Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in Massachusetts

A typical waiter or waitress in Massachusetts earns about $42,375 a year, which supports approximately $1,059 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. 0 of 114 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 114 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Gardner, MA$1,565/mo44.3%rent-burdened
Pittsfield, MA$1,592/mo45.1%rent-burdened
Chicopee, MA$1,661/mo47%rent-burdened
Ware, MA$1,750/mo49.6%rent-burdened
Fitchburg, MA$1,784/mo50.5%severely rent-burdened
Holyoke, MA$1,796/mo50.9%severely rent-burdened
Springfield, MA$1,836/mo52%severely rent-burdened
Fall River, MA$1,836/mo52%severely rent-burdened
Leominster, MA$1,869/mo52.9%severely rent-burdened
Westfield, MA$1,882/mo53.3%severely rent-burdened
Webster, MA$1,885/mo53.4%severely rent-burdened
New Bedford, MA$1,897/mo53.7%severely rent-burdened
Spencer, MA$1,896/mo53.7%severely rent-burdened
Boxboro, MA$1,938/mo54.9%severely rent-burdened
Fairhaven, MA$1,950/mo55.2%severely rent-burdened
Clinton, MA$2,077/mo58.8%severely rent-burdened
Plainville, MA$2,111/mo59.8%severely rent-burdened
Taunton, MA$2,158/mo61.1%severely rent-burdened
Worcester, MA$2,161/mo61.2%severely rent-burdened
North Attleboro, MA$2,212/mo62.6%severely rent-burdened
Attleboro, MA$2,240/mo63.4%severely rent-burdened
Dracut, MA$2,271/mo64.3%severely rent-burdened
Lowell, MA$2,304/mo65.2%severely rent-burdened
Shrewsbury, MA$2,303/mo65.2%severely rent-burdened
Lynn, MA$2,307/mo65.3%severely rent-burdened
Millbury, MA$2,317/mo65.6%severely rent-burdened
Brockton, MA$2,334/mo66.1%severely rent-burdened
Haverhill, MA$2,338/mo66.2%severely rent-burdened
Framingham, MA$2,355/mo66.7%severely rent-burdened
Lawrence, MA$2,379/mo67.4%severely rent-burdened
Maynard, MA$2,384/mo67.5%severely rent-burdened
Amesbury, MA$2,425/mo68.7%severely rent-burdened
Milford, MA$2,436/mo69%severely rent-burdened
Ipswich, MA$2,448/mo69.3%severely rent-burdened
Northampton, MA$2,454/mo69.5%severely rent-burdened
Methuen, MA$2,489/mo70.5%severely rent-burdened
Amherst, MA$2,491/mo70.5%severely rent-burdened
Hudson, MA$2,497/mo70.7%severely rent-burdened
Weymouth, MA$2,500/mo70.8%severely rent-burdened
Norwood, MA$2,519/mo71.3%severely rent-burdened
Stoughton, MA$2,528/mo71.6%severely rent-burdened
Bellingham, MA$2,571/mo72.8%severely rent-burdened
Mansfield, MA$2,575/mo72.9%severely rent-burdened
Chelmsford, MA$2,590/mo73.3%severely rent-burdened
Acton, MA$2,599/mo73.6%severely rent-burdened
Norton, MA$2,601/mo73.7%severely rent-burdened
Randolph, MA$2,633/mo74.6%severely rent-burdened
Chelsea, MA$2,643/mo74.8%severely rent-burdened
Marlborough, MA$2,660/mo75.3%severely rent-burdened
Westborough, MA$2,674/mo75.7%severely rent-burdened
Gloucester, MA$2,709/mo76.7%severely rent-burdened
Winthrop, MA$2,714/mo76.9%severely rent-burdened
Littleton, MA$2,719/mo77%severely rent-burdened
Salem, MA$2,730/mo77.3%severely rent-burdened
