Housing decision brief
Franklin County, MA Housing Market
Franklin County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
3rd lowest home value out of 14 Massachusetts counties with data | 3rd lowest rent out of 14
Median home value
$303,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,169/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,349/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
33.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$180/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$303,400 median home value is 44% below Massachusetts county median
Lower rent
$1,169/mo is 21% below Massachusetts county median
What to Check
Lower income base
$72,584 median income is 23% below Massachusetts county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.51% effective property-tax rate is 51% above Massachusetts county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Franklin County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $303,400 | $544,450 | $281,900 | 44% favorable44% below Massachusetts county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,169 | $1,484 | $1,163 | 21% favorable21% below Massachusetts county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,349 | $2,060 | $1,672 | 35% favorable35% below Massachusetts county median |
Median household income | $72,584 | $94,007 | $74,755 | 23% pressure23% below Massachusetts county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.51% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 51% pressure51% above Massachusetts county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 33.00% | 31.00% | N/A | 6% pressure33.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$25,824
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$14,770
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Franklin County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $1,169/month representing approximately 19.3% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 33.0%.
Rent vs own
At $1,169/month rent versus $1,349/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $180/month cheaper , a 13% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $46,760/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $57,814/year. With a median household income of $72,584, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 33.0% of renter households in Franklin County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Hampden County where rent averages $1,105/month, Franklin County is approximately 6% more expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden County, MA | $276,300 | $1,105/mo | Same-state comparison near $276,300 home value and $1,105/mo rent. |
| Berkshire County, MA | $283,800 | $1,042/mo | Same-state comparison near $283,800 home value and $1,042/mo rent. |
| Centre County, PA | $308,100 | $1,181/mo | Out-of-state peer near $308,100 home value and $1,181/mo rent. |
| Churchill County, NV | $298,000 | $1,203/mo | Out-of-state peer near $298,000 home value and $1,203/mo rent. |
| Kent County, MD | $307,100 | $1,144/mo | Out-of-state peer near $307,100 home value and $1,144/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Franklin County
Is Franklin County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Franklin County?
How much income do you need for housing in Franklin County?
What should I double-check before moving to Franklin County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.