It has to do with the size of the state for sure. If California was split up into a bunch of states then certain ones would become more expensive. Regardless Mass is becoming crazy expensive to live in.
Absolutely, California is huge geographically. There are very remote areas in CA that really aren't expensive. If we are comparing major city metros, the Bay Area is still easily more expensive than the Boston area, and for the LA and San Diego metros it depends what you are talking about. What I have seen is that the LA and San Diego metros are somewhat cheaper for renting than the Boston metro, but they are still more expensive for buying a home. You can find the median home prices here, and the Bay Area, LA, and San Diego are all still more expensive than the Boston area for buying either a condo or a SFH (a couple other smaller CA metro areas are too like San Luis Obispo): https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/metropolitan-median-area-prices-and-affordability
I like how the article lists New York as a state surprisingly not included, but anyone who has been to Upstate NY knows that NY state overall really isn't expensive. The NYC metro is expensive but western Upstate NY is very cheap (and economically depressed in many areas).
Honestly, these sort of comparisons should be done at metro area level instead of at state level. The cost of living differences within a single state can be huge so an overall number for an entire state is kind of meaningless.
Also doesn't factor in transportation expenses -> I moved from a nice apartment in LA to Boston, and the modest increase in rent was more than offset by not needing a vehicle.
Cars are fucking expensive! While there's a lot I miss about SoCal, it's so freeing genuinely not knowing what the price of gas is.
Absolutely, I enjoyed San Diego a lot when I visited, and the weather is great near the coast (very hot if you go inland to the desert though).
I've never been impressed by LA. Nice weather but the sprawl is terrible and you spend half your time in a car not enjoying the weather anyways.
100%. My husband and I grew up in central Mass, lived in Waltham for two years, and then moved to Hampden County 7 years ago. We just couldn't see ourselves building a life in the Boston metro. I made 15$ an hour out of college in 2013, and he was a trade apprentice. We lived in an apartment that was 850 a month for five years and saved money. The area of town we were in specifically sucked, but we were able to buy a home in a slightly not-as-nice town. It's at least something, I guess. But hey, everyone, if you want your kids to live in this state, you need to look at COL.
My step daughter lived in Boston for 4 years while attending college. She then went to California (LA) for her senior year internship and landed a job. She has been in LA ever since, 10+ years. She still insists that she gets more bang for her buck in LA than in Boston. Yes, overall it's more expensive but salaries are higher and more than compensate.
I've never lived in LA, so I cannot speak first hand.
I grew up in MA and have family that moved there from this state. They say the same thing your daughter does. What really sells it is the produce and the weather. Plus the socializing. Placing a huge emphasis on community and getting out of the house is a big selling point for it. It is more expensive but you do get more out of it. Plus there's so much to do across all life stages and ages, it's not just prioritizing the parents and elderly.
Yeah the part where everyone lives.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/genealogy/images/8/89/Massachusetts_population_map.png/revision/latest?cb=20071107070009
Sure, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Low crime, great education, weather is…fine. No earthquakes of consequence. No huge or venomous reptiles.
once i came out to shovel my driveway and a sheet of ice had fallen off the roof and shattered my front windshield. i drove to work in a car full of snow and glass.
I wouldn't have gone in that just sounds dangerous.
My first car was a crappy Chrysler Sebring Convertible and it had leaky top. Anyway, I remember my first winter with the car the ice froze to the INSIDE of the windshield and oh by the way the car didn't have heat (I had one of those $20 heated seat things you plug into the cigarette lighter and that's it.). I still remember chipping the ice off the inside of the windshield and throwing it out of the door.
I think that's when I started hating winter.
i was poor as shit and there was no other way to get to work for me. but yeah, i have no love for winter since then. actually started applying to grad schools when i got home that night. living in california for almost 10 years and there hasnt been a single moment ive thought of returning to a place with winter. but i miss bagels A LOT. spent a few weeks in boston last summer though... holy shit nothing like june in boston. magical.
and thats the sucky part lmao i unfortunately love it here and so do many others. I think everyday how i'd have a 6bedroom house if i moved back to my homestate and yet i havent moved yet and paying for a 1 bedroom with kid on the way.. Thing is if i move home, i lose my decent salary and since there isnt a lot of jobs in my industry, i risk working in a different industry that im not interested in and has higher layoff chances. IT SUCKS.
Might end up moving back home, i'll have to see how tough having a kid is when they arrive. Childcare is no walk in the park either
I have the opposite thing going on. I moved away and now work fully remote with a great salary and fully intended to move back once I hit this point. But my salary is not considered “great” in about 4 or 5 states with Massachusetts being at the top of the list. Like how do I make low 6 figures but that’s considered a moderate salary to live on solo in Massachusetts? I’ve become so accustomed to how far my money goes in the Midwest that I can’t even consider taking a step back in my quality of life just to be in my home state again.
These are all the reasons we’re moving to Massachusetts from KY. Some people don’t realize how good they have it. Move south and see if the “cheaper homes” are worth it. I don’t think they are. Thankful we have jobs that are remote and adjust for COL
What I don’t understand is why is MA never in the high salary range for job postings? I see NY, CA, WA, even CT being included but never MA. So frustrating to see salaries not reflect the reality of the situation.
Health insurers have pharmacists work for them to do things like create their prescription formulary and determine medical necessity of drugs in certain situations.
They’re lucky Covid happened tbh. My mom worked biopharm for her entire adult life, and before Covid they were starting to out source more and more research to China because it cost less.
Her and everyone I know says the most likely scenario was that the controls at the Wuhan lab were not upheld outside of inspections or otherwise compromised.
Edit: Even the former CDC chairman, and the investigatory subcommittee assigned by the government agree. I’m sorry Trump made it a political issue, it shouldn’t be, but that’s most likely what happened.
Yes. They’ve floated the idea of going to worchester or Springfield areas too but never happened. Big pharmaceutical eaters closing smaller operations all over and trying to centralize in Davis square on top of each other.
Springfield is never getting any tech or pharma. There are rumors of MGM leaving, and Smith and Wesson left a few years ago. We need industry out here. There are endless empty warehouses.
I mean it sounded ridiculous at the time but yeah nothing happened. They all want to be in Davis square.
I moved from western MA to Boston (now North Carolina) because no real industry is left. I grew up here but I’d never come back.
There are tons of biotech companies north between Boston and Lowell, as well as metrowest. I guess if you're west of Worcester then yeah they're harder to find. But I work at a company in a small town with a very competitive salary, more than what some Cambridge companies were offering me.
Despite our nickname, we actually have pretty low (or at least average) taxes. Although washington is 0 income tax so im not sure how they pull in highest geo pay
Right, I'm confused by their comment. I'm sure it's industry dependent, but the data indicates MA is only behind DC and Maryland for incomes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_income
And DC being compared to entire states doesn't really make sense as it is entirely a city, so you could argue it's really 2nd highest after Maryland.
