Broadway in Boston

The numbers behind living in Boston

Breaking down the cost of living in Boston
The Boston skyline at golden hour.
The overall cost of living in Boston is higher than the national average. | Photo via @oschapov
With Boston constantly growing and undertaking multiple high-profile developments this year (think: Allston + South Station), we figured it was time to talk about the cost of planting some roots in Beantown.

The median household income in Suffolk County is $76,298 according to the US Census Bureau. State-wise, the Bay State is No. 4 in the country for median income at ~$84,385 per household.

The overall cost of living in Boston is 53.4% higher than the national average, and higher than the rest of the state.

In Boston, the cost of healthcare is 89.7% higher compared to other parts of the state + the US. And the cost of housing, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses in the city have higher average costs than other cities in Massachusetts and the country overall.

Breaking down the numbers

Hypothetically speaking, if you live in a household that brings in $100,000 annually — according to experts — you shouldn’t spend more than 30% of your monthly gross income on rent and utilities. Don’t worry, we did the math for you — your max monthly budget would be $2,500. The average monthly rent for an apartment in Boston is $3,772 — putting you over budget.

According to the annual Greater Boston Housing Report Card, purchasing a home is more difficult than before the pandemic and the analysis shows that rental units are becoming even more expensive and scarce.

Interested in seeing Boston’s cost of living compared to cities in other states? We played around on nerdwallet’s cost of living calculator, where you can put in any city along with your current pre-tax household income to find out what other cities you could actually afford to live in.

We took a look at the cost of living in Boston compared to NYC. Here’s what we found:
  • The cost of living is 70% higher in New York City.
  • To maintain our standard of living, we would need to bring in $169,687 to our Manhattan household.
  • The median cost for a two-bedroom apartment is $5,102, which is $1,330 more than Boston.
Boston also has income-restricted and subsidized housing options + other government-funded programs to help find more affordable units.

There are also a number of local development firms working on apartments — from Fenway Community Development Corp.’s 27-unit apartment building on Burbank Street to the New Atlantic Development and DREAM Collaborative’s mixed-income development at 2147 Washington St. in Nubian Square.

What would you tell someone who is considering moving here about the cost of living?

A. Prepare yourself for sticker shock - it’s expensive
B. Prices are reasonable - not exorbitant, not cheap
C. This is a really affordable city to live
LET US KNOW
6AM City In-house

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, Nov. 3
  • ICA Free Thursday Night | Thursday, Nov. 3 | 10 a.m. | Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston | Free | The contemporary art museum in the Seaport is free for all visitors every Thursday from 5-9 p.m.
  • PowerUp Summit 2022 | Thursday, Nov. 3 | 3-9 p.m. | WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Ave., Boston | $25 | Celebrate the growth of the PowerUp Latinx Biz initiative and the contributions of Boston’s Latinx business community.
Friday, Nov. 4
  • Moyzilla Pop Up | Friday, Nov. 4 | 5-9 p.m. | Lamplighter Broadway, 284 Broadway, Cambridge | Price of purchase | Dine on dumplings for dinner at the Broadway taproom.
  • My Name is NOT Mom | Friday, Nov. 4 | 8-9:30 p.m. | Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston | $29.75-$69.75 | This special live event features stand-up, stories, and videos from the comic trio’s online community and audience interaction.
Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Shrewsbury Street Market | Saturday, Nov. 5 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Shrewsbury Street Market, 65 Wilson St., Worcester | Free | The Worcester artisan market will kick off the holiday season with beers from Redemption Rock Brewing Co., Venezuelan food truck eats + shopping from lots of local makers.
Sunday, Nov. 6
  • Sushi Making at the Brewery | Sunday, Nov. 6 | 4-6 p.m. | Bone Up Brewing, 38 Norman St. , Everett | $55 | Watch and learn from expert sushi-maker and culinary educator Chef Harold for this cooking class.
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather
  • 65º | Sunny | 10% chance of rain
Biz
  • Workbar has partnered with Synergy Investments to create co-work spaces in 11 of the local company’s buildings in downtown Boston. Synergy Suites will offer individual offices and alternatives to long-term leases. 🤝 (Boston Business Journal)
Drink
  • Aeronaut Brewing is teaming up with the Hungry Nomad food truck to host brunch this Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Cannery (199 Ashland St., Everett). Tickets are $14 and include a flight of brunchy beers like the “Bloody Mary Beer.” 🍻
Community
  • The City Archaeology Program will begin a new dig next week at the Loring-Greenough House located at 12 South St. The Jamaica Plain house dates back to 1760 and the team will be working in the basement of the 19th century kitchen area. Sign up for future dig updates.
Number
  • $4.5 billion. That’s how much the federal government will allocate to to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, according to Vice President Kamala Harris. The VP visited Boston for the third time since August to share the plan to help lower energy costs ahead of the winter season.
Health
Seasonal
  • This month will be merry and bright. The City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department has shared the calendar of holiday lighting events, beginning with the Christopher Columbus Park Trellis lighting on Monday, Nov. 21 + the Boston Common Tree Lighting on Thursday, Dec. 1. 🎄
Legacy
  • Julie Powell, the writer behind the food blog the Julie/Julia Project, has died at 49 years old. She spent a year cooking every recipe of Cambridge local Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” which lead to a movie starring Meryl Streep. The pioneer blog was the first of its kind + considered the inspiration for today’s foodies. (Eater)
Ranked
  • No. 8. That’s where Boston ranked on WalletHub’s recent list of the best winter holiday destinations. The study compared ~70 of the largest metro areas based on 37 key metrics, including two weeks of flight data, safety indicators, and weather predictions.
Shop
  • Ditch the paper napkins. Opt for a set of handsewn, eco-friendly linen napkins instead. This Etsy seller offers four different colors to add a cozy yet elegant look to your holiday tablescape.*
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Sports

Boston’s Pride and Joy 🏒
The Boston Pride lined up on a game day.
The Isobel Cup is like the Stanley Cup of the Premier Hockey Federation. | Photo via @higherlightphotos
While the Boston Bruins are off to a hot start, DYK that Boston is also home to a professional women’s hockey team?

Boston Pride, founded in 2015, was one of four charter franchises of the Premier Hockey Federation, the official league of professional women’s hockey (think: NHL). The Pride has skated its way to the PHF playoffs every year they’ve existed and has already won three Isobel Cups in 2016, 2021, and 2022.

Named after Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy — one of the first women to play hockey and the daughter of Lord Stanley, the namesake of the NHL’s Stanley cup — the Isobel Cup is the PHF’s championship trophy.

The Pride’s home opener is Saturday, Nov. 5 against the Connecticut Whale. You can catch their games at Warrior Ice Arena, aka the practice facility for the Boston Bruins. 🏒
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Jessica.

Editor’s pick: Is anyone participating in NaNoWriMo this month? NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month) is month-long challenge to help spark your creativity and set individual writing goals. Learn more about the local programming here and tell me what your goals are.


Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Play Guess the City Editor.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Jessica Burton, Sara Frazier, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea, and Mila Raque | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Peter Baldassare| Advertise with us.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?
SUBSCRIBE

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY