Most affordable counties in Massachusetts
We ranked 6 Massachusetts counties that have at least 20 occupations published on this site. The ranking measures how many of those occupations pay enough, at the local median wage, to cover a one-bedroom rental, food, home energy and gasoline after federal, Social Security, Medicare and state taxes. Bristol County, MA leads: 100% of its 20 occupations clear that bar, with a HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,530 a month.
Ties are broken by the lower one-bedroom rent, then by population. Where the Census Bureau publishes it, the table also shows median household income (American Community Survey 2020-2024) and what a year of one-bedroom rent equals as a share of it. Open a county to see every occupation and its take-home pay.