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. 8 of 114 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 106 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner, MA | $1,565/mo | 25.2% | affordable |
| Pittsfield, MA | $1,592/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Chicopee, MA | $1,661/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Ware, MA | $1,750/mo | 28.2% | affordable |
| Fitchburg, MA | $1,784/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Holyoke, MA | $1,796/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Springfield, MA | $1,836/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Fall River, MA | $1,836/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Leominster, MA | $1,869/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Westfield, MA | $1,882/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Webster, MA | $1,885/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| New Bedford, MA | $1,897/mo | 30.6% | stretched |
| Spencer, MA | $1,896/mo | 30.6% | stretched |
| Boxboro, MA | $1,938/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Fairhaven, MA | $1,950/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| Clinton, MA | $2,077/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Plainville, MA | $2,111/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Worcester, MA | $2,161/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Taunton, MA | $2,158/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| North Attleboro, MA | $2,212/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Attleboro, MA | $2,240/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Dracut, MA | $2,271/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Shrewsbury, MA | $2,303/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Lowell, MA | $2,304/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Lynn, MA | $2,307/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Millbury, MA | $2,317/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Brockton, MA | $2,334/mo | 37.6% | stretched |
| Haverhill, MA | $2,338/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Framingham, MA | $2,355/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Lawrence, MA | $2,379/mo | 38.4% | stretched |
| Maynard, MA | $2,384/mo | 38.4% | stretched |
| Amesbury, MA | $2,425/mo | 39.1% | stretched |
| Milford, MA | $2,436/mo | 39.3% | stretched |
| Ipswich, MA | $2,448/mo | 39.5% | stretched |
| Northampton, MA | $2,454/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Methuen, MA | $2,489/mo | 40.1% | rent-burdened |
| Amherst, MA | $2,491/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Weymouth, MA | $2,500/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Hudson, MA | $2,497/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Norwood, MA | $2,519/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Stoughton, MA | $2,528/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Bellingham, MA | $2,571/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| Mansfield, MA | $2,575/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| Chelmsford, MA | $2,590/mo | 41.8% | rent-burdened |
| Acton, MA | $2,599/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Norton, MA | $2,601/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Randolph, MA | $2,633/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Chelsea, MA | $2,643/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Marlborough, MA | $2,660/mo | 42.9% | rent-burdened |
| Westborough, MA | $2,674/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Gloucester, MA | $2,709/mo | 43.7% | rent-burdened |
| Winthrop, MA | $2,714/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Littleton, MA | $2,719/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Salem, MA | $2,730/mo | 44% | rent-burdened |
| Franklin, MA | $2,747/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Foxborough, MA | $2,754/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Beverly, MA | $2,758/mo | 44.5% | rent-burdened |
| Billerica, MA | $2,764/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Kingston, MA | $2,769/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Quincy, MA | $2,784/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Everett, MA | $2,788/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Plymouth, MA | $2,818/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Peabody, MA | $2,823/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Revere, MA | $2,828/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Walpole, MA | $2,825/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Marshfield, MA | $2,825/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Lunenburg, MA | $2,834/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Wakefield, MA | $2,838/mo | 45.8% | rent-burdened |
| Ashland, MA | $2,844/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Newburyport, MA | $2,854/mo | 46% | rent-burdened |
| North Andover, MA | $2,851/mo | 46% | rent-burdened |
| Rockport, MA | $2,858/mo | 46.1% | rent-burdened |
| Natick, MA | $2,857/mo | 46.1% | rent-burdened |
| Woburn, MA | $2,870/mo | 46.3% | rent-burdened |
| Andover, MA | $2,891/mo | 46.6% | rent-burdened |
| Danvers, MA | $2,899/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Canton, MA | $2,905/mo | 46.8% | rent-burdened |
| Tewksbury, MA | $2,904/mo | 46.8% | rent-burdened |
| Bridgewater, MA | $2,912/mo | 47% | rent-burdened |
| Barnstable, MA | $2,925/mo | 47.2% | rent-burdened |
| Malden, MA | $2,933/mo | 47.3% | rent-burdened |
| Sharon, MA | $2,946/mo | 47.5% | rent-burdened |
| Melrose, MA | $2,969/mo | 47.9% | rent-burdened |
| Braintree, MA | $2,975/mo | 48% | rent-burdened |
| Saugus, MA | $2,990/mo | 48.2% | rent-burdened |
| Arlington, MA | $2,998/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Stoneham, MA | $3,023/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Swampscott, MA | $3,021/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Hanover, MA | $3,023/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Waltham, MA | $3,045/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Hopkinton, MA | $3,047/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Westford, MA | $3,065/mo | 49.4% | rent-burdened |
| Reading, MA | $3,074/mo | 49.6% | rent-burdened |
| Marblehead, MA | $3,094/mo | 49.9% | rent-burdened |
| Bedford, MA | $3,107/mo | 50.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Dedham, MA | $3,121/mo | 50.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Westwood, MA | $3,140/mo | 50.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Watertown, MA | $3,168/mo | 51.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmington, MA | $3,169/mo | 51.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lynnfield, MA | $3,188/mo | 51.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Belmont, MA | $3,223/mo | 52% | severely rent-burdened |
| Concord, MA | $3,296/mo | 53.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Needham, MA | $3,379/mo | 54.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Burlington, MA | $3,388/mo | 54.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Medford, MA | $3,401/mo | 54.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Boston, MA | $3,414/mo | 55.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Somerville, MA | $3,497/mo | 56.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Cambridge, MA | $3,559/mo | 57.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Newton, MA | $3,567/mo | 57.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brookline, MA | $3,568/mo | 57.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Winchester, MA | $3,857/mo | 62.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hingham, MA | $3,970/mo | 64% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wellesley, MA | $4,013/mo | 64.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lexington, MA | $4,088/mo | 65.9% | severely rent-burdened |