Cost of living in Melrose 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 Melrose 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 Melrose is 145, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Melrose is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Melrose ranks as the #80 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.
Melrose ranks as the #5,721 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Melrose is $638,800.
The median income in Melrose is $125,229.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Melrose has an overall cost of living index of 145, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Melrose has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Massachusetts's index of 143.
The standard of living in Melrose ranks as #80 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Melrose ranks as the #33 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Melrose, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Melrose. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Melrose is 128.
The Groceries index in Melrose is 114.
The Health index in Melrose is 122.
The Housing index in Melrose is 204.
The Transportation index in Melrose is 108.
The Utilities index in Melrose is 123.
Living Expense | Melrose | Massachusetts | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 145 | 143 | 100 | |
Services | 128 | 126 | 100 | |
Groceries | 114 | 108 | 100 | |
Health | 122 | 117 | 100 | |
Housing | 204 | 202 | 100 | |
Transportation | 108 | 114 | 100 | |
Utilities | 123 | 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 Melrose is $638,800.
The Median Rent in Melrose is $1,796.
The Median Income in Melrose is $125,229.
The Home Value To Income in Melrose is 5.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Melrose is 0.17x.
Statistic | Melrose | Massachusetts | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $638,800 | $424,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,796 | $1,429 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $125,229 | $89,026 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.1x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Melrose | 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 | Melrose | 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 | Melrose | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $102.75 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $194.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $108.27 | $99.13 |
Item | Melrose | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $64.47 | $50.07 |
Item | Melrose | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $233.87 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.11 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Melrose. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 192, 1.3x Melrose.
Somerville, MA has a cost of living index of 158, 1.1x Melrose.
Malden, MA has a cost of living index of 137, 0.9x Melrose.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Melrose |
---|---|---|---|
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 |
Revere, MA | 60,720 | 134 | 0.9x |
Medford, MA | 60,708 | 147 | 1.0x |
Everett, MA | 48,368 | 137 | 0.9x |
Chelsea, MA | 40,025 | 127 | 0.9x |
Lexington, MA | 34,235 | 190 | 1.3x |
Needham, MA | 31,808 | 180 | 1.2x |