Suffolk County · Massachusetts · Northeast · 666k residents
Boston, MA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Boston: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Massachusetts median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Boston is $750,000, 26% above the Massachusetts median. A two-bedroom rents for about $3,400/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 152 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $89,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A compact old city with a student population, a serious sports identity, and a long memory.
Known for: Revolutionary history, universities, seafood, walkable neighborhoods, and championship sports.
Calendar note: The Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles Regatta are signature events.
Story source: Meet Boston
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Boston about 5 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 200 sunny days and 49 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 83 and an average commute of 32 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Boston side by side
Cost of living index
152
Median home value
$750,000
2-bedroom rent
$3,400/mo
Median household income
$89,000
Housing momentum
How fast Boston's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
40/100
Steady
Ranks Boston's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Boston's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $750,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $720 |
| Property tax rate | 0.65% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $2,900/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,400/mo |
| State & local income tax | 5% |
| Sales tax | 6.25% |
| Cost of living index | 152 |
| Groceries index | 110 |
| Utilities | $235/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $3.40/gal |
| Healthcare index | 115 |
| Childcare (per child) | $2,350/mo |
| Median household income | $89,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% |
| Population | 666k |
| Crime index | 40/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 |
| Walkability | 83/100 |
| Disaster risk | 94/100 |
| Avg. commute | 32 min |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days |
| July high | 82°F |
| January low | 23°F |
| Annual snowfall | 49 in |
| Home price YoY | -0.9% |
| Home price MoM | -0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +2.8% |
| Rent MoM | +0.5% |
| Ocean coast | 5 mi |
| Big lake | 87 mi |
| Mountains | 109 mi |
| Major airport | 3 mi |
| Ski resort | 43 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Somerville, MA · 81k
- Cambridge, MA · 119k
- Chelsea, MA · 40k
- Brookline, MA · 63k
- Everett, MA · 50k
Similar size
- Worcester, MA · 207k
- Springfield, MA · 155k
- Lowell, MA · 118k
- Brockton, MA · 105k
- Quincy, MA · 102k
Real listings in Boston
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Boston, MA?
- Boston indexes at 152 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $3,400/mo and a median home value of $750,000.
- How much does a house cost in Boston?
- The median home value in Boston is $750,000, 26% above the Massachusetts median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Boston?
- A two-bedroom in Boston rents for about $3,400/mo.