Cost of living in Medford research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Medford is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Medford is 147, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Medford is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Medford ranks as the #84 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.
Medford ranks as the #5,771 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Medford is $588,100.
The median income in Medford is $107,853.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Medford has an overall cost of living index of 147, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Medford has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Massachusetts's index of 143.
The standard of living in Medford ranks as #84 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Medford ranks as the #29 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Medford, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Medford. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Medford is 128.
The Groceries index in Medford is 113.
The Health index in Medford is 121.
The Housing index in Medford is 206.
The Transportation index in Medford is 110.
The Utilities index in Medford is 121.
Living Expense | Medford | Massachusetts | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 147 | 143 | 100 | |
Services | 128 | 126 | 100 | |
Groceries | 113 | 108 | 100 | |
Health | 121 | 117 | 100 | |
Housing | 206 | 202 | 100 | |
Transportation | 110 | 114 | 100 | |
Utilities | 121 | 123 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Medford is $588,100.
The Median Rent in Medford is $2,116.
The Median Income in Medford is $107,853.
The Home Value To Income in Medford is 5.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Medford is 0.24x.
Statistic | Medford | Massachusetts | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $588,100 | $424,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,116 | $1,429 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $107,853 | $89,026 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.5x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Medford | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
Movie | $14.43 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $21.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $34.97 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $64.17 | $39.05 |
Item | Medford | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.74 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.64 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.27 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $4.02 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.16 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.29 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.3 | $2.34 |
Item | Medford | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $102.75 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $194.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $108.27 | $99.13 |
Item | Medford | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $64.47 | $50.07 |
Item | Medford | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $233.87 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.11 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Medford. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Cambridge, MA has a cost of living index of 172, 1.2x Medford.
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 192, 1.3x Medford.
Somerville, MA has a cost of living index of 158, 1.1x Medford.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Medford |
---|---|---|---|
Cambridge, MA | 116,892 | 172 | 1.2x |
Newton, MA | 88,647 | 192 | 1.3x |
Somerville, MA | 80,608 | 158 | 1.1x |
Malden, MA | 65,602 | 137 | 0.9x |
Brookline, MA | 62,620 | 191 | 1.3x |
Everett, MA | 48,368 | 137 | 0.9x |
Arlington, MA | 46,045 | 162 | 1.1x |
Chelsea, MA | 40,025 | 127 | 0.9x |
Lexington, MA | 34,235 | 190 | 1.3x |
Needham, MA | 31,808 | 180 | 1.2x |