Rent Affordability for A Registered Nurse in Massachusetts

A typical registered nurse in Massachusetts earns about $109,597 a year, which supports approximately $2,740 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. 54 of 114 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 60 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Gardner, MA$1,565/mo17.1%very comfortable
Pittsfield, MA$1,592/mo17.4%very comfortable
Chicopee, MA$1,661/mo18.2%very comfortable
Ware, MA$1,750/mo19.2%very comfortable
Fitchburg, MA$1,784/mo19.5%very comfortable
Holyoke, MA$1,796/mo19.7%very comfortable
Springfield, MA$1,836/mo20.1%affordable
Fall River, MA$1,836/mo20.1%affordable
Leominster, MA$1,869/mo20.5%affordable
Westfield, MA$1,882/mo20.6%affordable
Webster, MA$1,885/mo20.6%affordable
New Bedford, MA$1,897/mo20.8%affordable
Spencer, MA$1,896/mo20.8%affordable
Boxboro, MA$1,938/mo21.2%affordable
Fairhaven, MA$1,950/mo21.4%affordable
Clinton, MA$2,077/mo22.7%affordable
Plainville, MA$2,111/mo23.1%affordable
Taunton, MA$2,158/mo23.6%affordable
Worcester, MA$2,161/mo23.7%affordable
North Attleboro, MA$2,212/mo24.2%affordable
Attleboro, MA$2,240/mo24.5%affordable
Dracut, MA$2,271/mo24.9%affordable
Lowell, MA$2,304/mo25.2%affordable
Shrewsbury, MA$2,303/mo25.2%affordable
Lynn, MA$2,307/mo25.3%affordable
Millbury, MA$2,317/mo25.4%affordable
Brockton, MA$2,334/mo25.6%affordable
Haverhill, MA$2,338/mo25.6%affordable
Framingham, MA$2,355/mo25.8%affordable
Lawrence, MA$2,379/mo26%affordable
Maynard, MA$2,384/mo26.1%affordable
Amesbury, MA$2,425/mo26.6%affordable
Milford, MA$2,436/mo26.7%affordable
Ipswich, MA$2,448/mo26.8%affordable
Northampton, MA$2,454/mo26.9%affordable
Methuen, MA$2,489/mo27.3%affordable
Amherst, MA$2,491/mo27.3%affordable
Hudson, MA$2,497/mo27.3%affordable
Weymouth, MA$2,500/mo27.4%affordable
Norwood, MA$2,519/mo27.6%affordable
Stoughton, MA$2,528/mo27.7%affordable
Bellingham, MA$2,571/mo28.2%affordable
Mansfield, MA$2,575/mo28.2%affordable
Chelmsford, MA$2,590/mo28.4%affordable
Acton, MA$2,599/mo28.5%affordable
Norton, MA$2,601/mo28.5%affordable
Randolph, MA$2,633/mo28.8%affordable
Chelsea, MA$2,643/mo28.9%affordable
Marlborough, MA$2,660/mo29.1%affordable
Westborough, MA$2,674/mo29.3%affordable
Gloucester, MA$2,709/mo29.7%affordable
Winthrop, MA$2,714/mo29.7%affordable
Littleton, MA$2,719/mo29.8%affordable
Salem, MA$2,730/mo29.9%affordable
Franklin, MA$2,747/mo30.1%stretched
Beverly, MA$2,758/mo30.2%stretched
Foxborough, MA$2,754/mo30.2%stretched
Kingston, MA$2,769/mo30.3%stretched
Billerica, MA$2,764/mo30.3%stretched
Quincy, MA$2,784/mo30.5%stretched
Everett, MA$2,788/mo30.5%stretched
Peabody, MA$2,823/mo30.9%stretched
Plymouth, MA$2,818/mo30.9%stretched
Walpole, MA$2,825/mo30.9%stretched
Marshfield, MA$2,825/mo30.9%stretched
Revere, MA$2,828/mo31%stretched
Lunenburg, MA$2,834/mo31%stretched
Wakefield, MA$2,838/mo31.1%stretched
Ashland, MA$2,844/mo31.1%stretched
Newburyport, MA$2,854/mo31.2%stretched
North Andover, MA$2,851/mo31.2%stretched
Rockport, MA$2,858/mo31.3%stretched
Natick, MA$2,857/mo31.3%stretched
Woburn, MA$2,870/mo31.4%stretched
Danvers, MA$2,899/mo31.7%stretched
Andover, MA$2,891/mo31.7%stretched
Canton, MA$2,905/mo31.8%stretched
Tewksbury, MA$2,904/mo31.8%stretched
Bridgewater, MA$2,912/mo31.9%stretched
Barnstable, MA$2,925/mo32%stretched
Malden, MA$2,933/mo32.1%stretched
Sharon, MA$2,946/mo32.3%stretched
Melrose, MA$2,969/mo32.5%stretched
Braintree, MA$2,975/mo32.6%stretched
Saugus, MA$2,990/mo32.7%stretched
Arlington, MA$2,998/mo32.8%stretched
Stoneham, MA$3,023/mo33.1%stretched
Swampscott, MA$3,021/mo33.1%stretched
Hanover, MA$3,023/mo33.1%stretched
Waltham, MA$3,045/mo33.3%stretched
Hopkinton, MA$3,047/mo33.4%stretched
Westford, MA$3,065/mo33.6%stretched
Reading, MA$3,074/mo33.7%stretched
Marblehead, MA$3,094/mo33.9%stretched
Bedford, MA$3,107/mo34%stretched
Dedham, MA$3,121/mo34.2%stretched
Westwood, MA$3,140/mo34.4%stretched
Watertown, MA$3,168/mo34.7%stretched
Wilmington, MA$3,169/mo34.7%stretched
Lynnfield, MA$3,188/mo34.9%stretched
Belmont, MA$3,223/mo35.3%stretched
Concord, MA$3,296/mo36.1%stretched
Needham, MA$3,379/mo37%stretched
Burlington, MA$3,388/mo37.1%stretched
Medford, MA$3,401/mo37.2%stretched
Boston, MA$3,414/mo37.4%stretched
Somerville, MA$3,497/mo38.3%stretched
Cambridge, MA$3,559/mo39%stretched
Newton, MA$3,567/mo39.1%stretched
Brookline, MA$3,568/mo39.1%stretched
Winchester, MA$3,857/mo42.2%rent-burdened
Hingham, MA$3,970/mo43.5%rent-burdened
Wellesley, MA$4,013/mo43.9%rent-burdened
Lexington, MA$4,088/mo44.8%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).