Data / Rankings / Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) / Cities in Massachusetts

Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)

Amherst Town, MA had the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) of 54 cities in 2021, at 65.2%. Somerville, MA had the lowest, at 37.2%. The median was 50.7% and the figure for Massachusetts was 49.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest65.2Amherst Town, MA
Lowest37.2Somerville, MA
Median50.754 cities
Massachusetts49.3History

All cities, 2021

Amherst Town, MA: 65.2 %Amherst Town, MA65.2Barnstable Town, MA: 59.1 %Barnstable Town, MA59.1Springfield, MA: 58.7 %Springfield, MA58.7Northampton, MA: 58.3 %Northampton, MA58.3Randolph Town, MA: 57.9 %Randolph Town, MA57.9Lynn, MA: 57.8 %Lynn, MA57.8Lawrence, MA: 57.7 %Lawrence, MA57.7Peabody, MA: 57.2 %Peabody, MA57.2Chelsea, MA: 57 %Chelsea, MA57Pittsfield, MA: 56.8 %Pittsfield, MA56.8Taunton, MA: 56.4 %Taunton, MA56.4Revere, MA: 55.9 %Revere, MA55.9Haverhill, MA: 55.8 %Haverhill, MA55.8Winthrop Town, MA: 55.6 %Winthrop Town, MA55.6Attleboro, MA: 54.7 %Attleboro, MA54.7Everett, MA: 54.2 %Everett, MA54.2Salem, MA: 54.1 %Salem, MA54.1Beverly, MA: 54 %Beverly, MA54West Springfield Town, MA: 53.2 %West Springfield Town, MA53.2Southbridge Town, MA: 53 %Southbridge Town, MA53Worcester, MA: 52.9 %Worcester, MA52.9Brockton, MA: 52.8 %Brockton, MA52.8Woburn, MA: 52.7 %Woburn, MA52.7Malden, MA: 52.4 %Malden, MA52.4Greenfield, MA: 52 %Greenfield, MA52Holyoke, MA: 51.8 %Holyoke, MA51.8Fitchburg, MA: 50.8 %Fitchburg, MA50.8Marlborough, MA: 50.6 %Marlborough, MA50.6Gloucester, MA: 50.5 %Gloucester, MA50.5Lowell, MA: 50.1 %Lowell, MA50.1Bridgewater Town, MA: 49.7 %Bridgewater Town, MA49.7Boston, MA: 49.2 %Boston, MA49.2Weymouth Town, MA: 49.1 %Weymouth Town, MA49.1Framingham, MA: 49 %Framingham, MA49Fall River, MA: 47.6 %Fall River, MA47.6North Adams, MA: 47.4 %North Adams, MA47.4Franklin Town, MA: 47 %Franklin Town, MA47Chicopee, MA: 47 %Chicopee, MA47New Bedford, MA: 46.2 %New Bedford, MA46.2Newburyport, MA: 46.1 %Newburyport, MA46.1Gardner, MA: 45.8 %Gardner, MA45.8Quincy, MA: 45.5 %Quincy, MA45.5Agawam Town, MA: 43.6 %Agawam Town, MA43.6Cambridge, MA: 43.5 %Cambridge, MA43.5North Attleborough Town, MA: 43 %North Attleborough Town, MA43Palmer Town, MA: 42.8 %Palmer Town, MA42.8Melrose, MA: 42.3 %Melrose, MA42.3Leominster, MA: 41.6 %Leominster, MA41.6Westfield, MA: 41.3 %Westfield, MA41.3Waltham, MA: 41 %Waltham, MA41Braintree Town, MA: 40.5 %Braintree Town, MA40.5Newton, MA: 39.7 %Newton, MA39.7Medford, MA: 37.8 %Medford, MA37.8Somerville, MA: 37.2 %Somerville, MA37.2Amherst Town, MA: 65.2 %Amherst Town, MA65.2Barnstable Town, MA: 59.1 %Barnstable Town, MA59.1Springfield, MA: 58.7 %Springfield, MA58.7Northampton, MA: 58.3 %Northampton, MA58.3Randolph Town, MA: 57.9 %Randolph Town, MA57.9Lynn, MA: 57.8 %Lynn, MA57.8Lawrence, MA: 57.7 %Lawrence, MA57.7Peabody, MA: 57.2 %Peabody, MA57.2Chelsea, MA: 57 %Chelsea, MA57Pittsfield, MA: 56.8 %Pittsfield, MA56.8Taunton, MA: 56.4 %Taunton, MA56.4Revere, MA: 55.9 %Revere, MA55.9Haverhill, MA: 55.8 %Haverhill, MA55.8Winthrop Town, MA: 55.6 %Winthrop Town, MA55.6Attleboro, MA: 54.7 %Attleboro, MA54.7Everett, MA: 54.2 %Everett, MA54.2Salem, MA: 54.1 %Salem, MA54.1Beverly, MA: 54 %Beverly, MA54West Springfield Town, MA: 53.2 %West Springfield Town, MA53.2Southbridge Town, MA: 53 %Southbridge Town, MA53Worcester, MA: 52.9 %Worcester, MA52.9Brockton, MA: 52.8 %Brockton, MA52.8Woburn, MA: 52.7 %Woburn, MA52.7Malden, MA: 52.4 %Malden, MA52.4Greenfield, MA: 