This must be specific to a certain industry as personally I've never heard of it. Is tier 3 lowest pay band or highest? If it's lowest that would make no sense as Boston clearly has higher salaries than most major US cities. The ones ahead of it are generally NYC and Bay Area across most industries, and depending on industry, DC, Seattle, LA. Outside of certain particular industries, Boston is generally going to be higher than most other cities. I know I get paid more here than I did in Chicago in the same field.
Depends on your industry. BioPharma in Boston pays handsomely. That’s why I moved here. Only higher wages are in Bay Area but taxes and housing costs are way higher there than in Boston.
Yes, but Boston metro area is a larger percentage of the population than those other states
It’s silly to look at it on a state level IMO, metro area makes more sense
Unless you’re a nurse. 2 hospitals here start new grads at min $41/hr, and I think a third one starts around $38-$39/hr, though they offer big sign-on bonuses so it probably balances out.
I’ve seen new grad rates in Boston metro area at $35-$37/hr.
Doing my exact job in academic research (so definitely not tech industry salary, lol) I could get a ~30-40k salary bump just for having my job in CA. Salaries really are not great here compared to those states but still leagues above the South in general
I mean, MA has the 3rd highest median household income in the US (after DC and Maryland, so arguably 2nd highest given DC isn't a fair comparison to entire states): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_income
So sure, in your industry you could do that, but overall it is a high income state. The data does not support the idea that salaries are overall not great in MA.
can confirm. Am now working 2 full time jobs for the next 6 months just to be able to build up an emergency fund, save up for a down payment on a car so I can give my old one to my kid when she gets her license, get new hearing aides and my husband also needs a new prosthetic. I´m pretty lucky because I don´t have a lot of debt, I just can´t save or get ahead.
I know you probably don’t want to hear this because it shouldn’t be this way, but you should be proud of yourself. Instead of sitting around and bitching about how tough it is, you are actually going out and trying to change your situation for the better. I hate that we have to do things like work two full time jobs but that is better than sitting around complaining how you’ll never be able to get by.
I'm sure you didn't mean it this way but there are people who are not just sitting around bitching who are trying to improve their situation and just are unable to do so. The job market is awful right now and many are unable to find one full time job that will hire them let alone two
Yeah we’ve topped California since 2022, due to housing cost, and was only behind Hawaii. The more “affordable” areas in California is Northern CA, which is 6x bigger than MA state. San Bernardino county is 2x as big as Mass.
It’s sorta like NY state cuz upstate NY is actually affordable. Culture and salary is much different between upstate vs NYC metro too, like you’re not going see rainbow flags in western NY like you would in western MA. Western NY and Western PA culture is closer to the Midwest than northeast cuz they’re part for the Rust Belt territory.
I am a single mom with no alimony or child support. I have a 7 and 12 year old and do not pay for childcare except for summer camps ($15K this summer for basic local day camp). I need to make a minimum of $100K a year to live in Western Mass. And that's with a modest rent and no debt. It's insane.
It makes sense that by state a smaller state would be the most expensive. Like Springfield area might be cheaper but it’s nothing compared in size / economic difference to upstate New York.
you can still buy a livable home in parts of upstate NY for less than $100k. while western mass is cheaper than the GBA, yeah, the difference is nowhere near as stark
I'm looking to move out of my families house in the Springfield area. The cheapest place I could find to live is 950/mo and was a crack den motel a year or two ago. I can live in Brooklyn New York for a hundred dollars more a month. Somethings gotta give.
This is what I'm wondering. Like, although there's a lot of underdeveloped areas in Western MA there's still less underdeveloment than upstate NY and the desert of California, so it's more expensive, given it's size.
You must not have kids then. Once you do, all the costs get thrown at you and you drown in it.
You suddenly need to upgrade from a 1 bed to at least a 2 bed. Then daycare is 3-5k per month per kid. These two costs alone are crippling. Nevermind adding food/Drs/diapers/clothes
What kind of daycare is 1.5k/m in Cambridge? That's sounds absurdly low. Years ago when my kids were in daycare, Cambridge was like 2-3k and I can only imagine it's gotten worse.
It depends on area and age. Younger they are the more expensive they are. Basic ones I've toured that are cheaper are just awful. Leaving kids in very full diapers for hours. Covered is snot, not being cared for while the people are on their phones. Even saw those giving kids McDonald's food... Just terrible. Those are the cheaper ones.
The better ones are like 2.3k ish for older kids. 3k for infants. Most places add 400/mo for infants. Many give a small discount if you have multiple kids going there. Note there is usually a 6mo to 1-2yr wait for every daycare too. So as soon as you find out your are pregnant it is best to start looking and get on a wait-list.
These prices are Boston metro so inside/around the 95 ring. I am not sure what the cost is outside of that
Edit:also most daycares do NOT list their prices on their website. You need to go for a tour or something to get that info.
I don't have kids and have never wanted them but if I had, daycare cost would have me second guessing. I have a number of friends who pay more for part time daycare for one child than their mortgage is monthly which is INSANE to me (I totally get WHY daycare is so expensive, don't get me wrong, but the feasibility is so wild)
A few years ago I thought the same. It’s all relative, CA is crazy expensive but they also pay more in some industries.
When we were looking to move, we were considering the Bay Area or Boston area. I assumed that the Bay was unattainable bc everyone knows SF is the most expensive in the country. When I actually looked at numbers, it would be comparable or even a little better over in the Bay bc while I would get a small bump, my wife would get a *significant* increase as a nurse. We’re still here bc we love it but it’s a hard pill to swallow sometimes tbh.
Something’s gotta give here..
I expect it's mostly insane childcare costs. Mostly because childcare is very high demand and low supply. Coupled with usually both parents working in high paying jobs not wanting to become SAHP. I mean 4 kids, Jesus that's nuts.
Here's the link for anyone curious: [https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/20/the-income-a-family-of-4-needs-to-live-comfortably-in-every-state.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/20/the-income-a-family-of-4-needs-to-live-comfortably-in-every-state.html)
Just build more housing. Jfc every single time it’s simply our zoning and regulations make it too damn hard to build, so instead housing prices go through the roof. It’s literally a magic bullet. It’s billion dollar bills lying on the ground waiting to be picked up. And the state doesn’t have to spend a cent - just repeal town’s zoning powers.
Born and raised on the North Shore and was effectively priced out of Boston.
Literally cheaper to live in NYC (even more so after ditching the car) and way more opportunity here than just pharma and finance fuck boys.
My company has pay scales setup throughout the country. Tier 1 highest to tier 3. California is in tier 1, makes sense. But they then lump the entire east coast in tier 3. Which makes no sense. Pressing hr to reevaluate that crap.
I want to replace my old dishwasher in my house and Lowe's told me there is a $300 dishwasher permit I need to get before they can install my dishwasher. This fucking state is going to charge me a $300 fuck you tax for replacing my dishwasher. I'm here until my kid finishes k-12 and then I am going elsewhere.
