Is Massachusetts really just as expensive as NJ? (Boston, Worcester: apartments, rental)

[lair8]

It's true that the areas near Boston are very expensive. But it seems like there are still other liveable areas.

I see basic studio apartments in Worcester MA for 1000-1500. The same ones would go for 1800-2000 in Clifton NJ. (Which is a fair comparison, right?: both are about 40-45 mins away from a major city).

Even though, statistically, both states have similar cost of living, the difference is that the lower to medium cost areas in MA are more desirable.

[Remy11]

Yes, most commutable areas both north and south of Boston are extremely pricey. Worcester (and the metro west area) might be a tad more affordable, but I think that’s getting expensive in its own right too.

I thought I heard Boston had surpassed NYC in terms of rental prices and cost of living but I’m not positive how the burbs stack up. Worcester has quite a few colleges so that could be why some rental prices might be a tad more affordable too. I’m honestly not too sure why Worcester isn’t quite as expensive. Perhaps maybe proximity to Boston too? Not far but not super close?

[lair8]

Worcester is definitely not cheap. But considering the wages are decent, there's lots of industry and you can commute to Boston, it seems balanced.

I just feel like you get more for your money in Mass. To get a price in north NJ that's in a decent part of Worcester, you have to rent in the highest crime part of Paterson NJ.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by lair8

It's true that the areas near Boston are very expensive. But it seems like there are still other liveable areas.

I see basic studio apartments in Worcester MA for 1000-1500. The same ones would go for 1800-2000 in Clifton NJ. (Which is a fair comparison, right?: both are about 40-45 mins away from a major city).

Even though, statistically, both states have similar cost of living, the difference is that the lower to medium cost areas in MA are more desirable.

Clifton is about 20 miles from Manhattan. Worcester is about 45 miles from downtown Boston. Even Morristown is closer to Manhattan than Worcester is to Boston. A better comparison would probably be somewhere like Framingham.

[lair8]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Clifton is about 20 miles from Manhattan. Worcester is about 45 miles from downtown Boston.

You're forgetting a crucial detail. Manhattan is twice as congested and its twice as hard to get parking.

Realistically speaking, a Clifton resident isn't driving from Clifton to NYC. They'll drive 10 minutes to park near a bus stop (i.e. Willowbrook Mall in Wayne/Little Falls). Then wait another 10 mins for the bus. And then take a 35-40 min bus ride.

It's also cheaper to pay $8 for a bus ticket than to pay for gas and parking.

[CaseyB]

Worcester has some lousy areas so it sort of depends on what part of the city these apartments are located in.

The suburbs around Worcester are booming.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Clifton is about 20 miles from Manhattan. Worcester is about 45 miles from downtown Boston. Even Morristown is closer to Manhattan than Worcester is to Boston. A better comparison would probably be somewhere like Framingham.

Even that is not quite close enough. Clifton to the Javits Center midtown is 15 miles. The Natick Mall to South Station is 21 miles.

[r_p]

Originally Posted by Remy11

I’m not trying to sound snobby but I think maybe one of the reasons is Worcester isn’t seen as desirable as the metro west areas closer to Boston (think Lexington, Wayland, Weston, etc) and even the north and south shores, so it’s more affordable. I don’t know a ton about Jersey, so it’s hard for me to compare cities and towns in MA to cities and towns in Jersey.

Weston in in a totally different league than Wayland or Lexington. Worcester and surrounding towns are quite good if have a hybrid working arrangement. There's even an express train that gets you to Boston in an hour. Not bad if you're only commuting 1-2 days a week.

https://www.boston25news.com/news/lo...L64KQCOMRIARQ/

[matrix5k]

Worcester is not 45min from Boston, it's at least an hour and with traffic probably more. It's also in central MA which is like a different state cost wise than eastern MA.

Lowell is more comparable. The rents there are much higher than Worcester, can't find many apartments for 1000-1500 there.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by lair8

You're forgetting a crucial detail. Manhattan is twice as congested and its twice as hard to get parking.

Realistically speaking, a Clifton resident isn't driving from Clifton to NYC. They'll drive 10 minutes to park near a bus stop (i.e. Willowbrook Mall in Wayne/Little Falls). Then wait another 10 mins for the bus. And then take a 35-40 min bus ride.

It's also cheaper to pay $8 for a bus ticket than to pay for gas and parking.

Worcester to South Station clocks in at 1h 23m. The Trenton-NYP time is 1h 14m - 1h 19m. Neither are comparable to a 35-40 minute bus ride.

Of course NYC and Boston are different and so a direct comparison will be tough. NYC is a lot bigger, has a lot more developed transit infrastructure, and is across a large river in a different state than NJ. Worcester is the second largest city in New England and is big enough to have its own suburbs (which tend to merge with the outer suburbs of Boston).