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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield, MA | $1,545/mo | 24.9% | affordable |
| Chicopee, MA | $1,665/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Holyoke, MA | $1,663/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Gardner, MA | $1,676/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Ware, MA | $1,750/mo | 28.2% | affordable |
| New Bedford, MA | $1,811/mo | 29.2% | affordable |
| Springfield, MA | $1,822/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Spencer, MA | $1,824/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Webster, MA | $1,837/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Fitchburg, MA | $1,859/mo | 30% | affordable |
| Fall River, MA | $1,888/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Leominster, MA | $1,885/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Boxboro, MA | $1,938/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Westfield, MA | $1,950/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| Clinton, MA | $1,990/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Fairhaven, MA | $2,062/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Taunton, MA | $2,069/mo | 33.4% | stretched |
| Worcester, MA | $2,122/mo | 34.2% | stretched |
| Dracut, MA | $2,230/mo | 36% | stretched |
| North Attleboro, MA | $2,241/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Lowell, MA | $2,252/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Haverhill, MA | $2,258/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| Plainville, MA | $2,273/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Milford, MA | $2,281/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Brockton, MA | $2,289/mo | 36.9% | stretched |
| Framingham, MA | $2,298/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Northampton, MA | $2,327/mo | 37.5% | stretched |
| Lynn, MA | $2,342/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Methuen, MA | $2,352/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Shrewsbury, MA | $2,350/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Attleboro, MA | $2,366/mo | 38.2% | stretched |
| Lawrence, MA | $2,372/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Acton, MA | $2,431/mo | 39.2% | stretched |
| Maynard, MA | $2,453/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Millbury, MA | $2,459/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Amesbury, MA | $2,500/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Marshfield, MA | $2,506/mo | 40.4% | rent-burdened |
| Bellingham, MA | $2,519/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Stoughton, MA | $2,516/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Westborough, MA | $2,526/mo | 40.7% | rent-burdened |
| Franklin, MA | $2,534/mo | 40.9% | rent-burdened |
| Littleton, MA | $2,549/mo | 41.1% | rent-burdened |
| Weymouth, MA | $2,553/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Hudson, MA | $2,558/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Randolph, MA | $2,582/mo | 41.6% | rent-burdened |
| Norwood, MA | $2,579/mo | 41.6% | rent-burdened |
| Chelsea, MA | $2,632/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Mansfield, MA | $2,630/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Bridgewater, MA | $2,650/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Foxborough, MA | $2,655/mo | 42.8% | rent-burdened |
| Marlborough, MA | $2,666/mo | 43% | rent-burdened |
| Gloucester, MA | $2,678/mo | 43.2% | rent-burdened |
| Chelmsford, MA | $2,677/mo | 43.2% | rent-burdened |
| Salem, MA | $2,683/mo | 43.3% | rent-burdened |
| Quincy, MA | $2,712/mo | 43.7% | rent-burdened |
| Winthrop, MA | $2,725/mo | 43.9% | rent-burdened |
| Kingston, MA | $2,737/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Beverly, MA | $2,745/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Rockport, MA | $2,747/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Billerica, MA | $2,751/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Revere, MA | $2,764/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Ipswich, MA | $2,764/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Norton, MA | $2,765/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Andover, MA | $2,769/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Walpole, MA | $2,772/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Everett, MA | $2,803/mo | 45.2% | rent-burdened |
| Plymouth, MA | $2,801/mo | 45.2% | rent-burdened |
| North Andover, MA | $2,816/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Ashland, MA | $2,820/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Danvers, MA | $2,825/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Wakefield, MA | $2,827/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Peabody, MA | $2,836/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Lunenburg, MA | $2,834/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Hopkinton, MA | $2,842/mo | 45.8% | rent-burdened |
| Woburn, MA | $2,844/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Tewksbury, MA | $2,864/mo | 46.2% | rent-burdened |
| Reading, MA | $2,888/mo | 46.6% | rent-burdened |
| Hanover, MA | $2,888/mo | 46.6% | rent-burdened |
| Barnstable, MA | $2,894/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Dedham, MA | $2,913/mo | 47% | rent-burdened |
| Braintree, MA | $2,920/mo | 47.1% | rent-burdened |
| Malden, MA | $2,929/mo | 47.2% | rent-burdened |
| Waltham, MA | $2,930/mo | 47.2% | rent-burdened |
| Arlington, MA | $2,925/mo | 47.2% | rent-burdened |
| Natick, MA | $2,944/mo | 47.5% | rent-burdened |
| Lynnfield, MA | $2,961/mo | 47.7% | rent-burdened |
| Marblehead, MA | $2,967/mo | 47.8% | rent-burdened |
| Amherst, MA | $2,999/mo | 48.4% | rent-burdened |
| Canton, MA | $3,008/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Newburyport, MA | $3,028/mo | 48.8% | rent-burdened |
| Melrose, MA | $3,031/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Belmont, MA | $3,051/mo | 49.2% | rent-burdened |
| Saugus, MA | $3,057/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Stoneham, MA | $3,055/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Westford, MA | $3,055/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Watertown, MA | $3,101/mo | 50% | severely rent-burdened |
| Sharon, MA | $3,100/mo | 50% | rent-burdened |
| Concord, MA | $3,122/mo | 50.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Burlington, MA | $3,153/mo | 50.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bedford, MA | $3,154/mo | 50.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmington, MA | $3,162/mo | 51% | severely rent-burdened |
| Winchester, MA | $3,191/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Boston, MA | $3,271/mo | 52.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Westwood, MA | $3,318/mo | 53.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Newton, MA | $3,358/mo | 54.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Somerville, MA | $3,428/mo | 55.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Cambridge, MA | $3,438/mo | 55.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brookline, MA | $3,488/mo | 56.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lexington, MA | $3,522/mo | 56.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Swampscott, MA | $3,536/mo | 57% | severely rent-burdened |
| Medford, MA | $3,626/mo | 58.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Needham, MA | $3,702/mo | 59.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hingham, MA | $3,852/mo | 62.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wellesley, MA | $4,030/mo | 65% | severely rent-burdened |