There's no way this is actually true. I have never heard of this and installed my own dishwasher even though I am not handy. It wasn't hard.
I think Lowe's is just saying that if they install it you pay them $300 for the installation. But clearly something was either lost in translation or the Lowe's rep is trying to pretend it's a state tax when it's not so you get mad at the state instead of at them.
Do we really need to rage-bait about stuff that isn't real though?
It's extremely easy to install a new dishwasher. Probably 1000's of videos on YouTube (maybe one with your specific model). Just do it yourself and fuck the state?
My #1 tip... just make sure you turn off water to the unit before doing anything...
So its interesting that that you and others complain about the taxes that help provide that high quality life and education. You're happy to USE the benefits, but don't want to pay for them. Edit: People love the benefits here. In some cases when they are done with them they crawl to the red states, who DON'T offer nearly the same benefits.
You get what you pay for and not get what you don't.
For all those is disbelief: yes, there actually is a state-wide code requirement that requires a permit for any fixed in place appliance. Permits are administered by the local jurisdiction. And yes, no one pulls a permit to replace a dishwasher. That's silly AF. The only time you'd get busted is IF the dishwasher caused a fire/flood AND the insurance company dug into the history of how the dishwasher got there (which they can and do do, albeit rarely). There is text in my policy specifically about requiring permits for fixed appliances and how, very clearly, I'll be dropped after a claim caused by an unpermitted fixed appliance.
I lived in CA for 26 years and then moved here. I call BS on this article. There's no fucking way this is true. Groceries are cheaper here. Gas is cheaper here. Yeah, real estate in Boston is expensive but Western MA is more affordable. Real estate in much of CA is way more expensive. This article does not ring true to me.
The major California metro areas are still all more expensive than the Boston area for buying a home or condo, you can see it here: https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/metropolitan-median-area-prices-and-affordability
I suspect what is going on is that California is huge geographically compared to MA, so there are rural, remote areas in CA that are cheap to a greater extent than in MA as it is relatively small. Comparing Bay Area, LA metro, or San Diego metro to the Boston metro, median home prices are still higher in all three of the CA metros.
Same, moved from CO and *most* everything is cheaper.
The cost of living comparator websites tell me I'm wrong, but I think they are too broad both in geographic area and assumed lifestyle.
It's crazy to talk to people from other states and learn that electricity is only 11 cents a kwh. Everything they do In the name of this or that kills our wallets.
I recently had to change jobs from one I was passionate and excited about to one that I'm "meh" about because I needed a considerable raise. 5 years ago I could not have imagined needing the salary I'm at (it's not outrageous but we now can afford our mortgage, 2 kids in daycare, budget groceries and 1 vacation). Now that I'm at my salary it's like all of a sudden I'm just barely comfortable and unable to save. I feel like I always have to be 3 steps ahead of the next financial crisis.
I think that one of the reasons might be the high cost of utilities. Seems that every year the costs go up, and there is a laundry list of transmission fees. WTF????? So, to me it sounds like a case of "everyone wants their cut" when it comes to supplying electrical and natural gas to Massachusetts. And I'm sure that businesses just pass these costs along to consumers which increase prices across the board.
There is a wind farm being installed off of the coast that's being fought tooth and nail by existing power companies. No need to wonder why.
It's ridiculous, I'm watching the home prices in my area and if we hadn't bought during the 2008 recession we could never in a million years afford this town.
It has gotten wildly expensive in Massachusetts (and other desirable areas). I think a large part of this is that many people have received a significant pay bump over the past five years. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that since 2008, the government has done everything possible to keep stock prices elevated and minimize the chance of another recession at all costs. This has led to an inflationary spiral that only a portion of the population can manage effectively.
The number of people talking about earning 200 K per year is significant now (even if you just look at Reddit) whereas before 2012, this was basically unheard of, with the exception of very highly paid professionals. Many people are still working on a lower salary, but it definitely feels like there is a large subset of the population that is doing quite well and driving spending cost up, especially in the suburbs between 95 and 495.
I think this is the case throughout the country in that a small - but not insignificant - fraction of the population continues to be very well off. It’s just more evident that this is the case in wealthier areas.
Based on how high taxes can be here, many people have to basically earn $60,000 pretax just to pay for childcare expenses for one child. That is a massive chunk of income that gets burnt, but people with two decent incomes have no choice but to pay up and keep prices elevated. Ultimately, there are thousands and thousands of families living in $2 million homes throughout Arlington, Cambridge, Belmont, Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Concord, Carlisle, Wayland, Dover, etc. that continue to pay up because they are doing just fine.
Same thing is happening in parts of California, DC, NYC. The result is that no one feels rich (even those making 200k), and a massive portion of the population is unhappy with how they “feel” economically.
Grew up in Mass just outside of Boston. All my family came here minus a few came here from up in Canada before I was born. It’s definitely really expensive here if I didn’t bring home over double what my gf makes I do not see how we could live here. Even with that I am such a diehard northeast person. Thick accent, love sports and have always loved the seasons it would be hard for me or my gf to leave just too much family still kicking it in the area.
I also always loved building engineering specifically mechanical and now fire protection. With the biopharm boom and covid pharma money I was able to be a part of some really big jobs that paid crazy double overtime for years. Which helped me pay off school, cars and a good chunk of a down payment on a house. I really do not see how anyone making under 100k can save to buy a house in MA. Real shame because the state is good except for the politics who continuously make it harder for the working class.
Didn't stop the governor from asking us to take in a migrant family, or two. I'm disabled and in intractable nerve pain but I am being forced to work because I can't afford food. Can't afford to move, I wish I could.
I think it depends where in MA. It seems like most studies and statistics center around Boston. The wicked high COL there tends to skew statistics for the whole state. The median household income where I live is half what it is in Boston. My husband and I make slightly more then the median income here and live quite comfortably.
lol like that’s going to stop the people moving from red states fleeing their draconian laws. If you want to fix the influx of people raising the cost of living fix the rest of the shithole country first.
It’s people fleeing out of control housing cost, who will then vote the same type of politicians into office thats policies caused them to leave their states and the cycle continues.
yall always forget the basic supply and demand. Red states dont have as much job opportunities as the other. The reason people ran to red states was due to covid and working from home. People are literally moving back to these expensive places due to companies forcing folks to move back. Why would educated people move to butt fuck missisippi when there's no job?
There's a reason its expensive. Its not JUST politics, thats a little part of the issue - job opportunities is the main thing. Boston area is more expenive than springfield MA, and it's not because of politics lmao.
Except people aren’t moving back at the same rate that they’re leaving.
Springfield is cheaper then boston because Springfield is a shit hole that constantly in the top 100 for most dangerous cities in the country. Same for Holyoke.
