Is $80,000 a good salary in Massachusetts?

$80,000 in Massachusetts provides a monthly take-home of approximately $5,077 after taxes. Across major Massachusetts cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $1,738.

What is the cost of living on $80,000 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 $80,000 take-home pay of $5,077/month, you would have roughly $1,738/month remaining.

Living in Massachusetts · 2026

Is $80,000 enough to live in Massachusetts?

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

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,077

Avg monthly expenses

$3,339

Avg monthly surplus

$1,738

Savings potential

~34%

After-tax take-home in Massachusetts

Gross salary$80,000

Federal income tax− $8,954

State income tax− $4,000

Social Security− $4,960

Medicare− $1,160

Annual take-home$60,926

Effective tax rate23.84%

How $80,000 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: $453/mo

Rent burden: 57.1% — 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: $2,036/mo

Rent burden: 35.5% — 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: $3,206/mo

Rent burden: 19.7% — 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: $209/mo

Rent burden: 61.1% — 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: $2,194/mo

Rent burden: 33.5% — 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: $2,333/mo

Rent burden: 31.5% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Brockton analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,077 ($60,924/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,539

per month

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

Wants30%

$1,523

per month

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

Savings20%

$1,015

per month

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

Needs / year

$30,462

Wants / year

$18,277

Savings / year

$12,185

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Boston

Rent alone would take 57% 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: 1.2/10 (Difficult)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $80,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Boston, Massachusetts, but leaves little room for savings (~9% 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 $80,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $41,451 in an average-cost US city, or $48,912 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$80,000 is 40% above the Massachusetts individual median ($57,200) and 43% above the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$57,200

+40%

State household median

$96,505

-17%

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)

$80,000 vs. Massachusetts income benchmarks

Individual median (Massachusetts)

$57,200

+40% vs. this salary

Household median (Massachusetts)

$96,505

-17% 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.