Affordable towns (Boston, Worcester, Springfield: real estate, how much, house)

[jgarrett0218]

My husband and I have always been fascinated with Massachusetts and are curious about what towns are the most affordable.. we could probably not afford anything on the cape, but we are looking for something into Massachusetts. Any help would be appreciated!

[Micah Girl]

Affordable is a relative term--what's affordable to you? What would you be looking for as far as amenities, town size, etc?

Affordable in Massachusetts is WAY different that affordable in most of the country. And it varies drastically as you get closer and closer to Boston...

[skytrekker]

I agree with Micah Girl

the term 'affordable' has a different meaning in most Of New England compared with states in the interior.

Housing costs will be higher in eastern Massachusetts from the New Hampshire border, to Boston, the north and south shore and Cape Cod, they will decrease in prices more once you go west of I 495. Median home price around Boston is around 390K
Around Worcester to the west around 285K and around Springfield 215K.

Western Mass around Springfield is much less then the Boston area.

[NY'er lost in MA]

JGarrett,

If you want to compare MA to TN, then I would have to say housing and normal day to day costs are about double! I travel back and forth to Memphios regularly and am always amazed at how much house you can get for the money down there.

Come and visit and enjoy New England if you like the area.....but I think you'd be in for a rude awakening attempting to relocate here from TN.

[seldomseen]

Be prepared to be dissapointed! The cost of adequate real estate in Mass. is extremely high, and has be artificially inflated. A family will find themselves struggling to live comforably even on a six figure income! Mass, also lacks cultural integration, and diversity especially for such a liberal state. And the overall job market in Mass is sucks!! Unless have a highly specialized skill that is currently in high demand. If not, good luck at securing decent employment here. Recent statistics show that residents in Mass are moving out of the state at a very high pace becuase of many of the factors I've described.

[jgarrett0218]

Okay thanks! I dont know if this is true or not, but I was told by someone who lived up in new hampshire that even though everything is more expensive, you get paid alot more, but if the job market is that bad, I would be scared to chance moving there! Although one day I would love to be able to move somewhere near Massachusetts.... all the pictures I have seen are gorgeous!

Thanks again!

[Micah Girl]

Originally Posted by jgarrett0218

Okay thanks! I dont know if this is true or not, but I was told by someone who lived up in new hampshire that even though everything is more expensive, you get paid alot more, but if the job market is that bad, I would be scared to chance moving there! Although one day I would love to be able to move somewhere near Massachusetts.... all the pictures I have seen are gorgeous!

Thanks again!

New England is much smaller than other parts of the country, so if you really wanted to move here you could perhaps live in Central Mass (Worcester area) or Western Mass and drive to NH, VT, ME, etc. as well as enjoying the natural beauty of Massachusetts.

The funny thing about being in the city of Worcester is that there are country towns right outside the city and within a half hour radius, so if you like country, you can have it, and if you like city with access to country it's really close.

[NY'er lost in MA]

Originally Posted by jgarrett0218

Okay thanks! I dont know if this is true or not, but I was told by someone who lived up in new hampshire that even though everything is more expensive, you get paid alot more, but if the job market is that bad, I would be scared to chance moving there! Although one day I would love to be able to move somewhere near Massachusetts.... all the pictures I have seen are gorgeous!

Thanks again!

It really depends what industry you work in. I know alot of people that do very well in Memphis and make out much better because the cost of living is so much less. Just as an example: if you make $35K in Memphis, to have the same lifestyle in Boston, you'd probably need to make at least $55K. But I know people in TN that make alot more than that and can afford great extras that they would never be able to have here in MA.

From the way it sounds, you should visit the area and enjoy vacations here. If you want, take a look on Monster.com for jobs in your field to get a sense of what is out there. But also keep in mind that being in a metro area like this means that it is much more competitive. You usually have thousands of qualified candidates going for one position. Alot of it comes down to referrals and who you know! Not an easy city to break into unless you had some sort of relocation from your employer that has a location up here.

The same goes for us in the Northeast. Many are drawn to the west coast life, but soon realize places like San Diego and LA have huge price tags attached!

[seldomseen]

Don't misinterpret my previous post...just stating "facts" regarding living in Mass. The best way to approach house hunting is to know how much you can afford, and just see if the towns you want to live in offer housing you like/desire within your price range. The smaller cities in Mass. are typically the most affordable places to live, but aren't really sought after, and will have a higher crime/poverty/unemployment/drug, etc rates. e.g. Brockton, New Bedford, Lowell, Worcester etc...However, you can find decent "affordable" housing in the sought after areas...if you are patient and make some sacrifices.

Good Luck!

[metaljaybird]

The economy is a bit more stable in CT. If you visit Western Ma, swing by Central CT. All of the towns surrounding the Hartford area are pretty upscale, but you can still find some safe communities with a relatively lower cost of real estate.