52 %Greenfield, MA52Holyoke, MA: 51.8 %Holyoke, MA51.8Fitchburg, MA: 50.8 %Fitchburg, MA50.8Marlborough, MA: 50.6 %Marlborough, MA50.6Gloucester, MA: 50.5 %Gloucester, MA50.5Lowell, MA: 50.1 %Lowell, MA50.1Bridgewater Town, MA: 49.7 %Bridgewater Town, MA49.7Boston, MA: 49.2 %Boston, MA49.2Weymouth Town, MA: 49.1 %Weymouth Town, MA49.1Framingham, MA: 49 %Framingham, MA49Fall River, MA: 47.6 %Fall River, MA47.6North Adams, MA: 47.4 %North Adams, MA47.4Franklin Town, MA: 47 %Franklin Town, MA47Chicopee, MA: 47 %Chicopee, MA47New Bedford, MA: 46.2 %New Bedford, MA46.2Newburyport, MA: 46.1 %Newburyport, MA46.1Gardner, MA: 45.8 %Gardner, MA45.8Quincy, MA: 45.5 %Quincy, MA45.5Agawam Town, MA: 43.6 %Agawam Town, MA43.6Cambridge, MA: 43.5 %Cambridge, MA43.5North Attleborough Town, MA: 43 %North Attleborough Town, MA43Palmer Town, MA: 42.8 %Palmer Town, MA42.8Melrose, MA: 42.3 %Melrose, MA42.3Leominster, MA: 41.6 %Leominster, MA41.6Westfield, MA: 41.3 %Westfield, MA41.3Waltham, MA: 41 %Waltham, MA41Braintree Town, MA: 40.5 %Braintree Town, MA40.5Newton, MA: 39.7 %Newton, MA39.7Medford, MA: 37.8 %Medford, MA37.8Somerville, MA: 37.2 %Somerville, MA37.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Amherst Town, MA65.2
2Barnstable Town, MA59.1
3Springfield, MA58.7
4Northampton, MA58.3
5Randolph Town, MA57.9
6Lynn, MA57.8
7Lawrence, MA57.7
8Peabody, MA57.2
9Chelsea, MA57
10Pittsfield, MA56.8
11Taunton, MA56.4
12Revere, MA55.9
13Haverhill, MA55.8
14Winthrop Town, MA55.6
15Attleboro, MA54.7
16Everett, MA54.2
17Salem, MA54.1
18Beverly, MA54
19West Springfield Town, MA53.2
20Southbridge Town, MA53
21Worcester, MA52.9
22Brockton, MA52.8
23Woburn, MA52.7
24Malden, MA52.4
25Greenfield, MA52
26Holyoke, MA51.8
27Fitchburg, MA50.8
28Marlborough, MA50.6
29Gloucester, MA50.5
30Lowell, MA50.1
31Bridgewater Town, MA49.7
32Boston, MA49.2
33Weymouth Town, MA49.1
34Framingham, MA49
35Fall River, MA47.6
36North Adams, MA47.4
37Franklin Town, MA47
38Chicopee, MA47
39New Bedford, MA46.2
40Newburyport, MA46.1
41Gardner, MA45.8
42Quincy, MA45.5
43Agawam Town, MA43.6
44Cambridge, MA43.5
45North Attleborough Town, MA43
46Palmer Town, MA42.8
47Melrose, MA42.3
48Leominster, MA41.6
49Westfield, MA41.3
50Waltham, MA41
51Braintree Town, MA40.5
52Newton, MA39.7
53Medford, MA37.8
54Somerville, MA37.2

Other periods

About this ranking

Renter households whose gross rent (contract rent plus utilities and fuels the renter pays) was 30 percent or more of household income in the past 12 months, as a percentage of renter households for which that ratio can be computed. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Renters who pay no cash rent and households with no or negative income are left out of both the count and the base. 30 percent is the usual US threshold for rent burden. The EU housing cost overburden rate (housing_cost_overburden_rate) uses 40 percent of disposable income, all housing costs and people instead of households, so the two cannot be compared.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. 4 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2021 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_massachusetts_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Amherst Town, MA, with 65.2% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Somerville, MA, with 37.2% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 4 cities have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.

Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income): other rankings

Cities in Massachusetts: more rankings