Franklin, MA$2,747/mo77.8%severely rent-burdened
Foxborough, MA$2,754/mo78%severely rent-burdened
Beverly, MA$2,758/mo78.1%severely rent-burdened
Billerica, MA$2,764/mo78.3%severely rent-burdened
Kingston, MA$2,769/mo78.4%severely rent-burdened
Quincy, MA$2,784/mo78.8%severely rent-burdened
Everett, MA$2,788/mo79%severely rent-burdened
Plymouth, MA$2,818/mo79.8%severely rent-burdened
Peabody, MA$2,823/mo79.9%severely rent-burdened
Walpole, MA$2,825/mo80%severely rent-burdened
Marshfield, MA$2,825/mo80%severely rent-burdened
Revere, MA$2,828/mo80.1%severely rent-burdened
Lunenburg, MA$2,834/mo80.3%severely rent-burdened
Wakefield, MA$2,838/mo80.4%severely rent-burdened
Ashland, MA$2,844/mo80.5%severely rent-burdened
North Andover, MA$2,851/mo80.7%severely rent-burdened
Newburyport, MA$2,854/mo80.8%severely rent-burdened
Rockport, MA$2,858/mo80.9%severely rent-burdened
Natick, MA$2,857/mo80.9%severely rent-burdened
Woburn, MA$2,870/mo81.3%severely rent-burdened
Andover, MA$2,891/mo81.9%severely rent-burdened
Danvers, MA$2,899/mo82.1%severely rent-burdened
Tewksbury, MA$2,904/mo82.2%severely rent-burdened
Canton, MA$2,905/mo82.3%severely rent-burdened
Bridgewater, MA$2,912/mo82.5%severely rent-burdened
Barnstable, MA$2,925/mo82.8%severely rent-burdened
Malden, MA$2,933/mo83.1%severely rent-burdened
Sharon, MA$2,946/mo83.4%severely rent-burdened
Melrose, MA$2,969/mo84.1%severely rent-burdened
Braintree, MA$2,975/mo84.2%severely rent-burdened
Saugus, MA$2,990/mo84.7%severely rent-burdened
Arlington, MA$2,998/mo84.9%severely rent-burdened
Stoneham, MA$3,023/mo85.6%severely rent-burdened
Swampscott, MA$3,021/mo85.6%severely rent-burdened
Hanover, MA$3,023/mo85.6%severely rent-burdened
Waltham, MA$3,045/mo86.2%severely rent-burdened
Hopkinton, MA$3,047/mo86.3%severely rent-burdened
Westford, MA$3,065/mo86.8%severely rent-burdened
Reading, MA$3,074/mo87.1%severely rent-burdened
Marblehead, MA$3,094/mo87.6%severely rent-burdened
Bedford, MA$3,107/mo88%severely rent-burdened
Dedham, MA$3,121/mo88.4%severely rent-burdened
Westwood, MA$3,140/mo88.9%severely rent-burdened
Watertown, MA$3,168/mo89.7%severely rent-burdened
Wilmington, MA$3,169/mo89.7%severely rent-burdened
Lynnfield, MA$3,188/mo90.3%severely rent-burdened
Belmont, MA$3,223/mo91.3%severely rent-burdened
Concord, MA$3,296/mo93.3%severely rent-burdened
Needham, MA$3,379/mo95.7%severely rent-burdened
Burlington, MA$3,388/mo95.9%severely rent-burdened
Medford, MA$3,401/mo96.3%severely rent-burdened
Boston, MA$3,414/mo96.7%severely rent-burdened
Somerville, MA$3,497/mo99%severely rent-burdened
Cambridge, MA$3,559/mo100.8%severely rent-burdened
Newton, MA$3,567/mo101%severely rent-burdened
Brookline, MA$3,568/mo101%severely rent-burdened
Winchester, MA$3,857/mo109.2%severely rent-burdened
Hingham, MA$3,970/mo112.4%severely rent-burdened
Wellesley, MA$4,013/mo113.6%severely rent-burdened
Lexington, MA$4,088/mo115.8%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).