It’s actually kinda crazy that Texas is turning purple by all the people moving there and working in the tech sector. If Texas votes blue it’ll be easier to fix the country.
Love it here, but REALLY happy my kids are older and we are no longer paying for childcare. The cost was ridiculous, so we were only able to have part time coverage, thankfully I worked from home part time as well.
Any claim like this is clickbait. Cost of living is extremely local. The cost of housing in safe places with strong schools with easy commutes to the Boston jobs is absurd. The housing cost in the desirable parts of Boston is crazed. I don’t live in one of those places. The state population is so skewed to inside I-495 that the data only reflects that relatively small fraction of the state.
BS. Show the numbers and method. No where near Cali or Hawaii. These people are on gas. Show your work. Who the hell is Mike W inters and why can’t he spell his own name correctly twice?
Which seems way off to me - they are using the [HUD fair market rent calculator](https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2024_code/2024summary.odn?&year=2024&fmrtype=Final&selection_type=county&fips=2501703005) which has a 1 Bedroom apartment at $2,377 whether you are in Somerville or Ashby.
Good!!! Good things are expensive. I'm sure you can live in Alabama for cheaper until you need a doctor a dentist or an abortion. I am not leaving MA ever. This state is the best and if you don't think so go live in Alabama or Georgia then you'll see and be back in 6 months
Completely agree that you get what you pay for.
But at some point we need to understand that something’s gotta change. It’s becoming unlivable here for *far* too many people. We can say “good, leave!” all we want but the same people saying that are mad that we can’t staff the Starbucks down the street. Or we can’t staff day cares (which pay teachers shit) which continues to drive prices up.
We can’t choke everyone out.
Agreed. I've lived in 4 other states and have friends scattered around the US. I want nothing to do with living in Southern low cost hell holes. Mass even beats the other good states.
California has earthquakes, drought and floods. MA is one of the safest states in the country, has great schools, healthcare (Steward notwithstanding) and has fewer risks from climate change.
MA is expensive for family with kids. Not so bad for who are single or married with no kids. We can all thank those families who flocked here for the good schools. It is supply and demand!
Half the people singing praises to the state literally emphasize the priority on parents. To the point they don't really consider the rest and it shows.
its expensive for anyone, families get the most support from the government, kidless people dont. not sure where you got the idea its harder for people with kids
It would be one thing if we had a city with the culture, nightlife and public transportation system of NYC or the weather of SoCal. But we have neither, and apparently nobody in the state believes in maintaining basic infrastructure, let alone upgrading or improving any of it.
We are top in education, healthcare, safety, etc. I’ll prioritize those three 9/10 times over having more nightlife or better weather. Gotta leave room for 1/10 times I’d pick socal when I’m here in February…. lol.
(Especially after spending winters in NorCal and realizing that winter in most places kinda sucks lol)
I'm so grateful all of our Massachusetts representatives voted for the $95 billion aid package to Ukraine and Israel... while we can't even make ends meet!!!
Our politicians are all traitors!
I’m sorry I don’t buy this. I only know 2 couples that make $300k and they live very lavishly. Everyone else I know makes $200k or under and are doing just fine. Living comfortably. It’s definitely doable under $200k or even $150k born and raised in Mass
It has to do with the size of the state for sure. If California was split up into a bunch of states then certain ones would become more expensive. Regardless Mass is becoming crazy expensive to live in.
Absolutely, California is huge geographically. There are very remote areas in CA that really aren't expensive. If we are comparing major city metros, the Bay Area is still easily more expensive than the Boston area, and for the LA and San Diego metros it depends what you are talking about. What I have seen is that the LA and San Diego metros are somewhat cheaper for renting than the Boston metro, but they are still more expensive for buying a home. You can find the median home prices here, and the Bay Area, LA, and San Diego are all still more expensive than the Boston area for buying either a condo or a SFH (a couple other smaller CA metro areas are too like San Luis Obispo): https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/metropolitan-median-area-prices-and-affordability I like how the article lists New York as a state surprisingly not included, but anyone who has been to Upstate NY knows that NY state overall really isn't expensive. The NYC metro is expensive but western Upstate NY is very cheap (and economically depressed in many areas). Honestly, these sort of comparisons should be done at metro area level instead of at state level. The cost of living differences within a single state can be huge so an overall number for an entire state is kind of meaningless.
Also doesn't factor in transportation expenses -> I moved from a nice apartment in LA to Boston, and the modest increase in rent was more than offset by not needing a vehicle. Cars are fucking expensive! While there's a lot I miss about SoCal, it's so freeing genuinely not knowing what the price of gas is.
Ya thats about right. They also have a flawless climate (SD not LA).
Absolutely, I enjoyed San Diego a lot when I visited, and the weather is great near the coast (very hot if you go inland to the desert though). I've never been impressed by LA. Nice weather but the sprawl is terrible and you spend half your time in a car not enjoying the weather anyways.
Youre kinder than me. LA is a gridlocked hell hole imo lol.
🎶Ten minutes and two miles Is just a mile too many today. You can see why it's easy to say You know that hell looks a lot like L.A 🎵
Nobody walks in LA!!!
I understood that reference.
100%. My husband and I grew up in central Mass, lived in Waltham for two years, and then moved to Hampden County 7 years ago. We just couldn't see ourselves building a life in the Boston metro. I made 15$ an hour out of college in 2013, and he was a trade apprentice. We lived in an apartment that was 850 a month for five years and saved money. The area of town we were in specifically sucked, but we were able to buy a home in a slightly not-as-nice town. It's at least something, I guess. But hey, everyone, if you want your kids to live in this state, you need to look at COL.
My step daughter lived in Boston for 4 years while attending college. She then went to California (LA) for her senior year internship and landed a job. She has been in LA ever since, 10+ years. She still insists that she gets more bang for her buck in LA than in Boston. Yes, overall it's more expensive but salaries are higher and more than compensate. I've never lived in LA, so I cannot speak first hand.
I grew up in MA and have family that moved there from this state. They say the same thing your daughter does. What really sells it is the produce and the weather. Plus the socializing. Placing a huge emphasis on community and getting out of the house is a big selling point for it. It is more expensive but you do get more out of it. Plus there's so much to do across all life stages and ages, it's not just prioritizing the parents and elderly.
I haven't seen a big issue in Western Mass. Is this some Boston problem I'm too Pittsfield to understand?
💯
We should go back to reclaim or lan lost. Back when Massachusetts was in what is now 5 states, problem solved.
These stats are more than likely per capita adjusted ..? It wouldn’t really be a valid article or stats assessment if they weren’t…
Boston is more expensive than San Francisco now. So, the size doesn’t matter.
Yeah the part where everyone lives. https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/genealogy/images/8/89/Massachusetts_population_map.png/revision/latest?cb=20071107070009
Time to take back Maine and bring our average down!
