jobs, schools, restaurants and more. These cities are not left off of the Niche findings, however they get a little more specific. Instead of giving you just the city or town, they break it down into individual neighborhoods to give you a better idea of exactly where in each city is best for you to live.

We’re curious as to what YOU think makes a neighborhood a good place to live. Is there a category that Niche missed? As always, we’d love to hear from you and get your thoughts on this list. Did Niche get it right? Do you agree or disagree? Are you considering actually moving to one of these neighborhoods now that you’ve seen this list? Let us know and better yet, let us know why. So, without further delay, here are the best neighborhoods to live in Massachusetts according to Niche.com. Read and enjoy!

  • #10 02421

    Of course this being the zip code for Lexington. They have an overall Niche grade of A+ and also getting an A+ for schools and being a great place to raise a family. And just an FYI, the median cost for a home is $973,400 and the median cost to rent is $2691.

  • #9 02116

    This zip code is one in Boston. It has an overall Niche score of A+ and an A for nightlife and an A score for being good for families. The median cost of a home is $1,401,900 and to rent is $2183. 

  • #8 02142

    This is one of the zip codes for Cambridge. Cambridge received a Niche total score of A+ and an A+ score for nightlife. A for public schools and A for raising families. Median cost for a home here is $1,362,500 but rent is significantly high with the media rent cost being $3392. 

  • #7 02467

    This is one of the zip codes in Brookline. It received a total Niche score of A+ and also an A+ for families and public schools. Median home value is $1,085,100 and rent is $2,483. 

  • #6 01778

    This is Wayland. Wayland is always receiving great scores for living. It has a Niche score of A+ and A+ for its schools and for a place to raise a family. It has great charm but living there can be very pricey. Although median rent there is only $1067.

  • #5 02138

    This is another zip code for Cambridge. This particular area of Cambridge received an A+ overall niche score and A+ for nightlife and for a great place to raise a family. This area is considered a biker’s paradise with so many biker friendly streets.

  • #4 02445

    This is another zip code for Brookline. It received an overall Niche score of A+ and also an A+ for public schools and being a great place to raise a family. Lots of restaurants and bars make this part of Brookline a fun place to live with lots to do.

  • #3 02139

    This is another zip code in Cambridge so it looks like Cambridge is the place to be. It received an overall Niche score of A+, plus A+ for nightlife and families. The average rent here is around $2300. Crime rates are pretty low but remember, it is a heavy college area so you’ll have to deal with that aspect of living in a big city with lots of students.

  • #2 02420

    This is another zip code for Lexington which received an overall A+ Niche score. A+ also for public schools and families. Median rent is around $2100. There is a  suburban feel here and it’s still not too far from Boston.

  • #1 02446

    Brookline is #1! The overall Niche grade is A+ and the grade is also A+ for schools, nightlife and families.

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