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 2023, at 65.9%. Somerville, MA had the lowest, at 37.7%. The median was 53.2% and the figure for Massachusetts was 51%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest65.9Amherst Town, MA
Lowest37.7Somerville, MA
Median53.254 cities
Massachusetts51History

All cities, 2023

Amherst Town, MA: 65.9 %Amherst Town, MA65.9Randolph Town, MA: 64.1 %Randolph Town, MA64.1Barnstable Town, MA: 60.5 %Barnstable Town, MA60.5North Adams, MA: 60.4 %North Adams, MA60.4Revere, MA: 60.2 %Revere, MA60.2Lawrence, MA: 59.2 %Lawrence, MA59.2Peabody, MA: 59.1 %Peabody, MA59.1Lynn, MA: 58.7 %Lynn, MA58.7Greenfield, MA: 58.5 %Greenfield, MA58.5West Springfield Town, MA: 58.4 %West Springfield Town, MA58.4Springfield, MA: 58.1 %Springfield, MA58.1Haverhill, MA: 56.9 %Haverhill, MA56.9Everett, MA: 56.8 %Everett, MA56.8Woburn, MA: 56.4 %Woburn, MA56.4Chelsea, MA: 55.9 %Chelsea, MA55.9Brockton, MA: 55.4 %Brockton, MA55.4Southbridge Town, MA: 55 %Southbridge Town, MA55Beverly, MA: 54.9 %Beverly, MA54.9Marlborough, MA: 54.5 %Marlborough, MA54.5Framingham, MA: 54.3 %Framingham, MA54.3Gloucester, MA: 54.3 %Gloucester, MA54.3Northampton, MA: 54.2 %Northampton, MA54.2Worcester, MA: 54.2 %Worcester, MA54.2Taunton, MA: 54.1 %Taunton, MA54.1Weymouth Town, MA: 53.8 %Weymouth Town, MA53.8Salem, MA: 53.5 %Salem, MA53.5Pittsfield, MA: 53.4 %Pittsfield, MA53.4Winthrop Town, MA: 53 %Winthrop Town, MA53Lowell, MA: 51.9 %Lowell, MA51.9Fall River, MA: 51.7 %Fall River, MA51.7Malden, MA: 50.7 %Malden, MA50.7Chicopee, MA: 50.6 %Chicopee, MA50.6New Bedford, MA: 50.6 %New Bedford, MA50.6Leominster, MA: 50.3 %Leominster, MA50.3Boston, MA: 50.2 %Boston, MA50.2Bridgewater Town, MA: 49.8 %Bridgewater Town, MA49.8Attleboro, MA: 49.6 %Attleboro, MA49.6Holyoke, MA: 49.6 %Holyoke, MA49.6Fitchburg, MA: 49.5 %Fitchburg, MA49.5Franklin Town, MA: 48.7 %Franklin Town, MA48.7Gardner, MA: 48.7 %Gardner, MA48.7Braintree Town, MA: 48.1 %Braintree Town, MA48.1Melrose, MA: 47.7 %Melrose, MA47.7Westfield, MA: 47.6 %Westfield, MA47.6Quincy, MA: 47.1 %Quincy, MA47.1Palmer Town, MA: 46.5 %Palmer Town, MA46.5Cambridge, MA: 44.6 %Cambridge, MA44.6Waltham, MA: 43.8 %Waltham, MA43.8Medford, MA: 42.4 %Medford, MA42.4North Attleborough Town, MA: 42.3 %North Attleborough Town, MA42.3Newton, MA: 41.8 %Newton, MA41.8Newburyport, MA: 40.3 %Newburyport, MA40.3Agawam Town, MA: 39.3 %Agawam Town, MA39.3Somerville, MA: 37.7 %Somerville, MA37.7Amherst Town, MA: 65.9 %Amherst Town, MA65.9Randolph Town, MA: 64.1 %Randolph Town, MA64.1Barnstable Town, MA: 60.5 %Barnstable Town, MA60.5North Adams, MA: 60.4 %North Adams, MA60.4Revere, MA: 60.2 %Revere, MA60.2Lawrence, MA: 59.2 %Lawrence, MA59.2Peabody, MA: 59.1 %Peabody, MA59.1Lynn, MA: 58.7 %Lynn, MA58.7Greenfield, MA: 58.5 %Greenfield, MA58.5West Springfield Town, MA: 58.4 %West Springfield Town, MA58.4Springfield, MA: 58.1 %Springfield, MA58.1Haverhill, MA: 56.9 %Haverhill, MA56.9Everett, MA: 56.8 %Everett, MA56.8Woburn, MA: 56.4 %Woburn, MA56.4Chelsea, MA: 55.9 %Chelsea, MA55.9Brockton, MA: 55.4 %Brockton, MA55.4Southbridge Town, MA: 55 %Southbridge Town, MA55Beverly, MA: 54.9 %Beverly, MA54.9Marlborough, MA: 54.5 %Marlborough, MA54.5Framingham, MA: 54.3 %Framingham, MA54.3Gloucester, MA: 54.3 %Gloucester, MA54.3Northampton, MA: 54.2 %Northampton, MA54.2Worcester, MA: 54.2 %Worcester, MA54.2Taunton, MA: 54.1 %Taunton, MA54.1Weymouth Town, MA: 53.8 %Weymouth Town, MA53.8Salem, MA: 53.5 %Salem, MA53.5Pittsfield, MA: 53.4 %Pittsfield, MA53.4Winthrop Town, MA: 53 %Winthrop Town, MA53Lowell, MA: 51.9 %Lowell, MA51.9Fall River, MA: 51.7 %Fall River, MA51.7Malden, MA: 50.7 %Malden, MA50.7Chicopee, MA: 50.6 %Chicopee, MA50.6New Bedford, MA: 50.6 %New Bedford, MA50.6Leominster, MA: 50.3 %Leominster, MA50.3Boston, MA: 50.2 %Boston, MA50.2Bridgewater Town, MA: 49.8 %Bridgewater Town, MA49.8Attleboro, MA: 49.6 %Attleboro, MA49.6Holyoke, MA: 49.6 %Holyoke, MA49.6Fitchburg, MA: 49.5 %Fitchburg, MA49.5Franklin Town, MA: 48.7 %Franklin Town, MA48.7Gardner, MA: 48.7 %Gardner, MA48.7Braintree Town, MA: 48.1 %Braintree Town, MA48.1Melrose, MA: 47.7 %Melrose, MA47.7Westfield, MA: 47.6 %Westfield, MA47.6Quincy, MA: 47.1 %Quincy, MA47.1Palmer Town, MA: 46.5 %Palmer Town, MA46.5Cambridge, MA: 44.6 %Cambridge, MA44.6Waltham, MA: 43.8 %Waltham, MA43.8Medford, MA: 42.4 %Medford, MA42.4North Attleborough Town, MA: 42.3 %North Attleborough Town, MA42.3Newton, MA: 41.8 %Newton, MA41.8Newburyport, MA: 40.3 %Newburyport, MA40.3Agawam Town, MA: 39.3 %Agawam Town, MA39.3Somerville, MA: 37.7 %Somerville, MA37.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Amherst Town, MA65.9+1.1 pts
2Randolph Town, MA64.1+2.6 pts
3Barnstable Town, MA60.5+0.4 pts
4North Adams, MA60.4+6 pts
5Revere, MA60.2+3.4 pts
6Lawrence, MA59.2+1.7 pts
7Peabody, MA59.1+1.5 pts
8Lynn, MA58.7+1.1 pts
9Greenfield, MA58.5+2.3 pts
10West Springfield Town, MA58.4+0.3 pts
11Springfield, MA58.1+0.9 pts
12Haverhill, MA56.9-0.5 pts
13Everett, MA56.8+2.5 pts
14Woburn, MA56.4-0.4 pts
15Chelsea, MA55.9-0.5 pts
16Brockton, MA55.4+2.8 pts
17Southbridge Town, MA55-1.6 pts
18Beverly, MA54.9+1 pts
19Marlborough, MA54.5+1.3 pts
20Framingham, MA54.3+2.9 pts
21Gloucester, MA54.3-2.8 pts
22Northampton, MA54.2-1.3 pts
23Worcester, MA54.2+1.4 pts
24Taunton, MA54.1-1.1 pts
25Weymouth Town, MA53.8-0.8 pts
26Salem, MA53.5-1.6 pts
27Pittsfield, MA53.4+1.7 pts
28Winthrop Town, MA53-3.8 pts
29Lowell, MA51.9+1.7 pts
30Fall River, MA51.7+2.8 pts
31Malden, MA50.7-1.8 pts
32Chicopee, MA50.6+1.3 pts
32New Bedford, MA50.6+3.7 pts
34Leominster, MA50.3+2.9 pts
35Boston, MA50.2+0.2 pts
36Bridgewater Town, MA49.8-1.8 pts
37Attleboro, MA49.6+0.3 pts
38Holyoke, MA49.6+0.1 pts
39Fitchburg, MA49.5-0.7 pts
40Franklin Town, MA48.7-0.9 pts
41Gardner, MA48.7-0.2 pts
42Braintree Town, MA48.1+1.7 pts
43Melrose, MA47.7+0.8 pts
44Westfield, MA47.6+0.8 pts
45Quincy, MA47.1+1.2 pts
46Palmer Town, MA46.5-4.3 pts
47Cambridge, MA44.6+0.4 pts
48Waltham, MA43.8+1.8 pts
49Medford, MA42.4+2.4 pts
50North Attleborough Town, MA42.3-3.3 pts
51Newton, MA41.8+0.3 pts
52Newburyport, MA40.3-6.3 pts
53Agawam Town, MA39.3-5.2 pts
54Somerville, MA37.7+0.8 pts

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 2023 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b25070.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b25070.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b25070.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_massachusetts_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b25070.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b25070.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/massachusetts-cities?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Cities in Massachusetts by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"rent_burden_30_plus_share","level":"municipality","within":"Massachusetts","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=rent_burden_30_plus_share&level=municipality&within=Massachusetts&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Amherst Town, MA, with 65.9% in 2023, 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 37.7% in 2023.

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 2023 and are not ranked.

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

Cities in Massachusetts: more rankings