Rent Affordability for A Software Developer in Massachusetts
A typical software developer in Massachusetts earns about $160,208 a year, which supports approximately $4,005 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. 113 of 114 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 1 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield, MA | $1,545/mo | 11.6% | very comfortable |
| Chicopee, MA | $1,665/mo | 12.5% | very comfortable |
| Holyoke, MA | $1,663/mo | 12.5% | very comfortable |
| Gardner, MA | $1,676/mo | 12.6% | very comfortable |
| Ware, MA | $1,750/mo | 13.1% | very comfortable |
| Springfield, MA | $1,822/mo | 13.6% | very comfortable |
| New Bedford, MA | $1,811/mo | 13.6% | very comfortable |
| Spencer, MA | $1,824/mo | 13.7% | very comfortable |
| Webster, MA | $1,837/mo | 13.8% | very comfortable |
| Fitchburg, MA | $1,859/mo | 13.9% | very comfortable |
| Fall River, MA | $1,888/mo | 14.1% | very comfortable |
| Leominster, MA | $1,885/mo | 14.1% | very comfortable |
| Boxboro, MA | $1,938/mo | 14.5% | very comfortable |
| Westfield, MA | $1,950/mo | 14.6% | very comfortable |
| Clinton, MA | $1,990/mo | 14.9% | very comfortable |
| Fairhaven, MA | $2,062/mo | 15.4% | very comfortable |
| Taunton, MA | $2,069/mo | 15.5% | very comfortable |
| Worcester, MA | $2,122/mo | 15.9% | very comfortable |
| Dracut, MA | $2,230/mo | 16.7% | very comfortable |
| North Attleboro, MA | $2,241/mo | 16.8% | very comfortable |
| Lowell, MA | $2,252/mo | 16.9% | very comfortable |
| Haverhill, MA | $2,258/mo | 16.9% | very comfortable |
| Plainville, MA | $2,273/mo | 17% | very comfortable |
| Brockton, MA | $2,289/mo | 17.1% | very comfortable |
| Milford, MA | $2,281/mo | 17.1% | very comfortable |
| Framingham, MA | $2,298/mo | 17.2% | very comfortable |
| Northampton, MA | $2,327/mo | 17.4% | very comfortable |
| Lynn, MA | $2,342/mo | 17.5% | very comfortable |
| Methuen, MA | $2,352/mo | 17.6% | very comfortable |
| Shrewsbury, MA | $2,350/mo | 17.6% | very comfortable |
| Attleboro, MA | $2,366/mo | 17.7% | very comfortable |
| Lawrence, MA | $2,372/mo | 17.8% | very comfortable |
| Acton, MA | $2,431/mo | 18.2% | very comfortable |
| Maynard, MA | $2,453/mo | 18.4% | very comfortable |
| Millbury, MA | $2,459/mo | 18.4% | very comfortable |
| Amesbury, MA | $2,500/mo | 18.7% | very comfortable |
| Marshfield, MA | $2,506/mo | 18.8% | very comfortable |
| Stoughton, MA | $2,516/mo | 18.8% | very comfortable |
| Bellingham, MA | $2,519/mo | 18.9% | very comfortable |
| Westborough, MA | $2,526/mo | 18.9% | very comfortable |
| Franklin, MA | $2,534/mo | 19% | very comfortable |
| Weymouth, MA | $2,553/mo | 19.1% | very comfortable |
| Littleton, MA | $2,549/mo | 19.1% | very comfortable |
| Hudson, MA | $2,558/mo | 19.2% | very comfortable |
| Randolph, MA | $2,582/mo | 19.3% | very comfortable |
| Norwood, MA | $2,579/mo | 19.3% | very comfortable |
| Chelsea, MA | $2,632/mo | 19.7% | very comfortable |
| Mansfield, MA | $2,630/mo | 19.7% | very comfortable |
| Bridgewater, MA | $2,650/mo | 19.8% | very comfortable |
| Foxborough, MA | $2,655/mo | 19.9% | very comfortable |
| Marlborough, MA | $2,666/mo | 20% | very comfortable |
| Salem, MA | $2,683/mo | 20.1% | affordable |
| Gloucester, MA | $2,678/mo | 20.1% | affordable |
| Chelmsford, MA | $2,677/mo | 20.1% | affordable |
| Quincy, MA | $2,712/mo | 20.3% | affordable |
| Winthrop, MA | $2,725/mo | 20.4% | affordable |
| Kingston, MA | $2,737/mo | 20.5% | affordable |
| Beverly, MA | $2,745/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Rockport, MA | $2,747/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Billerica, MA | $2,751/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Revere, MA | $2,764/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Andover, MA | $2,769/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Ipswich, MA | $2,764/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Norton, MA | $2,765/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Walpole, MA | $2,772/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Everett, MA | $2,803/mo | 21% | affordable |
| Plymouth, MA | $2,801/mo | 21% | affordable |
| Ashland, MA | $2,820/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| North Andover, MA | $2,816/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Peabody, MA | $2,836/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Danvers, MA | $2,825/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Wakefield, MA | $2,827/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Lunenburg, MA | $2,834/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Woburn, MA | $2,844/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Hopkinton, MA | $2,842/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Tewksbury, MA | $2,864/mo | 21.5% | affordable |
| Reading, MA | $2,888/mo | 21.6% | affordable |
| Hanover, MA | $2,888/mo | 21.6% | affordable |
| Barnstable, MA | $2,894/mo | 21.7% | affordable |
| Dedham, MA | $2,913/mo | 21.8% | affordable |
| Malden, MA | $2,929/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Waltham, MA | $2,930/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Arlington, MA | $2,925/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Braintree, MA | $2,920/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Natick, MA | $2,944/mo | 22.1% | affordable |
| Marblehead, MA | $2,967/mo | 22.2% | affordable |
| Lynnfield, MA | $2,961/mo | 22.2% | affordable |
| Amherst, MA | $2,999/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| Canton, MA | $3,008/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| Melrose, MA | $3,031/mo | 22.7% | affordable |
| Newburyport, MA | $3,028/mo | 22.7% | affordable |
| Saugus, MA | $3,057/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Belmont, MA | $3,051/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Stoneham, MA | $3,055/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Westford, MA | $3,055/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Watertown, MA | $3,101/mo | 23.2% | affordable |
| Sharon, MA | $3,100/mo | 23.2% | affordable |
| Concord, MA | $3,122/mo | 23.4% | affordable |
| Burlington, MA | $3,153/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Bedford, MA | $3,154/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Wilmington, MA | $3,162/mo | 23.7% | affordable |
| Winchester, MA | $3,191/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Boston, MA | $3,271/mo | 24.5% | affordable |
| Westwood, MA | $3,318/mo | 24.9% | affordable |
| Newton, MA | $3,358/mo | 25.2% | affordable |
| Somerville, MA | $3,428/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Cambridge, MA | $3,438/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Brookline, MA | $3,488/mo | 26.1% | affordable |
| Lexington, MA | $3,522/mo | 26.4% | affordable |
| Swampscott, MA | $3,536/mo | 26.5% | affordable |
| Medford, MA | $3,626/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Needham, MA | $3,702/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Hingham, MA | $3,852/mo | 28.9% | affordable |
| Wellesley, MA | $4,030/mo | 30.2% | stretched |