Rent Affordability for A Chef in Massachusetts
A typical chef in Massachusetts earns about $74,414 a year, which supports approximately $1,860 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. 10 of 114 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 104 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware, MA | $1,388/mo | 22.4% | affordable |
| Pittsfield, MA | $1,546/mo | 24.9% | affordable |
| Gardner, MA | $1,603/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Chicopee, MA | $1,635/mo | 26.4% | affordable |
| Springfield, MA | $1,786/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Rockport, MA | $1,795/mo | 28.9% | affordable |
| Fitchburg, MA | $1,799/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Holyoke, MA | $1,799/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Fairhaven, MA | $1,800/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Fall River, MA | $1,811/mo | 29.2% | affordable |
| Westfield, MA | $1,873/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Webster, MA | $1,878/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Spencer, MA | $1,898/mo | 30.6% | stretched |
| New Bedford, MA | $1,916/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Leominster, MA | $1,920/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Boxboro, MA | $1,938/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Plainville, MA | $2,094/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Taunton, MA | $2,124/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Clinton, MA | $2,137/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| Worcester, MA | $2,164/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Attleboro, MA | $2,225/mo | 35.9% | stretched |
| Lynn, MA | $2,300/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Lowell, MA | $2,316/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| Dracut, MA | $2,328/mo | 37.5% | stretched |
| Lawrence, MA | $2,347/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Haverhill, MA | $2,345/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Amherst, MA | $2,344/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| North Attleboro, MA | $2,343/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Framingham, MA | $2,360/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Ipswich, MA | $2,400/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Shrewsbury, MA | $2,399/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Brockton, MA | $2,406/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Millbury, MA | $2,410/mo | 38.9% | stretched |
| Acton, MA | $2,424/mo | 39.1% | stretched |
| Milford, MA | $2,452/mo | 39.5% | stretched |
| Amesbury, MA | $2,453/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Hudson, MA | $2,469/mo | 39.8% | stretched |
| Northampton, MA | $2,477/mo | 39.9% | stretched |
| Stoughton, MA | $2,490/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Weymouth, MA | $2,501/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Methuen, MA | $2,507/mo | 40.4% | rent-burdened |
| Winthrop, MA | $2,563/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Gloucester, MA | $2,574/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| Bellingham, MA | $2,584/mo | 41.7% | rent-burdened |
| Norwood, MA | $2,601/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Mansfield, MA | $2,602/mo | 42% | rent-burdened |
| Chelsea, MA | $2,628/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Randolph, MA | $2,627/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Franklin, MA | $2,631/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Marlborough, MA | $2,668/mo | 43% | rent-burdened |
| Westborough, MA | $2,674/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Chelmsford, MA | $2,680/mo | 43.2% | rent-burdened |
| Salem, MA | $2,742/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Billerica, MA | $2,741/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Quincy, MA | $2,750/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Swampscott, MA | $2,764/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Natick, MA | $2,765/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Beverly, MA | $2,773/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Woburn, MA | $2,780/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Ashland, MA | $2,777/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Tewksbury, MA | $2,781/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Andover, MA | $2,793/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Plymouth, MA | $2,788/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Malden, MA | $2,803/mo | 45.2% | rent-burdened |
| Peabody, MA | $2,812/mo | 45.3% | rent-burdened |
| Everett, MA | $2,815/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Wakefield, MA | $2,824/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Kingston, MA | $2,820/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Littleton, MA | $2,819/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Revere, MA | $2,826/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Maynard, MA | $2,833/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Lunenburg, MA | $2,834/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Danvers, MA | $2,849/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| North Andover, MA | $2,846/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Bedford, MA | $2,863/mo | 46.2% | rent-burdened |
| Foxborough, MA | $2,873/mo | 46.3% | rent-burdened |
| Newburyport, MA | $2,886/mo | 46.5% | rent-burdened |
| Norton, MA | $2,894/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Marblehead, MA | $2,900/mo | 46.8% | rent-burdened |
| Canton, MA | $2,909/mo | 46.9% | rent-burdened |
| Walpole, MA | $2,912/mo | 47% | rent-burdened |
| Barnstable, MA | $2,932/mo | 47.3% | rent-burdened |
| Marshfield, MA | $2,956/mo | 47.7% | rent-burdened |
| Bridgewater, MA | $2,978/mo | 48% | rent-burdened |
| Braintree, MA | $2,987/mo | 48.2% | rent-burdened |
| Saugus, MA | $2,996/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Sharon, MA | $3,016/mo | 48.6% | rent-burdened |
| Melrose, MA | $3,026/mo | 48.8% | rent-burdened |
| Waltham, MA | $3,042/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Arlington, MA | $3,043/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Hanover, MA | $3,042/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Westford, MA | $3,063/mo | 49.4% | rent-burdened |
| Stoneham, MA | $3,086/mo | 49.8% | rent-burdened |
| Hopkinton, MA | $3,102/mo | 50% | severely rent-burdened |
| Watertown, MA | $3,124/mo | 50.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Westwood, MA | $3,130/mo | 50.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Needham, MA | $3,155/mo | 50.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Reading, MA | $3,162/mo | 51% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lynnfield, MA | $3,181/mo | 51.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmington, MA | $3,218/mo | 51.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Dedham, MA | $3,226/mo | 52% | severely rent-burdened |
| Belmont, MA | $3,249/mo | 52.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Burlington, MA | $3,328/mo | 53.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Medford, MA | $3,419/mo | 55.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Boston, MA | $3,469/mo | 55.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brookline, MA | $3,523/mo | 56.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Concord, MA | $3,570/mo | 57.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Somerville, MA | $3,589/mo | 57.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Cambridge, MA | $3,598/mo | 58% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hingham, MA | $3,640/mo | 58.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Newton, MA | $3,685/mo | 59.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Winchester, MA | $3,776/mo | 60.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wellesley, MA | $3,868/mo | 62.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lexington, MA | $4,274/mo | 68.9% | severely rent-burdened |