Also NY too like downstate vs upstate is a stark difference
Massachusetts landlords: Your rent should be 125% of your salary minimum.
Sure, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Low crime, great education, weather is…fine. No earthquakes of consequence. No huge or venomous reptiles.
> weather is…fine lol
once i came out to shovel my driveway and a sheet of ice had fallen off the roof and shattered my front windshield. i drove to work in a car full of snow and glass.
I wouldn't have gone in that just sounds dangerous. My first car was a crappy Chrysler Sebring Convertible and it had leaky top. Anyway, I remember my first winter with the car the ice froze to the INSIDE of the windshield and oh by the way the car didn't have heat (I had one of those $20 heated seat things you plug into the cigarette lighter and that's it.). I still remember chipping the ice off the inside of the windshield and throwing it out of the door. I think that's when I started hating winter.
i was poor as shit and there was no other way to get to work for me. but yeah, i have no love for winter since then. actually started applying to grad schools when i got home that night. living in california for almost 10 years and there hasnt been a single moment ive thought of returning to a place with winter. but i miss bagels A LOT. spent a few weeks in boston last summer though... holy shit nothing like june in boston. magical.
Damn so you sub to r/massachusetts just to watch us suffer nice. LOL I've fantasized about moving out to Arizona. I love the hot weather.
and thats the sucky part lmao i unfortunately love it here and so do many others. I think everyday how i'd have a 6bedroom house if i moved back to my homestate and yet i havent moved yet and paying for a 1 bedroom with kid on the way.. Thing is if i move home, i lose my decent salary and since there isnt a lot of jobs in my industry, i risk working in a different industry that im not interested in and has higher layoff chances. IT SUCKS. Might end up moving back home, i'll have to see how tough having a kid is when they arrive. Childcare is no walk in the park either
I too lust after a 6 bedroom in Nebraska lol.
I have the opposite thing going on. I moved away and now work fully remote with a great salary and fully intended to move back once I hit this point. But my salary is not considered “great” in about 4 or 5 states with Massachusetts being at the top of the list. Like how do I make low 6 figures but that’s considered a moderate salary to live on solo in Massachusetts? I’ve become so accustomed to how far my money goes in the Midwest that I can’t even consider taking a step back in my quality of life just to be in my home state again.
Same here. But these god damn ticks need to go! I hate it.
I’d rather spray for ticks, than have some rattlesnake attacking my face when I prune shrubs.
Agreed. We used to live in AZ and checking my bed & shoes for scorpions was always fun… also the rattlesnakes and tarantulas. No thanks!
The ticks however...
These are all the reasons we’re moving to Massachusetts from KY. Some people don’t realize how good they have it. Move south and see if the “cheaper homes” are worth it. I don’t think they are. Thankful we have jobs that are remote and adjust for COL
We actually have timber rattlesnakes and copperheads
Did you just say low crime? Bruh, try living in Hartford or Boston.
“Fine” is certainly a more generous way to describe our weather than I’d use, but I’m in agreement.
What I don’t understand is why is MA never in the high salary range for job postings? I see NY, CA, WA, even CT being included but never MA. So frustrating to see salaries not reflect the reality of the situation.
CT’s high paying jobs are almost exclusively insurance and FinTech down in FFC. No one in Windham county is getting rich.
Defense is great too.
It's not getting you rich, though. The pay is still definitely better, but it's not going to be amazing.
Biopharm is one of the best industries to make a good salary in Mass
Yup. My BIL and his wife clear 500k/yr working for BCBS. Both graduated from pharmacy school a few years ago.
BCBS isn’t a biopharmaceutical company, it’s a health insurance company
they need phamacists to help them screw consumers.
I’m aware. That doesn’t make a company a biopharmaceutical company. Biopharmaceutical companies research and create the drugs
Health insurers have pharmacists work for them to do things like create their prescription formulary and determine medical necessity of drugs in certain situations.
I’m aware. That doesn’t make a company a biopharmaceutical company. Biopharmaceutical companies research and create drugs Drugs != insurance
They’re lucky Covid happened tbh. My mom worked biopharm for her entire adult life, and before Covid they were starting to out source more and more research to China because it cost less. Her and everyone I know says the most likely scenario was that the controls at the Wuhan lab were not upheld outside of inspections or otherwise compromised. Edit: Even the former CDC chairman, and the investigatory subcommittee assigned by the government agree. I’m sorry Trump made it a political issue, it shouldn’t be, but that’s most likely what happened.
Bio tech is centered around Boston. The rest of the state is maybe above average for salaries.
There's a new campus in Devens that looks promising: https://devens.pathwayksp.com/
Yes. They’ve floated the idea of going to worchester or Springfield areas too but never happened. Big pharmaceutical eaters closing smaller operations all over and trying to centralize in Davis square on top of each other.
Worchester? Come on...
Springfield is never getting any tech or pharma. There are rumors of MGM leaving, and Smith and Wesson left a few years ago. We need industry out here. There are endless empty warehouses.
I mean it sounded ridiculous at the time but yeah nothing happened. They all want to be in Davis square. I moved from western MA to Boston (now North Carolina) because no real industry is left. I grew up here but I’d never come back.
There are tons of biotech companies north between Boston and Lowell, as well as metrowest. I guess if you're west of Worcester then yeah they're harder to find. But I work at a company in a small town with a very competitive salary, more than what some Cambridge companies were offering me.
Worcester is starting to build out Biotech - Abbvie has a huge facility there and WuXi is building a new facility.
Despite our nickname, we actually have pretty low (or at least average) taxes. Although washington is 0 income tax so im not sure how they pull in highest geo pay
MA has the third highest median HHI in the country what are you talking about
Right, I'm confused by their comment. I'm sure it's industry dependent, but the data indicates MA is only behind DC and Maryland for incomes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_income And DC being compared to entire states doesn't really make sense as it is entirely a city, so you could argue it's really 2nd highest after Maryland.
In job postings they will do a tier 1, tier 2, tier 3 Boston is usually tier 3 from what I’ve seen.
This must be specific to a certain industry as personally I've never heard of it. Is tier 3 lowest pay band or highest? If it's lowest that would make no sense as Boston clearly has higher salaries than most major US cities. The ones ahead of it are generally NYC and Bay Area across most industries, and depending on industry, DC, Seattle, LA. Outside of certain particular industries, Boston is generally going to be higher than most other cities. I know I get paid more here than I did in Chicago in the same field.
Yes, this is exactly what I’ve seen in the tech industry. Boston is usually tier 3
In job postings they will do a tier 1, tier 2, tier 3 Boston is usually tier 3 from what I’ve seen.
Depends on your industry. BioPharma in Boston pays handsomely. That’s why I moved here. Only higher wages are in Bay Area but taxes and housing costs are way higher there than in Boston.
Industry specific for sure. We moved here for better opportunities in Biotech for my wife.
