Boston vs Worcester
Boston, MA · Worcester, MA
Worcester is 28% cheaper than Boston overall.
Home Price
Boston: $680,000
Worcester: $380,000
Monthly Rent
Boston: $2,750/mo
Worcester: $1,650/mo
COL Index
Boston: 162
Worcester: 116
Median Income
Boston: $89,400
Worcester: $71,400
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Boston has the same purchasing power as $71,605 in Worcester — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Worcester cost 44% more (-$300,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Worcester saves you $1,100/month — $13,200 per year. Median rent: $2,750/mo in Boston vs $1,650/mo in Worcester.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Boston owners pay roughly $7,208/year in property taxes vs $4,028/year in Worcester. Rates are comparable.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $89,400 in Boston and $71,400 in Worcester. Worcester residents earn 20% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 32 minutes in Boston vs 27 minutes in Worcester. Over a year, that's 2500 extra minutes (42 hours) of commuting in Boston.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Boston to Worcester, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Boston | Equivalent in Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $35,802 | -$14,198 |
| $75,000 | $53,704 | -$21,296 |
| $100,000 | $71,605 | -$28,395 |
| $150,000 | $107,407 | -$42,593 |
| $200,000 | $143,210 | -$56,790 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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Boston vs Worcester: Common Questions
Is Boston or Worcester cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Worcester is cheaper overall. Boston has a COL index of 162 while Worcester scores 116 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Boston and Worcester?
The median home price in Boston is $680,000 vs $380,000 in Worcester — a difference of $300,000 (44%).
What salary do I need in Worcester to match my Boston income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Boston is equivalent to $71,605 in Worcester in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Worcester has a lower property tax rate (1.06% vs 1.06%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $4,028/year vs $7,208/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.