Cost of living in Newton 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 Newton 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 Newton is 192, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Newton is 1.9x higher than the national average.
Newton ranks as the #111 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.
Newton ranks as the #6,284 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Newton is $992,800.
The median income in Newton is $164,607.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Newton has an overall cost of living index of 192, which is 1.9x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Newton has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Massachusetts's index of 143.
The standard of living in Newton ranks as #111 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Newton ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Newton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Newton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Newton is 128.
The Groceries index in Newton is 114.
The Health index in Newton is 120.
The Housing index in Newton is 355.
The Transportation index in Newton is 108.
The Utilities index in Newton is 123.
Living Expense | Newton | Massachusetts | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 192 | 143 | 100 | |
Services | 128 | 126 | 100 | |
Groceries | 114 | 108 | 100 | |
Health | 120 | 117 | 100 | |
Housing | 355 | 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 Newton is $992,800.
The Median Rent in Newton is $2,066.
The Median Income in Newton is $164,607.
The Home Value To Income in Newton is 6.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Newton is 0.15x.
Statistic | Newton | Massachusetts | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $992,800 | $424,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,066 | $1,429 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $164,607 | $89,026 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 6.0x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Newton | 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 | Newton | 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 | Newton | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $102.75 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $194.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $108.27 | $99.13 |
Item | Newton | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $64.47 | $50.07 |
Item | Newton | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $233.87 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.11 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Newton. 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, 0.9x Newton.
Waltham, MA has a cost of living index of 150, 0.8x Newton.
Brookline, MA has a cost of living index of 191, 1.0x Newton.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Newton |
---|---|---|---|
Cambridge, MA | 116,892 | 172 | 0.9x |
Waltham, MA | 64,655 | 150 | 0.8x |
Brookline, MA | 62,620 | 191 | 1.0x |
Arlington, MA | 46,045 | 162 | 0.8x |
Lexington, MA | 34,235 | 190 | 1.0x |
Needham, MA | 31,808 | 180 | 0.9x |
Wellesley, MA | 29,365 | 216 | 1.1x |
Belmont, MA | 27,056 | 181 | 0.9x |
Reading, MA | 25,483 | 152 | 0.8x |
Dedham, MA | 25,308 | 141 | 0.7x |