Rent Affordability for A Bus Driver in Massachusetts

A typical bus driver in Massachusetts earns about $60,111 a year, which supports approximately $1,503 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Massachusetts city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 1 of 114 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 113 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕	Median rent↕	% of income↑	Affordability
Ware, MA	$1,388/mo	27.7%	affordable
Pittsfield, MA	$1,546/mo	30.9%	stretched
Gardner, MA	$1,603/mo	32%	stretched
Chicopee, MA	$1,635/mo	32.6%	stretched
Springfield, MA	$1,786/mo	35.7%	stretched
Rockport, MA	$1,795/mo	35.8%	stretched
Fitchburg, MA	$1,799/mo	35.9%	stretched
Holyoke, MA	$1,799/mo	35.9%	stretched
Fairhaven, MA	$1,800/mo	35.9%	stretched
Fall River, MA	$1,811/mo	36.2%	stretched
Westfield, MA	$1,873/mo	37.4%	stretched
Webster, MA	$1,878/mo	37.5%	stretched
Spencer, MA	$1,898/mo	37.9%	stretched
New Bedford, MA	$1,916/mo	38.2%	stretched
Leominster, MA	$1,920/mo	38.3%	stretched
Boxboro, MA	$1,938/mo	38.7%	stretched
Plainville, MA	$2,094/mo	41.8%	rent-burdened
Taunton, MA	$2,124/mo	42.4%	rent-burdened
Clinton, MA	$2,137/mo	42.7%	rent-burdened
Worcester, MA	$2,164/mo	43.2%	rent-burdened
Attleboro, MA	$2,225/mo	44.4%	rent-burdened
Lynn, MA	$2,300/mo	45.9%	rent-burdened
Lowell, MA	$2,316/mo	46.2%	rent-burdened
Dracut, MA	$2,328/mo	46.5%	rent-burdened
Haverhill, MA	$2,345/mo	46.8%	rent-burdened
Amherst, MA	$2,344/mo	46.8%	rent-burdened
North Attleboro, MA	$2,343/mo	46.8%	rent-burdened
Lawrence, MA	$2,347/mo	46.9%	rent-burdened
Framingham, MA	$2,360/mo	47.1%	rent-burdened
Ipswich, MA	$2,400/mo	47.9%	rent-burdened
Shrewsbury, MA	$2,399/mo	47.9%	rent-burdened
Brockton, MA	$2,406/mo	48%	rent-burdened
Millbury, MA	$2,410/mo	48.1%	rent-burdened
Acton, MA	$2,424/mo	48.4%	rent-burdened
Milford, MA	$2,452/mo	48.9%	rent-burdened
Amesbury, MA	$2,453/mo	49%	rent-burdened
Hudson, MA	$2,469/mo	49.3%	rent-burdened
Northampton, MA	$2,477/mo	49.4%	rent-burdened
Stoughton, MA	$2,490/mo	49.7%	rent-burdened
Weymouth, MA	$2,501/mo	49.9%	rent-burdened
Methuen, MA	$2,507/mo	50%	severely rent-burdened
Winthrop, MA	$2,563/mo	51.2%	severely rent-burdened
Gloucester, MA	$2,574/mo	51.4%	severely rent-burdened
Bellingham, MA	$2,584/mo	51.6%	severely rent-burdened
Norwood, MA	$2,601/mo	51.9%	severely rent-burdened
Mansfield, MA	$2,602/mo	51.9%	severely rent-burdened
Randolph, MA	$2,627/mo	52.4%	severely rent-burdened
Chelsea, MA	$2,628/mo	52.5%	severely rent-burdened
Franklin, MA	$2,631/mo	52.5%	severely rent-burdened
Marlborough, MA	$2,668/mo	53.3%	severely rent-burdened
Westborough, MA	$2,674/mo	53.4%	severely rent-burdened
Chelmsford, MA	$2,680/mo	53.5%	severely rent-burdened
Salem, MA	$2,742/mo	54.7%	severely rent-burdened
Billerica, MA	$2,741/mo	54.7%	severely rent-burdened
Quincy, MA	$2,750/mo	54.9%	severely rent-burdened
Swampscott, MA	$2,764/mo	55.2%	severely rent-burdened
Natick, MA	$2,765/mo	55.2%	severely rent-burdened
Beverly, MA	$2,773/mo	55.4%	severely rent-burdened
