Is $78,000 a good salary in Massachusetts?

$78,000 in Massachusetts provides a monthly take-home of approximately $4,968 after taxes. Across major Massachusetts cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $1,629.

What is the cost of living on $78,000 in Massachusetts?

The average monthly living cost across major Massachusetts cities is approximately $3,339 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $78,000 take-home pay of $4,968/month, you would have roughly $1,629/month remaining.

Living in Massachusetts · 2026

Is $78,000 enough to live in Massachusetts?

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

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$4,968

Avg monthly expenses

$3,339

Avg monthly surplus

$1,629

Savings potential

~33%

After-tax take-home in Massachusetts

Gross salary$78,000

Federal income tax− $8,514

State income tax− $3,900

Social Security− $4,836

Medicare− $1,131

Annual take-home$59,619

Effective tax rate23.57%

How $78,000 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: $344/mo

Rent burden: 58.4% — 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: $1,927/mo

Rent burden: 36.2% — 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: $3,097/mo

Rent burden: 20.1% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Springfield analysis →

Cambridge

COL index: 1.93× national avg

Manageable

Rent (1BR)

$3,100

Food

$726

Transport

$338

Utilities

$318

Healthcare

$386

Total: $4,868/mo

Surplus: $100/mo

Rent burden: 62.4% — 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: $2,085/mo

Rent burden: 34.2% — Manageable (25–35%)

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: $2,224/mo

Rent burden: 32.2% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Brockton analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $4,968 ($59,616/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,484

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,490

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$994

per month

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

Needs / year

$29,808

Wants / year

$17,885

Savings / year

$11,923

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Boston

Rent alone would take 58% 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: 0.9/10 (Difficult)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $78,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Boston, Massachusetts, but leaves little room for savings (~7% 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 $78,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $40,415 in an average-cost US city, or $47,689 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$78,000 is 36% above the Massachusetts individual median ($57,200) and 39% above the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$57,200

+36%

State household median

$96,505

-19%

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)

$78,000 vs. Massachusetts income benchmarks

Individual median (Massachusetts)

$57,200

+36% vs. this salary

Household median (Massachusetts)

$96,505

-19% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Massachusetts

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.