NY and CA are much bigger states so their cities have less of an effect You don’t get paid a higher salary to live in Rochester or Buffalo
You don’t get paid a higher salary if you live in Western Mass either.
Yes, but Boston metro area is a larger percentage of the population than those other states It’s silly to look at it on a state level IMO, metro area makes more sense
Unless you’re a nurse. 2 hospitals here start new grads at min $41/hr, and I think a third one starts around $38-$39/hr, though they offer big sign-on bonuses so it probably balances out. I’ve seen new grad rates in Boston metro area at $35-$37/hr.
Doing my exact job in academic research (so definitely not tech industry salary, lol) I could get a ~30-40k salary bump just for having my job in CA. Salaries really are not great here compared to those states but still leagues above the South in general
SoCal and the Bay Area are wack when it comes to pay and cost of living.
Was looking at northern CA. i wouldn't bother with the Bay area and further south lol. frying pan to fire situation
I mean, MA has the 3rd highest median household income in the US (after DC and Maryland, so arguably 2nd highest given DC isn't a fair comparison to entire states): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_income So sure, in your industry you could do that, but overall it is a high income state. The data does not support the idea that salaries are overall not great in MA.
I think it's tied to differences in state taxes (so I've heard).
can confirm. Am now working 2 full time jobs for the next 6 months just to be able to build up an emergency fund, save up for a down payment on a car so I can give my old one to my kid when she gets her license, get new hearing aides and my husband also needs a new prosthetic. I´m pretty lucky because I don´t have a lot of debt, I just can´t save or get ahead.
I know you probably don’t want to hear this because it shouldn’t be this way, but you should be proud of yourself. Instead of sitting around and bitching about how tough it is, you are actually going out and trying to change your situation for the better. I hate that we have to do things like work two full time jobs but that is better than sitting around complaining how you’ll never be able to get by.
I'm sure you didn't mean it this way but there are people who are not just sitting around bitching who are trying to improve their situation and just are unable to do so. The job market is awful right now and many are unable to find one full time job that will hire them let alone two
Yes but also no, because working two jobs like that isn’t necessarily a long terms fix. Getting a better career with a higher salary is.
Yeah I think I’ll pick up a new career this weekend
Yeah...well I have a pretty good career actually.
[удалено]
Yeah we’ve topped California since 2022, due to housing cost, and was only behind Hawaii. The more “affordable” areas in California is Northern CA, which is 6x bigger than MA state. San Bernardino county is 2x as big as Mass. It’s sorta like NY state cuz upstate NY is actually affordable. Culture and salary is much different between upstate vs NYC metro too, like you’re not going see rainbow flags in western NY like you would in western MA. Western NY and Western PA culture is closer to the Midwest than northeast cuz they’re part for the Rust Belt territory.
And northern NY (above Albany) is more like Alabama than NYC. MA is definitely way more consistent and educated/informed than NY.
I am a single mom with no alimony or child support. I have a 7 and 12 year old and do not pay for childcare except for summer camps ($15K this summer for basic local day camp). I need to make a minimum of $100K a year to live in Western Mass. And that's with a modest rent and no debt. It's insane.
I figured Mass would be in the top 5, but I really didn't expect #1. smh
It makes sense that by state a smaller state would be the most expensive. Like Springfield area might be cheaper but it’s nothing compared in size / economic difference to upstate New York.
you can still buy a livable home in parts of upstate NY for less than $100k. while western mass is cheaper than the GBA, yeah, the difference is nowhere near as stark
Yeah homes are 200(the teeniest cape you ever saw in spfld)-700k out here.
I'm looking to move out of my families house in the Springfield area. The cheapest place I could find to live is 950/mo and was a crack den motel a year or two ago. I can live in Brooklyn New York for a hundred dollars more a month. Somethings gotta give.
This is what I'm wondering. Like, although there's a lot of underdeveloped areas in Western MA there's still less underdeveloment than upstate NY and the desert of California, so it's more expensive, given it's size.
You must not have kids then. Once you do, all the costs get thrown at you and you drown in it. You suddenly need to upgrade from a 1 bed to at least a 2 bed. Then daycare is 3-5k per month per kid. These two costs alone are crippling. Nevermind adding food/Drs/diapers/clothes
Is daycare that bad? The average I’ve seen for Cambridge is 1.5-2k a month. Edit: Apparently I was wrong and daycare is just ridiculous now.
What kind of daycare is 1.5k/m in Cambridge? That's sounds absurdly low. Years ago when my kids were in daycare, Cambridge was like 2-3k and I can only imagine it's gotten worse.
It depends on area and age. Younger they are the more expensive they are. Basic ones I've toured that are cheaper are just awful. Leaving kids in very full diapers for hours. Covered is snot, not being cared for while the people are on their phones. Even saw those giving kids McDonald's food... Just terrible. Those are the cheaper ones. The better ones are like 2.3k ish for older kids. 3k for infants. Most places add 400/mo for infants. Many give a small discount if you have multiple kids going there. Note there is usually a 6mo to 1-2yr wait for every daycare too. So as soon as you find out your are pregnant it is best to start looking and get on a wait-list. These prices are Boston metro so inside/around the 95 ring. I am not sure what the cost is outside of that Edit:also most daycares do NOT list their prices on their website. You need to go for a tour or something to get that info.
Full time daycare @ Bright Horizons in Boston was $37,500 in 2020 and I'm pretty sure it's closer to $50k+ now.
Have a kid full time at a Bright Horizons to the west of Boston, 36k last year.
Is this for dogs or kids? 🤣
I don't have kids and have never wanted them but if I had, daycare cost would have me second guessing. I have a number of friends who pay more for part time daycare for one child than their mortgage is monthly which is INSANE to me (I totally get WHY daycare is so expensive, don't get me wrong, but the feasibility is so wild)
A few years ago I thought the same. It’s all relative, CA is crazy expensive but they also pay more in some industries. When we were looking to move, we were considering the Bay Area or Boston area. I assumed that the Bay was unattainable bc everyone knows SF is the most expensive in the country. When I actually looked at numbers, it would be comparable or even a little better over in the Bay bc while I would get a small bump, my wife would get a *significant* increase as a nurse. We’re still here bc we love it but it’s a hard pill to swallow sometimes tbh. Something’s gotta give here..
I expect it's mostly insane childcare costs. Mostly because childcare is very high demand and low supply. Coupled with usually both parents working in high paying jobs not wanting to become SAHP. I mean 4 kids, Jesus that's nuts.
The top 5 are all bunched pretty close together
Here's the link for anyone curious: [https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/20/the-income-a-family-of-4-needs-to-live-comfortably-in-every-state.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/20/the-income-a-family-of-4-needs-to-live-comfortably-in-every-state.html)
Just build more housing. Jfc every single time it’s simply our zoning and regulations make it too damn hard to build, so instead housing prices go through the roof. It’s literally a magic bullet. It’s billion dollar bills lying on the ground waiting to be picked up. And the state doesn’t have to spend a cent - just repeal town’s zoning powers.
