Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Highest Salary Needed to Buy a Home in Massachusetts
What a household has to earn to buy the county's own median home under the standard 28% rule, meaning housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, counting the full monthly bill rather than just the mortgage. These are the counties where the entry ticket is steepest.
Massachusetts ranked
| # | County | Income needed | Monthly to own | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nantucket County | $403,000 | $9,409 | $1,387,000 |
| 2 | Dukes County | $334,500 | $7,800 | $1,104,100 |
| 3 | Middlesex County | $225,500 | $5,264 | $687,200 |
| 4 | Norfolk County | $214,500 | $5,007 | $649,400 |
| 5 | Suffolk County | $214,000 | $4,997 | $680,700 |
| 6 | Essex County | $193,500 | $4,519 | $584,000 |
| 7 | Barnstable County | $183,500 | $4,286 | $575,900 |
| 8 | Plymouth County | $174,500 | $4,069 | $513,000 |
| 9 | Bristol County | $143,500 | $3,345 | $421,800 |
| 10 | Worcester County | $136,500 | $3,188 | $390,700 |
| 11 | Hampshire County | $129,500 | $3,022 | $363,400 |
| 12 | Franklin County | $110,500 | $2,576 | $303,400 |
| 13 | Berkshire County | $102,500 | $2,391 | $283,800 |
| 14 | Hampden County | $102,000 | $2,379 | $276,300 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Highest Salary Needed to Buy a Home across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Massachusetts