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Living in Massachusetts · 2026

Is $74,000 enough to live in Massachusetts?

Single adult · MA · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$4,750

Avg monthly expenses

$3,339

Avg monthly surplus

$1,411

Savings potential

~30%

After-tax take-home in Massachusetts

Gross salary$74,000
Federal income tax− $7,634
State income tax− $3,700
Social Security− $4,588
Medicare− $1,073
Annual take-home$57,005
Effective tax rate22.97%

How $74,000 feels in Massachusetts cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Boston

COL index: 1.93× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$2,900
Food
$682
Transport
$338
Utilities
$318
Healthcare
$386
Total: $4,624/mo
Surplus: $126/mo
Rent burden: 61.0% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Boston analysis →

Worcester

COL index: 1.28× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,800
Food
$550
Transport
$224
Utilities
$211
Healthcare
$256
Total: $3,041/mo
Surplus: $1,709/mo
Rent burden: 37.9% — High (35–50%)
Full Worcester analysis →

Springfield

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,000
Food
$396
Transport
$154
Utilities
$145
Healthcare
$176
Total: $1,871/mo
Surplus: $2,879/mo
Rent burden: 21.1% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Springfield analysis →

Cambridge

COL index: 1.93× national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$3,100
Food
$726
Transport
$338
Utilities
$318
Healthcare
$386
Total: $4,868/mo
Surplus: $-118/mo
Rent burden: 65.3% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Cambridge analysis →

Lowell

COL index: 1.23× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,700
Food
$519
Transport
$215
Utilities
$203
Healthcare
$246
Total: $2,883/mo
Surplus: $1,867/mo
Rent burden: 35.8% — High (35–50%)
Full Lowell analysis →

Brockton

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,600
Food
$506
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,744/mo
Surplus: $2,006/mo
Rent burden: 33.7% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Brockton analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $4,750 ($57,000/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$2,375

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$1,425

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$950

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$28,500

Wants / year

$17,100

Savings / year

$11,400

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Boston

Rent alone would take 61% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $116,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.

Lifestyle score: 0.4/10 (Difficult)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $74,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Boston, Massachusetts, but leaves little room for savings (~3% of take-home). Lifestyle is rated difficult, with careful budgeting required to avoid month-to-month shortfalls.

Purchasing Power

Boston's above-average cost of living (index: 1.93) means $74,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $38,342 in an average-cost US city, or $45,244 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$74,000 is 29% above the Massachusetts individual median ($57,200) and 32% above the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$57,200

+29%

State household median

$96,505

-23%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$74,000 vs. Massachusetts income benchmarks

Individual median (Massachusetts)

$57,200

+29% vs. this salary

Household median (Massachusetts)

$96,505

-23% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Massachusetts

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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.