Massachusetts · Affordability
Home Price-to-Income Ratio in Massachusetts
Median home value divided by median household income; a higher ratio means homes cost more relative to what residents earn.
5.8× in 2024
#45 of 50 · Bottom tier (lower is better)
Massachusetts is worse than the 50-state median (4.2×). That's a gap of 1.6×.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
2005 – 2024 · Massachusetts only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About home price-to-income ratio
What this measures: Median home value divided by median household income.
Why it matters: A higher ratio means it takes more years of typical income to buy a typical home, predicting both first-time buyer barriers and wealth inequality.
Watch out: This does not capture mortgage rates, property taxes, or other financing costs that shift the actual monthly payment.
Recent trend
| Year | Massachusetts | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4.9× | 3.4× |
| 2015 | 5.0× | 3.4× |
| 2016 | 4.9× | 3.5× |
| 2017 | 5.0× | 3.5× |
| 2018 | 5.0× | 3.5× |
| 2019 | 4.9× | 3.4× |
| 2021 | 5.4× | 3.8× |
| 2022 | 5.7× | 4.1× |
| 2023 | 5.7× | 4.1× |
| 2024 | 5.8× | 4.2× |
Massachusetts vs. neighboring states
Same metric (home price-to-income ratio), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Home Price-to-Income Ratio | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 4.6× | #34 of 50 |
| Vermont | 4.3× | #28 of 50 |
| New York | 5.2× | #39 of 50 |
| Connecticut | 4.1× | #23 of 50 |
| Rhode Island | 5.5× | #40 of 50 |
How Massachusetts compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | West Virginia | 2.8× |
| #2 | Iowa | 3.0× |
| #3 | Mississippi | 3.1× |
| #4 | Kansas | 3.2× |
| #5 | Ohio | 3.3× |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Oregon | 5.8× |
| #47 | Colorado | 5.9× |
| #48 | Washington | 6.1× |
| #49 | California | 7.6× |
| #50 | Hawaiʻi | 8.7× |
Source and methodology
Source: Census ACS · Direction: lower is better · Unit: ×
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)