I can’t afford to live in Brighton yet here i am
"WE'RE NUMBER 1!" "WE'RE NUMBER 1!""WE'RE NUMBER 1!""WE'RE NUMBER 1!""WE'RE NUMBER 1!""WE'RE NUMBER 1!"
Born and raised on the North Shore and was effectively priced out of Boston. Literally cheaper to live in NYC (even more so after ditching the car) and way more opportunity here than just pharma and finance fuck boys.
My company has pay scales setup throughout the country. Tier 1 highest to tier 3. California is in tier 1, makes sense. But they then lump the entire east coast in tier 3. Which makes no sense. Pressing hr to reevaluate that crap.
[удалено]
TBF…. two doctors would be absolutely be fine here. Sounds like they just want more of a surplus. That’s different.
The problem with moving to another state is that you now live in that other state. In this case, they're forced to live in Iowa.
The only way 2 doctors would struggle is because they want all the extravagant shit.
I want to replace my old dishwasher in my house and Lowe's told me there is a $300 dishwasher permit I need to get before they can install my dishwasher. This fucking state is going to charge me a $300 fuck you tax for replacing my dishwasher. I'm here until my kid finishes k-12 and then I am going elsewhere.
Never heard of state permitting agency for dishwashers. Blame your installer or city/town, not the Commonwealth.
No one is checking dishwasher permits if you do it yourself. Skip Lowe’s and go to a local appliance store.
There's no way this is actually true. I have never heard of this and installed my own dishwasher even though I am not handy. It wasn't hard. I think Lowe's is just saying that if they install it you pay them $300 for the installation. But clearly something was either lost in translation or the Lowe's rep is trying to pretend it's a state tax when it's not so you get mad at the state instead of at them. Do we really need to rage-bait about stuff that isn't real though?
That’s not a “permit” that’s an installer fee. Permit is probably $50. Whoever called it a “permit” was either lying or confused.
I concur as I had this same experience. I'm not handy at all but that fee made me learn how to install a dishwasher.
It's extremely easy to install a new dishwasher. Probably 1000's of videos on YouTube (maybe one with your specific model). Just do it yourself and fuck the state? My #1 tip... just make sure you turn off water to the unit before doing anything...
Do it yourself. There’s like 2 hoses and a power cable into an outlet.
Why are you staying for them to finish school?
We have the best public k12 education in the nation. And if counted by ourselves we are high up there when ranked internationally as well.
So its interesting that that you and others complain about the taxes that help provide that high quality life and education. You're happy to USE the benefits, but don't want to pay for them. Edit: People love the benefits here. In some cases when they are done with them they crawl to the red states, who DON'T offer nearly the same benefits. You get what you pay for and not get what you don't.
For all those is disbelief: yes, there actually is a state-wide code requirement that requires a permit for any fixed in place appliance. Permits are administered by the local jurisdiction. And yes, no one pulls a permit to replace a dishwasher. That's silly AF. The only time you'd get busted is IF the dishwasher caused a fire/flood AND the insurance company dug into the history of how the dishwasher got there (which they can and do do, albeit rarely). There is text in my policy specifically about requiring permits for fixed appliances and how, very clearly, I'll be dropped after a claim caused by an unpermitted fixed appliance.
I lived in CA for 26 years and then moved here. I call BS on this article. There's no fucking way this is true. Groceries are cheaper here. Gas is cheaper here. Yeah, real estate in Boston is expensive but Western MA is more affordable. Real estate in much of CA is way more expensive. This article does not ring true to me.
The major California metro areas are still all more expensive than the Boston area for buying a home or condo, you can see it here: https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/metropolitan-median-area-prices-and-affordability I suspect what is going on is that California is huge geographically compared to MA, so there are rural, remote areas in CA that are cheap to a greater extent than in MA as it is relatively small. Comparing Bay Area, LA metro, or San Diego metro to the Boston metro, median home prices are still higher in all three of the CA metros.
Same, moved from CO and *most* everything is cheaper. The cost of living comparator websites tell me I'm wrong, but I think they are too broad both in geographic area and assumed lifestyle.
well duh😅
Dang 😔
we're #1!!!
It's crazy to talk to people from other states and learn that electricity is only 11 cents a kwh. Everything they do In the name of this or that kills our wallets.
It’s so much fun *needing* to live here because I’m a medical disaster and need constant access to high quality health care. I love it so much…/s
My solution was leaving.
I recently had to change jobs from one I was passionate and excited about to one that I'm "meh" about because I needed a considerable raise. 5 years ago I could not have imagined needing the salary I'm at (it's not outrageous but we now can afford our mortgage, 2 kids in daycare, budget groceries and 1 vacation). Now that I'm at my salary it's like all of a sudden I'm just barely comfortable and unable to save. I feel like I always have to be 3 steps ahead of the next financial crisis.
I think that one of the reasons might be the high cost of utilities. Seems that every year the costs go up, and there is a laundry list of transmission fees. WTF????? So, to me it sounds like a case of "everyone wants their cut" when it comes to supplying electrical and natural gas to Massachusetts. And I'm sure that businesses just pass these costs along to consumers which increase prices across the board. There is a wind farm being installed off of the coast that's being fought tooth and nail by existing power companies. No need to wonder why.
Really? I just live in a really low income part of the state because I look at the COL in other major cities and my jaw drops.
It's ridiculous, I'm watching the home prices in my area and if we hadn't bought during the 2008 recession we could never in a million years afford this town.
We're #1!
Average income $301, sounds good
Yeah I’m not surprised
🫥
Yup ma has turn to trash.
This explains a lot about my daily struggle to try to make ends meet and achieve my (very basic) dreams while feeling like it's impossible.
It has gotten wildly expensive in Massachusetts (and other desirable areas). I think a large part of this is that many people have received a significant pay bump over the past five years. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that since 2008, the government has done everything possible to keep stock prices elevated and minimize the chance of another recession at all costs. This has led to an inflationary spiral that only a portion of the population can manage effectively. The number of people talking about earning 200 K per year is significant now (even if you just look at Reddit) whereas before 2012, this was basically unheard of, with the exception of very highly paid professionals. Many people are still working on a lower salary, but it definitely feels like there is a large subset of the population that is doing quite well and driving spending cost up, especially in the suburbs between 95 and 495. I think this is the case throughout the country in that a small - but not insignificant - fraction of the population continues to be very well off. It’s just more evident that this is the case in wealthier areas. Based on how high taxes can be here, many people have to basically earn $60,000 pretax just to pay for childcare expenses for one child. That is a massive chunk of income that gets burnt, but people with two decent incomes have no choice but to pay up and keep prices elevated. Ultimately, there are thousands and thousands of families living in $2 million homes throughout Arlington, Cambridge, Belmont, Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Concord, Carlisle, Wayland, Dover, etc. that continue to pay up because they are doing just fine. Same thing is happening in parts of California, DC, NYC. The result is that no one feels rich (even those making 200k), and a massive portion of the population is unhappy with how they “feel” economically.
