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Homeownership is to the American dream. It offers , security, community, and countless other benefits. Yet for many Massachusetts residents, the dream feels increasingly out of reach—even as and fall. Near-record prices have made homes hard to come by and often even harder to afford, leaving buyers and sellers and younger generations .

But affordable pockets still exist. In cities across the state, residents can comfortably spend around 30% of their income or less on housing, which is widely considered the affordable threshold.

To find out where these cities are, ranked the most affordable cities in Massachusetts, based on their local payment to income ratios. All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most affordable cities in the country, read this .

#1. Franklin, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 39.5%
- Median sale price: $736,868
- Median household income: $142,788
- Income needed to buy: $188,169
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,704
- See homes for sale in Franklin on

#2. Reading, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 43.0%
- Median sale price: $918,329
- Median household income: $163,725
- Income needed to buy: $234,507
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,863
- See homes for sale in Reading on

#3. Randolph, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 44.0%
- Median sale price: $591,845
- Median household income: $103,129
- Income needed to buy: $151,135
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,778
- See homes for sale in Randolph on

#4. Attleboro, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 44.5%
- Median sale price: $541,201
- Median household income: $93,266
- Income needed to buy: $138,203
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,455
- See homes for sale in Attleboro on

#5. Bridgewater, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 44.8%
- Median sale price: $658,016
- Median household income: $112,482
- Income needed to buy: $168,033
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,201
- See homes for sale in Bridgewater on

#6. Leominster, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 45.5%
- Median sale price: $484,296
- Median household income: $81,556
- Income needed to buy: $123,671
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,092
- See homes for sale in Leominster on

#7. Braintree, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 45.8%
- Median sale price: $749,704
- Median household income: $125,305
- Income needed to buy: $191,447
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,786
- See homes for sale in Braintree on

#8. Methuen, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 46.2%
- Median sale price: $623,153
- Median household income: $103,270
- Income needed to buy: $159,130
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,978
- See homes for sale in Methuen on

#9. Milton, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 46.4%
- Median sale price: $1,079,133
- Median household income: $178,053
- Income needed to buy: $275,570
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $6,889
- See homes for sale in Milton on

#10. Danvers, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 47.6%
- Median sale price: $727,348
- Median household income: $117,072
- Income needed to buy: $185,738
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,643
- See homes for sale in Danvers on

#11. North Attleborough, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 47.8%
- Median sale price: $682,907
- Median household income: $109,426
- Income needed to buy: $174,389
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,360
- See homes for sale in North Attleborough on

#12. Burlington, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 49.0%
- Median sale price: $910,253
- Median household income: $142,207
- Income needed to buy: $232,445
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,811
- See homes for sale in Burlington on

#13. Milford, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 49.2%
- Median sale price: $572,027
- Median household income: $88,992
- Income needed to buy: $146,075
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,652
- See homes for sale in Milford on

#14. Marlborough, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 49.2%
- Median sale price: $611,016
- Median household income: $95,047
- Income needed to buy: $156,031
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,901
- See homes for sale in Marlborough on

#15. Wakefield, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 49.4%
- Median sale price: $840,917
- Median household income: $130,320
- Income needed to buy: $214,739
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,368
- See homes for sale in Wakefield on

#16. Dedham, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 49.6%
- Median sale price: $805,654
- Median household income: $124,375
- Income needed to buy: $205,734
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,143
- See homes for sale in Dedham on

#17. Taunton, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 50.1%
- Median sale price: $521,272
- Median household income: $79,715
- Income needed to buy: $133,114
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,328
- See homes for sale in Taunton on

#18. Brockton, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 50.1%
- Median sale price: $504,566
- Median household income: $77,089
- Income needed to buy: $128,847
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,221
- See homes for sale in Brockton on

#19. Weymouth, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 51.0%
- Median sale price: $666,444
- Median household income: $100,077
- Income needed to buy: $170,185
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,255
- See homes for sale in Weymouth on

#20. Haverhill, Massachusetts
- Payment to income ratio: 52.3%
- Median sale price: $598,847
- Median household income: $87,675
- Income needed to buy: $152,923
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,823
- See homes for sale in Haverhill on