MA Cities Among The Least Affordable To Buy A Home, New Study Finds

MASSACHUSETTS — New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston. Those four cities could make up the short list for many things in American life but, in this instance, they make up the short list for a lack of affordable housing.

WalletHub recently published a study of the most and least affordable cities in the country. To identify the most affordable cities for home buyers, WalletHub compared 300 U.S. cities across 10 key metrics. The data set ranges from the costs of homes and their maintenance to tax rates and vacancy rates.

Boston's performance is likely obvious when considering the grouping above, as the city finished lower than all but four other big cities.

Worcester didn't fare all that well either, ranking 74th out of 99 mid-sized cities. Nearby Providence ranked 80th.

Massachusetts ranked toward the bottom of the small cities category as well, with all included falling toward the bottom of the 133-city list. They included:

• Brockton, 91
• Lowell, 93
• Quincy, 103
• New Bedford, 104
• Fall River, 107
• Lynn, 108
• Cambridge, 126

It's no secret that house prices in Massachusetts are consistently rising, with record highs being recorded at what seems like a now-monthly occurrence.

The Warren Group published its April home sales report, finding that the 2025 price topped the 2024 median price by $20,000, the same mark as March. So far this year, the average price of all homes sold is $25,000 more than the same period in 2024. April's median home sale price reached $630,000.

There were 10,348 single-family home sales in the first four months of 2025, a 2 percent increase from 2024. The median single-family home sale price increased 4.3 percent on the same basis to $600,000.

Home sales in Massachusetts are up compared to this time last year, with over 200 more homes off the market than the previous period. April didn't follow that trend, however, with slightly fewer homes selling across the Commonwealth.

Though home price is key when purchasing, it isn't the only thing to consider.

“When deciding where to buy a home, home prices alone aren’t a good enough indicator of how affordable things will be. You also have to consider how the average price compares to a typical income in the area, plus things like the overall cost of living and the costs of maintenance and taxes," said WalleyHub analyst Chip Lupo.

Related: The Average MA Home Price Increased Again In April

Related: New Home Prices In MA's Biggest City Outpacing Prior Years