Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Highest Price-to-Rent Ratios in Massachusetts
The counties where a home costs the most years of rent. A high ratio does not mean a place is overpriced. It can also mean rents are held down, or that buyers are paying for land, schools or a view that a renter cannot get at any price. It does mean the arithmetic of buying rests more on what the house is worth later and less on what it saves you each month. Median home value over twelve months of median gross rent, both Census five-year estimates.
Massachusetts ranked
| # | County | Price-to-rent | Median home | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dukes County | 67.1 yrs | $1,104,100 | $1,371 |
| 2 | Nantucket County | 55.8 yrs | $1,387,000 | $2,070 |
| 3 | Barnstable County | 30.1 yrs | $575,900 | $1,596 |
| 4 | Bristol County | 29.8 yrs | $421,800 | $1,181 |
| 5 | Essex County | 29.1 yrs | $584,000 | $1,673 |
| 6 | Suffolk County | 27.4 yrs | $680,700 | $2,069 |
| 7 | Middlesex County | 26.9 yrs | $687,200 | $2,126 |
| 8 | Norfolk County | 26.1 yrs | $649,400 | $2,072 |
| 9 | Plymouth County | 25.8 yrs | $513,000 | $1,655 |
| 10 | Worcester County | 24.2 yrs | $390,700 | $1,347 |
| 11 | Hampshire County | 22.7 yrs | $363,400 | $1,332 |
| 12 | Berkshire County | 22.7 yrs | $283,800 | $1,042 |
| 13 | Franklin County | 21.6 yrs | $303,400 | $1,169 |
| 14 | Hampden County | 20.8 yrs | $276,300 | $1,105 |
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 Price-to-Rent Ratios across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Massachusetts