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Gas Cost Calculator for Cambridge, MA
Local data pre-filled
Gas prices in Cambridge, MA average roughly $6.23/gallon, adjusted for the local cost of living index of 178. Calculate your monthly and annual fuel costs based on your commute in Cambridge.
Data as of · Sources: Zillow, Census ACS, Tax Foundation, Freddie Mac
Massachusetts Financial Snapshot (2026) — Gas Cost Calculator
Cost-of-living index scales typical utility spend for the gas cost calculator in Massachusetts.
How the Gas Cost Calculator Math Works Under Massachusetts Law
The Gas Cost Calculator runs a well-known formula (principal × rate, discounted cash flow, amortization, or equivalent) client-side and layers on Massachusetts's tax and cost-of-living inputs. State-specific numbers — brackets, exemptions, and averages — come from public federal / state datasets cited in the sources section.
Local context: Cambridge, MA
Housing economics in Cambridge, MA. The median home value runs 158.4% above the U.S. baseline for Cambridge, MA is $925,000 per Zillow's home-value index. Median rent runs $3,100 a month per Zillow ZORI, a premium over the national $1,850 baseline. Effective property tax sits at 1.10% of assessed value, meaningfully higher than the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation.
Income and tax climate. Massachusetts's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 5.00% — compared to the volume-weighted national average around 4-5%. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Cambridge, MA at 178.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Cambridge, MA buys 56¢ of national purchasing power.
Local context as of 2026-04-19.
Cambridge versus the U.S. baseline
| Metric | Cambridge, MA | U.S. baseline | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value[zillow] | $925,000 | $358,000 | 158.4% |
| Median monthly rent[zillow] | $3,100 | $1,850 | 67.6% |
| Property tax (effective)[tax-foundation] | 1.10% | 0.99% | 11.1% |
| State top marginal income tax[tax-foundation] | 5.00% | ~4.08% (volume-weighted) | 0.9 pp |
| State cost-of-living index[bea-rpp] | 178.0 | 100.0 | 78.0 pts |
How to use the Gas Cost Calculator
Walk through using the Gas Cost Calculator with Cambridge, MA-specific defaults pre-loaded from primary sources.
- Enter your Cambridge numbersFill in the gas cost inputs. Defaults reflect Cambridge, MA 2026: median home $925,000, median rent $3,100/mo, 1.10% effective property tax.
- Apply the local 2026 inputsThe median home value in Cambridge is $925,000 (Zillow ZHVI), with median monthly rent running $3,100/mo.
- Compare against Cambridge contextMonthly PITI on the $925,000 median home in Cambridge is ~$5,867/mo — vs a $3,100/mo median rent.
How Massachusetts Compares to Neighboring States
| State | Median home | Top inc tax | Prop tax rate | RPP (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts (this page) | $620,000 | 9.00% | 1.14% | 107.7 |
| Connecticut | $395,000 | 6.99% | 1.96% | 104.2 |
| compare to New Hampshire | $475,000 | None | 1.93% | 105.4 |
| see New York | $470,000 | 10.90% | 1.72% | 107.8 |
| see Rhode Island | $440,000 | 5.99% | 1.53% | 102.1 |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI[1], state Departments of Revenue / Tax Foundation[2], Tax Foundation property taxes[3], BEA Regional Price Parities[4].
What Changes Your Result in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts cost-of-living drag:Line-item costs in Massachusetts deviate from the US mean by whatever the BEA all-items RPP deviates from 100. Weight your budget toward the state average rather than the national average.
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How Cambridge Compares to the National Average
Understanding how Cambridge stacks up helps you calibrate your financial planning.
| Metric | Cambridge, MA | US Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $925,000 | $420,800 | +119.8% |
| Median Monthly Rent | $3,100 | $1,713 | +81.0% |
| Median Household Income | $108,500 | $74,580 | +45.5% |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.10% | 1.10% | +0.0% |
| Cost of Living Index | 178 | 100 | +78.0% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, NAR (2024–2025). Green = favorable for residents; red = less favorable.
Cambridge Financial Snapshot
- Population (Metro)
- 118,000
- Unemployment
- 3.2%
- Avg Commute
- 26 min
- Median Age
- 31.2
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 24.9x
- Annual Property Tax
- $10,175
More Financial Calculators for Cambridge, MA
Gas Cost Calculator in Other Massachusetts Cities
Frequently Asked Questions — Cambridge
- Can median-income households afford the median home in Cambridge?
- With a ~$5,867 monthly PITI and $108,500 median income, housing would consume ~64.9% of gross annual income. Qualifying under the 28% DTI rule requires ~$251,443 in annual income. Educational reference only.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Cambridge?
- Cambridge's price-to-rent ratio (24.9x) tilts toward renting — above 20x, buying is generally expensive relative to renting.
- What is the annual property tax bill on the median home in Cambridge?
- Approximately $10,175/yr at the 1.10% effective rate on the $925,000 median home. The national average effective rate is 1.07%.
- What share of median income goes to rent in Cambridge?
- The $3,100/mo median rent represents 34.3% of the $108,500 median household income. The recommended housing cost threshold is 30%; Cambridge exceeds that guideline. Educational reference only.
- How much does commuting cost in Cambridge?
- Average commute time in Cambridge is 26 minutes per ACS. Estimated annual commute cost runs about $4,529. Educational reference only.
- How does the cost of living in Cambridge compare to the national average?
- Cambridge's BEA RPP index is 178, 78% above the national baseline of 100. For a household earning the national median income of $77,540, this translates to ~$60,481/yr in purchasing power difference. Educational reference only.
- What is the median home price in Cambridge, MA?
- The median home price in Cambridge is $925,000 as of 2025–2026.
- What is the average rent in Cambridge?
- The median monthly rent in Cambridge, MA is $3,100.
- Does the gas cost replace professional advice?
- No. This calculator gives educational estimates using public Cambridge data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for decisions with material consequences.
How we compute this — methodology
The Cambridge page uses local median home price ($925,000), median rent ($3,100/mo), and property tax rate (1.10%) alongside the calculator's client-side formula. Calculations run in your browser — no inputs are sent to a server.
Known limits: ZIP-level variance within Cambridge can be substantial — the figures shown are city-wide medians. For a precise property tax quote, consult your county assessor.
Sources
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index) + ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index), city-level. zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for median household income and population. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.
- CalcFi state financial context — tips + first-time homebuyer programs compiled from each state's Housing Finance Authority (HFA) public pages. See
src/data/state-financial-context.ts. - Tax Foundation — state property tax effective rates and state/local sales tax rates. taxfoundation.org.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rate averages used by mortgage-related calculators. freddiemac.com/pmms.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — residential electricity / natural gas / gasoline — www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rates — www.freddiemac.com/pmms. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owners, and Homeowners Tenants Insurance Report — content.naic.org/article/homeowners-insurance-report. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
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