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Massachusetts: cities where rent takes the smallest share of income

Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.

In short: Massachusetts: Milton has the lowest share of income going to rent (9.4%) among the 80 largest places.
Boston (666,442 residents)Worcester (207,055 residents)Springfield (154,749 residents)Cambridge (118,796 residents)Lowell (118,368 residents)Brockton (105,386 residents)Quincy (102,114 residents)Lynn (101,709 residents)New Bedford (100,998 residents)Fall River (94,082 residents)Newton (89,044 residents)Lawrence (88,736 residents)Somerville (81,036 residents)Framingham (72,399 residents)Haverhill (67,698 residents)Malden (65,906 residents)Waltham (64,902 residents)Brookline (63,266 residents)Taunton (60,433 residents)Revere (60,012 residents)Medford (59,354 residents)Weymouth Town (58,505 residents)Chicopee (55,295 residents)Peabody (54,695 residents)Everett (50,045 residents)Barnstable Town (49,568 residents)Attleboro (46,762 residents)Arlington (46,350 residents)Salem (44,795 residents)Leominster (43,909 residents)Pittsfield (43,457 residents)Beverly (42,665 residents)Woburn (41,939 residents)Fitchburg (41,798 residents)Marlborough (41,647 residents)Westfield (40,378 residents)Chelsea (39,908 residents)Braintree Town (38,899 residents)Amherst Town (38,182 residents)Holyoke (37,813 residents)Randolph Town (34,878 residents)Lexington (34,295 residents)Franklin Town (33,154 residents)Needham (32,459 residents)Norwood (31,542 residents)North Attleborough Town (30,984 residents)Northampton (30,962 residents)Wellesley (30,347 residents)Gloucester (30,075 residents)Melrose (29,650 residents)Saugus (28,773 residents)West Springfield Town (28,772 residents)Milton (28,587 residents)Agawam Town (28,539 residents)Bridgewater Town (28,471 residents)Danvers (28,098 residents)Wakefield (27,793 residents)Milford (27,731 residents)Belmont (27,175 residents)Burlington (26,274 residents)Reading (25,612 residents)Dedham (25,237 residents)Winchester (23,406 residents)Stoneham (23,355 residents)Wilmington (23,336 residents)Gardner (21,148 residents)Marblehead (20,413 residents)Winthrop Town (18,759 residents)Newburyport (18,652 residents)Somerset (18,298 residents)Southbridge Town (17,928 residents)Greenfield (17,664 residents)Abington (17,053 residents)Hudson (15,719 residents)Longmeadow (15,696 residents)Swampscott (15,277 residents)Lynnfield (13,064 residents)North Adams (12,606 residents)Palmer Town (12,381 residents)Webster (12,228 residents)
Map of Massachusetts: the 80 largest cities

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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.

Milton#1
9.4%yearly rent as share of income
80cities ranked
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Ranking

CITY (80 largest of Massachusetts) Official statistics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024

Among the 80 largest places in Massachusetts, Milton has the lowest share of income going to rent (9.4%), followed by Marblehead and Winchester. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.

What the ranking shows

Across the 80 places in Massachusetts that we cover, the median is 21.5% and the average 21.0%; the figure runs from 9.4% (Milton) to 33.0% (Lawrence). That is a spread of 3.5 times between the two ends.

How to use it

The first five are Milton, Marblehead, Winchester, Needham, Longmeadow. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.

