Massachusetts or New Hampshire? From the midwest... (Boston, Worcester: apartment complex, for rent) - (MA) - City-Data Forum

nic012 · 06-02-2019, 10:19 PM

Hi everyone,

Let me start off by saying I have read up on some previous threads related to moving to MA/NH. I have taken all of that info into account but really wanted to post my personal situation and get some feedback.

I have lived in Oklahoma for my entire life, and will be graduating college soon. I have a job offer to work in Marlboro, MA with a pretty nice relocation package. I visited Boston, MA once and that is the extent of my knowledge with the entire East Coast. So, I have the possibility of moving up there for this job.

As a fresh college grad, I will be renting (not buying) a place. Is there a pro for an apartment over a townhome/condo or vice versa? I am not married and have no kids, but I would be moving with my long-term boyfriend and dog. My boyfriend does not currently have a job offer but would start looking if I decided the Marlboro job is a go. Would it be wise for him to try and work in NH isntead of MA because of the income tax? I know if I lived in NH I would still have to pay MA income taxes.

So, basically, I am asking what is the best move for someone in my position. Live in MA? If so, where? Live in NH? If so, where? Things like school districts and stuff are not an issue to me like I know they are to a lot of people moving on this forum. All input is appreciated.

BONUS Q - How much more $ should my job offer be in MA as compared to my region of OK/KS? How much more would the MA job have to offer you to move up there?

Thanks everyone.

Dm84 · 06-03-2019, 04:37 AM

If your BF lives in MA but works in NH he still has to pay the MA income tax, so I wouldn't make that a factor unless he was planning to live on his own anyway. If you eventually get married only the MA sourced income would be subject to the MA income tax if you lived in NH.

OutdoorLover · 06-03-2019, 04:59 AM

If you're living in Marlborough, MA, I'd work in Mass. As Dm84 mentioned, you still need to pay the Mass income tax, plus the drive is fairly long, and the traffic on 495 and 93 is pretty thick.

As far as cost of living differential, the only important one is what you're going to be paying for rent. Fortunately, Marlborough is on the outer beltway, but I'd suggest just looking in Trulia to get some idea of what rents will run, take the difference from your current rent, and multiply that difference by 12 - that's an approximation to your increased annual cost of living.

GeoffD · 06-03-2019, 06:56 AM

A new grad with a job in Marlboro, you're likely to be living fairly close to Marlboro where rents are more affordable and the commute is sane. I-495 has a lot of traffic. You're not going to want a daily commute from New Hampshire.

Beyond rent, automobile ownership costs are likely higher than what you're used to. Energy costs are also high so you'll have winter heating expense.

NewfieMama · 06-03-2019, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffD

A new grad with a job in Marlboro, you're likely to be living fairly close to Marlboro where rents are more affordable and the commute is sane. I-495 has a lot of traffic. You're not going to want a daily commute from New Hampshire.

This was my thought exactly. Marlboro is already in the outer 'burbs, so there is cost savings there. I would not want to commute from NH.

I moved to the Boston 'burbs as a recent college grad with my long-term boyfriend and our dog. That was back in 2002. We're now married, have kids, still have a dog, and are only one town over from where we originally moved when we moved to Boston. And I'm from the midwest as well (Missouri). Good luck with the move and I hope you love it here!

GeoffD · 06-03-2019, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

This was my thought exactly. Marlboro is already in the outer 'burbs, so there is cost savings there. I would not want to commute from NH.

I moved to the Boston 'burbs as a recent college grad with my long-term boyfriend and our dog. That was back in 2002. We're now married, have kids, still have a dog, and are only one town over from where we originally moved when we moved to Boston. And I'm from the midwest as well (Missouri). Good luck with the move and I hope you love it here!

I worked at a tech startup in Marlboro in the industrial park just west of 495 back in the mid-1980s. I had a co-worker who commuted from Salem NH. Back then, 495 was an 80 mph road so it was do-able. No way I'd do that drive with today's 495 traffic. I was on it at 2:30pm on Thursday. It was 65 mph, a few full stops, heavy traffic, and full attention needed. 5pm on a summer Friday from Marlboro to NH is ugly.

charolastra00 · 06-03-2019, 07:39 AM

Marlborough is the outer burbs, but it's still gotten pricey. It's cheap for the region (which is why I moved here), but probably mind-boggling for someone from Oklahoma. I pay $1500 a month in an apartment complex with a small gym and heat/hot water included, and feel like that's a pretty good deal. I could have gone cheaper, but the quality of housing dramatically drops off from there.

Marlborough also looks nothing like Boston or the inner suburbs if you haven't been out here. It's very suburban. I joke with my friends that this is where all of Massachusetts' big box stores and Applebees live.

I agree with others - I'd stick near Marlborough itself. Driving from NH makes no sense - any tax benefit would be lost to commute time and cost. T

A few things to keep in mind with budgeting: electricity costs are fairly high in Marlborough. Not sure why - I pay more on my 1 bedroom with just me than my entire 3 bedroom with 2 roommates plus their partners visiting frequently when I lived 20 miles away. In the year I've lived here, I don't think I've paid less than $100 a month, even in winter when I don't have the AC going. Car insurance is cheaper than other parts of Mass, but I pay almost double what my parents pay for 2 newer SUVs in Georgia for a several-year-old Prius (with no accident history). You would do well to find an apartment that covers heat/hot water - the first few years I lived here after college, paying for oil every few months (they come and fill up the tank) really threw my finances!

Shrewsburried · 06-03-2019, 07:54 AM

Hudson > Marlborough if you're a 20-something who enjoys walking to a decent local bar/restaurant.

BosYuppie · 06-03-2019, 08:25 AM

Rule out NH, just not a good commute situation.

Marlboro is commutable to Boston and to Worcester which gives your boyfriend some flexibility. If you are interested in urban living, you might want to take a hard look at Worcester which was recently ranked the number one up and coming small city in the country. (https://www.npr.org/2018/10/23/65826...he-new-it-town) Living there could give you a lot of the Boston/city living experience, with better housing, at a fraction of the cost of Boston. But still only an hour away by train or car.

massnative71 · 06-03-2019, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I worked at a tech startup in Marlboro in the industrial park just west of 495 back in the mid-1980s. I had a co-worker who commuted from Salem NH. Back then, 495 was an 80 mph road so it was do-able. No way I'd do that drive with today's 495 traffic. I was on it at 2:30pm on Thursday. It was 65 mph, a few full stops, heavy traffic, and full attention needed. 5pm on a summer Friday from Marlboro to NH is ugly.

Haverhill to Chelmsford is murder, at any time. There are problem spots south of there as well, but that is the absolute worst. Entire road needs to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch.