West of Boston (Leominster, Fitchburg: apartments, rentals, car insurance)

[MJD503]

I have a job offer in Devens, MA. Curious for any info about the western outlying areas of Boston in terms of rentals, pricing, activities. I would prefer to live outside of Boston, for the sake of saving a little money. Is it that much cheaper to rent a place and live outside of Boston as opposed to in the city?

The new job will pay me 8K more a year. By the cost of living calculators I've used online, the Fitchburg/Leominster is 2% cheaper to live and play then my current home of Portland, OR. However Boston is 35.5% more expensive and only an hour from where I would be working. Seems like I might be in for a surprise in the costs!

Needless to say, I am super excited about the cultural activities, visiting the Atlantic, watching the Celts play (KG!!), playing in the snow and meeting some cool people!

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[MovingForward]

What's your budget?

[MJD503]

For housing I'd like to stay under $1200 a month for a rental, apartment or otherwise. For everything else (food, hobbies, utilities..etc), I can afford $500-$700.

[smarty]

It is all about expectations. I suggest you come out this way and see.

$1200 a month in rent is a good start. The difference is 1500 sq ft brand new apartment or a 700 sq ft 100 year old apartment.

[OREGONRAIN]

Yes the Boston area as well as Mass in general is very expensive, not just housing, but utilities, taxes and auto insurance. Many of us that are from that state and worked in or around Boston always lived a distance from our jobs because of the cost. I am from a town 30 miles south of Boston, even now that is very expensive, the Boston area commuters have spilled over into Rhode Island and New Hampshire years ago due to the need to find affordable housing. Your best bet is to find housing in and around the Devens, Leominster area to keep cost lower than the Boston region. Yes it is a hour drive to Boston, and there is commuter rail in the region to get you in and out of Boston when needed. I recommend you check with your Oregon car insurance before leaving, most likely your insurer will not operate in Mass, the majority of major companies do not operate in Mass not even Geico. Car insurance will jump very high from Oregon to there. Mine went from $1485 with commerce insurance to $735 a year here with State Farm. I moved to Portland in 2005, Insurance rates go higher the closer you get to the Boston area, plus you pay a yearly property tax on your vehicle to the town you live in each year. I also wanted to say commuter rail is big in Mass, and well used, it is not the Max train, and is the best way to get in and out of Boston when going in and out of there. I never felt unsafe on it like I do on this glorified trolley they have in Portland.

[MJD503]

Thanks for the info folks! Much appreciated!

Is the area I will be living, an hour west of Boston, seeing much in the way of rising prices and more commuters moving in? An hour commute seems excessive for most.

OregonRain - Thanks! Great info! Unfortunately what you say and what I can gather online is conflicting. Online info says Devens/Leominster is similar cost of living as Portland, you're saying that the whole area surrounding Boston is going to be more expensive, right? Housing seems to be a little higher in that area, for sure. Other expenses seem similar or even lower.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Boston is expensive but it gets cheaper the further out you go. I don't think you should have a problem with $1200 per month out near Devens. Apartments for Rent leominster MA - Boston.com

FYI. I moved from Georgia and did not find utilities or taxes or insurance rates that diferent as suggested by OregonRain. So, maybe it depends on the town you live in.
Good luck.

[NY'er lost in MA]

Working at Devens, you will want to be far outside the city anyway- TRAFFIC!

Stay outside of the 495 belt and you will be fine. Go in and out of the city on the weekends and free time, but don't live closer just to get the supposed 'culture'.

[OREGONRAIN]

Originally Posted by MJD503

Thanks for the info folks! Much appreciated!

Is the area I will be living, an hour west of Boston, seeing much in the way of rising prices and more commuters moving in? An hour commute seems excessive for most.

OregonRain - Thanks! Great info! Unfortunately what you say and what I can gather online is conflicting. Online info says Devens/Leominster is similar cost of living as Portland, you're saying that the whole area surrounding Boston is going to be more expensive, right? Housing seems to be a little higher in that area, for sure. Other expenses seem similar or even lower.

Yes the whole area around Boston is going to be expensive. The entire state of Massachusetts is going to be more expensive than Oregon period. I find living in Portland cheaper than living in New England. Yes the Devens area is a hour or so from Boston, and it can be alot more in snowstorms. Living in the Devens, Leominster, Fitchburg area would be cheaper than living closer to boston. So I am going to end this with Massachusetts is a very expensive state, commuting is similiar to the commutes people in the Bay area of San Fran have 30 40 50 60 and even more miles each way to work to try to beat the high cost of living in the Boston area. Trying to compare cost of living online with Portland is something you would be better with than me, I am not of your generation and all I know is my home state can rival California on cost of living. I miss New England if it were not so expensive to live there, many of us would not have left, and unfortunately the cost does drive people away just as Calif. I would check with your Human Resources Dept, perhaps they and your new co-workers can fill you in on the area, and give you information from a more personal point of view from those that live in the Devens area. Good Luck.

[mbzoltan]

We used to live in Leominster. If you get a place close to Route 2, you can zip to Devens in under 30 minutes. $1200/month or less should be relatively easy to do in Leominster.

Fitchburg is far less appealing than Leominster, IMO.