Sort:
# ⇅City ⇅County ⇅Yearly rent as share of income ⇅Population ⇅Median household income ⇅Median rent ⇅
1Milton (unincorporated)Norfolk County9.4%28,587$188,529$1,474
2Marblehead (unincorporated)Essex County11.6%20,413$182,132$1,764
3Winchester (unincorporated)Middlesex County11.9%23,406$230,198$2,279
4Needham (unincorporated)Norfolk County13.5%32,459$214,308$2,409
5Longmeadow (unincorporated)Hampden County13.5%15,696$149,601$1,682
6Somerset (unincorporated)Bristol County13.5%18,298$112,677$1,271
7NewburyportEssex County13.7%18,652$139,625$1,592
8Wellesley (unincorporated)Norfolk County13.9%30,347$250,001$2,886
9Reading (unincorporated)Middlesex County14.4%25,612$165,912$1,991
10Lexington (unincorporated)Middlesex County14.5%34,295$238,444$2,891
11NewtonMiddlesex County14.9%89,044$190,304$2,370
12WestfieldHampden County15.3%40,378$87,753$1,117
13Franklin TownNorfolk County15.6%33,154$145,773$1,899
14North Attleborough TownBristol County16.1%30,984$112,665$1,509
15Palmer TownHampden County16.4%12,381$78,480$1,075
16Abington (unincorporated)Plymouth County16.5%17,053$125,400$1,724
17Belmont (unincorporated)Middlesex County16.6%27,175$183,137$2,527
18Arlington (unincorporated)Middlesex County16.6%46,350$150,701$2,082
19Wilmington (unincorporated)Middlesex County17.1%23,336$168,152$2,394
20Wakefield (unincorporated)Middlesex County17.5%27,793$134,306$1,958
21Agawam TownHampden County17.6%28,539$85,421$1,256
22MelroseMiddlesex County17.6%29,650$133,953$1,970
23Lynnfield (unincorporated)Essex County18.3%13,064$175,265$2,676
24Hudson (unincorporated)Middlesex County18.5%15,719$90,524$1,397
25Dedham (unincorporated)Norfolk County19.0%25,237$128,955$2,042
26PittsfieldBerkshire County19.3%43,457$70,582$1,134
27AttleboroBristol County19.3%46,762$98,954$1,590
28LeominsterWorcester County19.4%43,909$83,816$1,354
29GardnerWorcester County19.7%21,148$67,518$1,109
30West Springfield TownHampden County19.8%28,772$69,371$1,144
31Danvers (unincorporated)Essex County19.9%28,098$125,395$2,076
32Braintree TownNorfolk County19.9%38,899$122,214$2,024
33North AdamsBerkshire County20.0%12,606$47,500$793
34TauntonBristol County20.0%60,433$79,283$1,324
35BeverlyEssex County20.0%42,665$106,044$1,771
36FitchburgWorcester County20.1%41,798$73,040$1,222
37GloucesterEssex County20.2%30,075$83,883$1,411
38Swampscott (unincorporated)Essex County20.6%15,277$134,386$2,303
39Winthrop TownSuffolk County21.3%18,759$116,167$2,064
40Stoneham (unincorporated)Middlesex County21.4%23,355$113,964$2,035
41NorthamptonHampshire County21.5%30,962$80,288$1,439
42ChicopeeHampden County22.2%55,295$62,615$1,157
43Burlington (unincorporated)Middlesex County22.3%26,274$146,436$2,718
44Bridgewater TownPlymouth County22.3%28,471$112,651$2,092
45Webster (unincorporated)Worcester County22.5%12,228$63,837$1,198
46WalthamMiddlesex County22.6%64,902$120,216$2,268
47HaverhillEssex County22.7%67,698$88,326$1,668
48Weymouth TownNorfolk County22.7%58,505$102,714$1,941
49FraminghamMiddlesex County22.7%72,399$107,419$2,033
50Southbridge TownWorcester County22.7%17,928$66,287$1,256
51SomervilleMiddlesex County22.8%81,036$132,572$2,517
52HolyokeHampden County22.9%37,813$53,605$1,021
53Randolph TownNorfolk County23.0%34,878$109,573$2,103
54MedfordMiddlesex County23.2%59,354$129,540$2,509
55Norwood (unincorporated)Norfolk County23.7%31,542$107,030$2,116
56GreenfieldFranklin County23.9%17,664$55,614$1,107
57Brookline (unincorporated)Norfolk County23.9%63,266$142,101$2,835
58New BedfordBristol County23.9%100,998$56,981$1,137
59WoburnMiddlesex County24.0%41,939$111,185$2,221
60PeabodyEssex County24.2%54,695$96,657$1,950
61Milford (unincorporated)Worcester County24.3%27,731$93,310$1,889
62MarlboroughMiddlesex County24.4%41,647$91,968$1,871
63Fall RiverBristol County24.5%94,082$56,673$1,155
64BrocktonPlymouth County24.6%105,386$80,115$1,641
65LowellMiddlesex County24.8%118,368$78,658$1,625
66Barnstable TownBarnstable County25.0%49,568$91,982$1,917
67WorcesterWorcester County25.5%207,055$70,102$1,487
68CambridgeMiddlesex County25.6%118,796$130,748$2,787
69QuincyNorfolk County25.7%102,114$98,882$2,118
70SalemEssex County25.9%44,795$85,153$1,836
71SpringfieldHampden County26.1%154,749$52,656$1,144
72MaldenMiddlesex County26.3%65,906$100,606$2,204
73BostonSuffolk County26.5%666,442$97,344$2,147
74Saugus (unincorporated)Essex County26.5%28,773$101,539$2,241
75LynnEssex County27.5%101,709$75,043$1,722
76RevereSuffolk County28.6%60,012$86,969$2,076
77EverettMiddlesex County29.2%50,045$85,218$2,076
78Amherst TownHampshire County29.9%38,182$66,968$1,671
79ChelseaSuffolk County32.5%39,908$72,179$1,956
80LawrenceEssex County33.0%88,736$60,433$1,662

Other rankings for Massachusetts

Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes

Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.

FAQ

Which Massachusetts city has the lowest share of income going to rent?

Milton, with 9.4% (among the 80 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).

How many cities are ranked?

The 80 largest places in Massachusetts by population.

Sources

Sources

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