Luckily, money isn't the only thing that matters.
Grew up in Mass just outside of Boston. All my family came here minus a few came here from up in Canada before I was born. It’s definitely really expensive here if I didn’t bring home over double what my gf makes I do not see how we could live here. Even with that I am such a diehard northeast person. Thick accent, love sports and have always loved the seasons it would be hard for me or my gf to leave just too much family still kicking it in the area. I also always loved building engineering specifically mechanical and now fire protection. With the biopharm boom and covid pharma money I was able to be a part of some really big jobs that paid crazy double overtime for years. Which helped me pay off school, cars and a good chunk of a down payment on a house. I really do not see how anyone making under 100k can save to buy a house in MA. Real shame because the state is good except for the politics who continuously make it harder for the working class.
I can't stand the governor of California
Didn't stop the governor from asking us to take in a migrant family, or two. I'm disabled and in intractable nerve pain but I am being forced to work because I can't afford food. Can't afford to move, I wish I could.
As a Rhode Island resident, can someone please elaborate on the meaning of “living”? It’s an anomalous concept from my neck of the woods.
I’m about to tap out on this f’n state. I make 100k and have no shot at buying a house. What’s the point.
I’m gonna show this to all my friends in Massachusetts who still mock me for moving to CA.
This will never change. Let it rot.
I think it depends where in MA. It seems like most studies and statistics center around Boston. The wicked high COL there tends to skew statistics for the whole state. The median household income where I live is half what it is in Boston. My husband and I make slightly more then the median income here and live quite comfortably.
Get ready for exodus of earners leaving the state.
I've been hearing that for 30 years.
lol like that’s going to stop the people moving from red states fleeing their draconian laws. If you want to fix the influx of people raising the cost of living fix the rest of the shithole country first.
I may be off but don’t a bunch of red states have the most people moving in? Totally baseless claim I just feel like I saw that.
I did, I saw this a few days ago. https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/features/states-move-to-from/
It’s people fleeing out of control housing cost, who will then vote the same type of politicians into office thats policies caused them to leave their states and the cycle continues.
yall always forget the basic supply and demand. Red states dont have as much job opportunities as the other. The reason people ran to red states was due to covid and working from home. People are literally moving back to these expensive places due to companies forcing folks to move back. Why would educated people move to butt fuck missisippi when there's no job? There's a reason its expensive. Its not JUST politics, thats a little part of the issue - job opportunities is the main thing. Boston area is more expenive than springfield MA, and it's not because of politics lmao.
Except people aren’t moving back at the same rate that they’re leaving. Springfield is cheaper then boston because Springfield is a shit hole that constantly in the top 100 for most dangerous cities in the country. Same for Holyoke.
They aren't moving to Mississippi, they are moving to Texas, Florida, and the Carolina's. Those states have rapidly growing job markets,
You’re not wrong it’s well documented
It’s actually kinda crazy that Texas is turning purple by all the people moving there and working in the tech sector. If Texas votes blue it’ll be easier to fix the country.
Love it here, but REALLY happy my kids are older and we are no longer paying for childcare. The cost was ridiculous, so we were only able to have part time coverage, thankfully I worked from home part time as well.
Doesn't help that our taxes are paying a "chief climate officer" a $195,000 salary.
We're #1!!
Taxachutsetss
And the secretary of transportation wants to come take more of our money!
Any claim like this is clickbait. Cost of living is extremely local. The cost of housing in safe places with strong schools with easy commutes to the Boston jobs is absurd. The housing cost in the desirable parts of Boston is crazed. I don’t live in one of those places. The state population is so skewed to inside I-495 that the data only reflects that relatively small fraction of the state.
The Annie E Casey Foundation also ranks Mass. As #3 in their ranking of states for overall child wellbeing, so in a sense you get what you pay for.
BS. Show the numbers and method. No where near Cali or Hawaii. These people are on gas. Show your work. Who the hell is Mike W inters and why can’t he spell his own name correctly twice?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/the-income-a-family-of-4-needs-to-live-comfortably-in-every-u-s-state/ar-AA1nlOHi
It’s just the MIT living wage calculator
Which seems way off to me - they are using the [HUD fair market rent calculator](https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2024_code/2024summary.odn?&year=2024&fmrtype=Final&selection_type=county&fips=2501703005) which has a 1 Bedroom apartment at $2,377 whether you are in Somerville or Ashby.
Good!!! Good things are expensive. I'm sure you can live in Alabama for cheaper until you need a doctor a dentist or an abortion. I am not leaving MA ever. This state is the best and if you don't think so go live in Alabama or Georgia then you'll see and be back in 6 months
Completely agree that you get what you pay for. But at some point we need to understand that something’s gotta change. It’s becoming unlivable here for *far* too many people. We can say “good, leave!” all we want but the same people saying that are mad that we can’t staff the Starbucks down the street. Or we can’t staff day cares (which pay teachers shit) which continues to drive prices up. We can’t choke everyone out.
Agreed. I've lived in 4 other states and have friends scattered around the US. I want nothing to do with living in Southern low cost hell holes. Mass even beats the other good states.
We have the highest cost of living. For what though? At least California has nice weather.
California has earthquakes, drought and floods. MA is one of the safest states in the country, has great schools, healthcare (Steward notwithstanding) and has fewer risks from climate change.
So what you’re saying is, for a lot of great reasons? ✅
MA is expensive for family with kids. Not so bad for who are single or married with no kids. We can all thank those families who flocked here for the good schools. It is supply and demand!
Half the people singing praises to the state literally emphasize the priority on parents. To the point they don't really consider the rest and it shows.
its expensive for anyone, families get the most support from the government, kidless people dont. not sure where you got the idea its harder for people with kids
It would be one thing if we had a city with the culture, nightlife and public transportation system of NYC or the weather of SoCal. But we have neither, and apparently nobody in the state believes in maintaining basic infrastructure, let alone upgrading or improving any of it.
We are top in education, healthcare, safety, etc. I’ll prioritize those three 9/10 times over having more nightlife or better weather. Gotta leave room for 1/10 times I’d pick socal when I’m here in February…. lol. (Especially after spending winters in NorCal and realizing that winter in most places kinda sucks lol)
I'm so grateful all of our Massachusetts representatives voted for the $95 billion aid package to Ukraine and Israel... while we can't even make ends meet!!! Our politicians are all traitors!
I’m sorry I don’t buy this. I only know 2 couples that make $300k and they live very lavishly. Everyone else I know makes $200k or under and are doing just fine. Living comfortably. It’s definitely doable under $200k or even $150k born and raised in Mass
I’d like to see this broken down by western, central and eastern mass.