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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware, MA | $1,388/mo | 10.4% | very comfortable |
| Pittsfield, MA | $1,546/mo | 11.6% | very comfortable |
| Gardner, MA | $1,603/mo | 12% | very comfortable |
| Chicopee, MA | $1,635/mo | 12.2% | very comfortable |
| Springfield, MA | $1,786/mo | 13.4% | very comfortable |
| Rockport, MA | $1,795/mo | 13.4% | very comfortable |
| Fitchburg, MA | $1,799/mo | 13.5% | very comfortable |
| Holyoke, MA | $1,799/mo | 13.5% | very comfortable |
| Fairhaven, MA | $1,800/mo | 13.5% | very comfortable |
| Fall River, MA | $1,811/mo | 13.6% | very comfortable |
| Westfield, MA | $1,873/mo | 14% | very comfortable |
| Webster, MA | $1,878/mo | 14.1% | very comfortable |
| Spencer, MA | $1,898/mo | 14.2% | very comfortable |
| New Bedford, MA | $1,916/mo | 14.4% | very comfortable |
| Leominster, MA | $1,920/mo | 14.4% | very comfortable |
| Boxboro, MA | $1,938/mo | 14.5% | very comfortable |
| Plainville, MA | $2,094/mo | 15.7% | very comfortable |
| Taunton, MA | $2,124/mo | 15.9% | very comfortable |
| Clinton, MA | $2,137/mo | 16% | very comfortable |
| Worcester, MA | $2,164/mo | 16.2% | very comfortable |
| Attleboro, MA | $2,225/mo | 16.7% | very comfortable |
| Lynn, MA | $2,300/mo | 17.2% | very comfortable |
| Lowell, MA | $2,316/mo | 17.3% | very comfortable |
| Dracut, MA | $2,328/mo | 17.4% | very comfortable |
| North Attleboro, MA | $2,343/mo | 17.5% | very comfortable |
| Lawrence, MA | $2,347/mo | 17.6% | very comfortable |
| Haverhill, MA | $2,345/mo | 17.6% | very comfortable |
| Amherst, MA | $2,344/mo | 17.6% | very comfortable |
| Framingham, MA | $2,360/mo | 17.7% | very comfortable |
| Brockton, MA | $2,406/mo | 18% | very comfortable |
| Ipswich, MA | $2,400/mo | 18% | very comfortable |
| Shrewsbury, MA | $2,399/mo | 18% | very comfortable |
| Millbury, MA | $2,410/mo | 18.1% | very comfortable |
| Acton, MA | $2,424/mo | 18.2% | very comfortable |
| Milford, MA | $2,452/mo | 18.4% | very comfortable |
| Amesbury, MA | $2,453/mo | 18.4% | very comfortable |
| Hudson, MA | $2,469/mo | 18.5% | very comfortable |
| Northampton, MA | $2,477/mo | 18.6% | very comfortable |
| Weymouth, MA | $2,501/mo | 18.7% | very comfortable |
| Stoughton, MA | $2,490/mo | 18.7% | very comfortable |
| Methuen, MA | $2,507/mo | 18.8% | very comfortable |
| Winthrop, MA | $2,563/mo | 19.2% | very comfortable |
| Gloucester, MA | $2,574/mo | 19.3% | very comfortable |
| Bellingham, MA | $2,584/mo | 19.4% | very comfortable |
| Norwood, MA | $2,601/mo | 19.5% | very comfortable |
| Mansfield, MA | $2,602/mo | 19.5% | very comfortable |
| Chelsea, MA | $2,628/mo | 19.7% | very comfortable |
| Randolph, MA | $2,627/mo | 19.7% | very comfortable |
| Franklin, MA | $2,631/mo | 19.7% | very comfortable |
| Marlborough, MA | $2,668/mo | 20% | very comfortable |
| Westborough, MA | $2,674/mo | 20% | affordable |
| Chelmsford, MA | $2,680/mo | 20.1% | affordable |
| Salem, MA | $2,742/mo | 20.5% | affordable |
| Billerica, MA | $2,741/mo | 20.5% | affordable |
| Quincy, MA | $2,750/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Swampscott, MA | $2,764/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Natick, MA | $2,765/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Beverly, MA | $2,773/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Woburn, MA | $2,780/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Ashland, MA | $2,777/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Tewksbury, MA | $2,781/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Andover, MA | $2,793/mo | 20.9% | affordable |
| Plymouth, MA | $2,788/mo | 20.9% | affordable |
| Malden, MA | $2,803/mo | 21% | affordable |
| Peabody, MA | $2,812/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Everett, MA | $2,815/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Kingston, MA | $2,820/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Littleton, MA | $2,819/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Revere, MA | $2,826/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Wakefield, MA | $2,824/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Maynard, MA | $2,833/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Lunenburg, MA | $2,834/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Danvers, MA | $2,849/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| North Andover, MA | $2,846/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Bedford, MA | $2,863/mo | 21.4% | affordable |
| Foxborough, MA | $2,873/mo | 21.5% | affordable |
| Newburyport, MA | $2,886/mo | 21.6% | affordable |
| Marblehead, MA | $2,900/mo | 21.7% | affordable |
| Norton, MA | $2,894/mo | 21.7% | affordable |
| Walpole, MA | $2,912/mo | 21.8% | affordable |
| Canton, MA | $2,909/mo | 21.8% | affordable |
| Barnstable, MA | $2,932/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Marshfield, MA | $2,956/mo | 22.1% | affordable |
| Bridgewater, MA | $2,978/mo | 22.3% | affordable |
| Braintree, MA | $2,987/mo | 22.4% | affordable |
| Saugus, MA | $2,996/mo | 22.4% | affordable |
| Sharon, MA | $3,016/mo | 22.6% | affordable |
| Melrose, MA | $3,026/mo | 22.7% | affordable |
| Waltham, MA | $3,042/mo | 22.8% | affordable |
| Arlington, MA | $3,043/mo | 22.8% | affordable |
| Hanover, MA | $3,042/mo | 22.8% | affordable |
| Westford, MA | $3,063/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Stoneham, MA | $3,086/mo | 23.1% | affordable |
| Hopkinton, MA | $3,102/mo | 23.2% | affordable |
| Watertown, MA | $3,124/mo | 23.4% | affordable |
| Westwood, MA | $3,130/mo | 23.4% | affordable |
| Needham, MA | $3,155/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Reading, MA | $3,162/mo | 23.7% | affordable |
| Lynnfield, MA | $3,181/mo | 23.8% | affordable |
| Wilmington, MA | $3,218/mo | 24.1% | affordable |
| Dedham, MA | $3,226/mo | 24.2% | affordable |
| Belmont, MA | $3,249/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Burlington, MA | $3,328/mo | 24.9% | affordable |
| Medford, MA | $3,419/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Boston, MA | $3,469/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Brookline, MA | $3,523/mo | 26.4% | affordable |
| Concord, MA | $3,570/mo | 26.7% | affordable |
| Cambridge, MA | $3,598/mo | 26.9% | affordable |
| Somerville, MA | $3,589/mo | 26.9% | affordable |
| Hingham, MA | $3,640/mo | 27.3% | affordable |
| Newton, MA | $3,685/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Winchester, MA | $3,776/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Wellesley, MA | $3,868/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Lexington, MA | $4,274/mo | 32% | stretched |