County housing intelligence
Massachusetts Housing Market by County
Massachusetts is not one housing market. Across 14 counties, the median county home value is $544,450 and the median county rent is $1,484/mo. The useful question is not whether Massachusetts is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$544,450
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,484/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
14
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Massachusetts Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Nantucket County, Dukes County, Middlesex County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Hampden County, Berkshire County, Franklin County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Middlesex County, Norfolk County, Nantucket County lead on rent, while Berkshire County, Hampden County, Franklin County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Berkshire County, Hampden County, Franklin County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Hampden County
$276,300
- 2. Berkshire County
$283,800
- 3. Franklin County
$303,400
- 4. Hampshire County
$363,400
- 5. Worcester County
$390,700
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Berkshire County
3.9x home-value-to-income
- 2. Hampden County
3.9x home-value-to-income
- 3. Franklin County
4.2x home-value-to-income
- 4. Hampshire County
4.2x home-value-to-income
- 5. Worcester County
4.2x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Berkshire County
$1,042/mo
- 2. Hampden County
$1,105/mo
- 3. Franklin County
$1,169/mo
- 4. Bristol County
$1,181/mo
- 5. Hampshire County
$1,332/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Middlesex County
28.0% rent burden
- 2. Nantucket County
28.0% rent burden
- 3. Worcester County
29.0% rent burden
- 4. Bristol County
30.0% rent burden
- 5. Norfolk County
30.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Nantucket County
0.22% effective tax rate
- 2. Dukes County
0.50% effective tax rate
- 3. Suffolk County
0.67% effective tax rate
- 4. Barnstable County
0.71% effective tax rate
- 5. Middlesex County
1.05% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Barnstable County
$-121/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Franklin County
$-180/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Suffolk County
$-285/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Hampshire County
$-308/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Berkshire County
$-322/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Norfolk County
$126,497 income, 5.1x value-to-income
- 2. Middlesex County
$126,779 income, 5.4x value-to-income
- 3. Plymouth County
$109,698 income, 4.7x value-to-income
- 4. Worcester County
$93,561 income, 4.2x value-to-income
- 5. Hampshire County
$86,391 income, 4.2x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Hampden County $276,300 home value, $70,535 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Hampden County $276,300 home value, 1.57% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Barnstable County $1,596/mo rent, 34.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Nantucket County $1,387,000 home value, $119,750 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Compare Every Massachusetts County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire County | $283,800 | $1,042/mo | $72,565 | 3.9x | 1.37% |
| Hampden County | $276,300 | $1,105/mo | $70,535 | 3.9x | 1.57% |
| Franklin County | $303,400 | $1,169/mo | $72,584 | 4.2x | 1.51% |
| Hampshire County | $363,400 | $1,332/mo | $86,391 | 4.2x | 1.47% |
| Worcester County | $390,700 | $1,347/mo | $93,561 | 4.2x | 1.33% |
| Plymouth County | $513,000 | $1,655/mo | $109,698 | 4.7x | 1.24% |
| Bristol County | $421,800 | $1,181/mo | $84,198 | 5.0x | 1.11% |
| Norfolk County | $649,400 | $2,072/mo | $126,497 | 5.1x | 1.09% |
| Middlesex County | $687,200 | $2,126/mo | $126,779 | 5.4x | 1.05% |
| Essex County | $584,000 | $1,673/mo | $99,431 | 5.9x | 1.07% |
| Barnstable County | $575,900 | $1,596/mo | $94,452 | 6.1x | 0.71% |
| Suffolk County | $680,700 | $2,069/mo | $92,859 | 7.3x | 0.67% |
| Dukes County | $1,104,100 | $1,371/mo | $102,348 | 10.8x | 0.50% |
| Nantucket County | $1,387,000 | $2,070/mo | $119,750 | 11.6x | 0.22% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Massachusetts by county?
What is the typical rent in Massachusetts by county?
Which Massachusetts counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.