Ashland, MA	$2,777/mo	55.4%	severely rent-burdened
Woburn, MA	$2,780/mo	55.5%	severely rent-burdened
Tewksbury, MA	$2,781/mo	55.5%	severely rent-burdened
Plymouth, MA	$2,788/mo	55.7%	severely rent-burdened
Andover, MA	$2,793/mo	55.8%	severely rent-burdened
Malden, MA	$2,803/mo	56%	severely rent-burdened
Peabody, MA	$2,812/mo	56.1%	severely rent-burdened
Everett, MA	$2,815/mo	56.2%	severely rent-burdened
Kingston, MA	$2,820/mo	56.3%	severely rent-burdened
Littleton, MA	$2,819/mo	56.3%	severely rent-burdened
Revere, MA	$2,826/mo	56.4%	severely rent-burdened
Wakefield, MA	$2,824/mo	56.4%	severely rent-burdened
Maynard, MA	$2,833/mo	56.6%	severely rent-burdened
Lunenburg, MA	$2,834/mo	56.6%	severely rent-burdened
North Andover, MA	$2,846/mo	56.8%	severely rent-burdened
Danvers, MA	$2,849/mo	56.9%	severely rent-burdened
Bedford, MA	$2,863/mo	57.2%	severely rent-burdened
Foxborough, MA	$2,873/mo	57.4%	severely rent-burdened
Newburyport, MA	$2,886/mo	57.6%	severely rent-burdened
Norton, MA	$2,894/mo	57.8%	severely rent-burdened
Marblehead, MA	$2,900/mo	57.9%	severely rent-burdened
Walpole, MA	$2,912/mo	58.1%	severely rent-burdened
Canton, MA	$2,909/mo	58.1%	severely rent-burdened
Barnstable, MA	$2,932/mo	58.5%	severely rent-burdened
Marshfield, MA	$2,956/mo	59%	severely rent-burdened
Bridgewater, MA	$2,978/mo	59.5%	severely rent-burdened
Braintree, MA	$2,987/mo	59.6%	severely rent-burdened
Saugus, MA	$2,996/mo	59.8%	severely rent-burdened
Sharon, MA	$3,016/mo	60.2%	severely rent-burdened
Melrose, MA	$3,026/mo	60.4%	severely rent-burdened
Waltham, MA	$3,042/mo	60.7%	severely rent-burdened
Arlington, MA	$3,043/mo	60.7%	severely rent-burdened
Hanover, MA	$3,042/mo	60.7%	severely rent-burdened
Westford, MA	$3,063/mo	61.1%	severely rent-burdened
Stoneham, MA	$3,086/mo	61.6%	severely rent-burdened
Hopkinton, MA	$3,102/mo	61.9%	severely rent-burdened
Watertown, MA	$3,124/mo	62.4%	severely rent-burdened
Westwood, MA	$3,130/mo	62.5%	severely rent-burdened
Needham, MA	$3,155/mo	63%	severely rent-burdened
Reading, MA	$3,162/mo	63.1%	severely rent-burdened
Lynnfield, MA	$3,181/mo	63.5%	severely rent-burdened
Wilmington, MA	$3,218/mo	64.2%	severely rent-burdened
Dedham, MA	$3,226/mo	64.4%	severely rent-burdened
Belmont, MA	$3,249/mo	64.9%	severely rent-burdened
Burlington, MA	$3,328/mo	66.4%	severely rent-burdened
Medford, MA	$3,419/mo	68.3%	severely rent-burdened
Boston, MA	$3,469/mo	69.3%	severely rent-burdened
Brookline, MA	$3,523/mo	70.3%	severely rent-burdened
Concord, MA	$3,570/mo	71.3%	severely rent-burdened
Somerville, MA	$3,589/mo	71.6%	severely rent-burdened
Cambridge, MA	$3,598/mo	71.8%	severely rent-burdened
Hingham, MA	$3,640/mo	72.7%	severely rent-burdened
Newton, MA	$3,685/mo	73.6%	severely rent-burdened
Winchester, MA	$3,776/mo	75.4%	severely rent-burdened
Wellesley, MA	$3,868/mo	77.2%	severely rent-burdened
Lexington, MA	$4,274/mo	85.3%	severely rent-burdened

Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for Massachusetts. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).