Cost of Living in Great Barrington
Great Barrington's cost of living is shaped by real, above-national-median housing costs and an elevated property-tax rate, offset by genuinely below-average homeowners insurance and a real, disclosed low poverty rate.
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Learn moreHousing costs above the national median, below the state average
Great Barrington's average home value ran approximately $602,330 per Zillow (up 1.8% year-over-year), with a separately-cited 2024 median of approximately $524,700 and a 2026 median-price projection of approximately $625,000. Every figure runs above the national median home price, even though below Massachusetts's own substantial ~$667,265 statewide average.
A real, elevated property tax rate
The FY2026 rate is $13.24 per $1,000 of assessed value (~1.32% effective), producing a real, directly reported $6,778.22 bill on the town's own median assessed home value of $511,950 -- above Massachusetts's own 1.00%-1.17% statewide effective-rate range.
Genuinely below-average homeowners insurance
Berkshire County homeowners insurance runs approximately $859-$1,165 annually -- genuinely below both the cited Massachusetts statewide average ($1,932/year) and the national average ($3,467/year), a real cost advantage distinct from Cape Cod's elevated coastal premiums.
A real, low poverty rate alongside a substantial median income
Great Barrington's poverty rate runs approximately 5.9%, well below the cited 15.1% national average, alongside a median household income of approximately $84,132 for the whole town (a separate, lower $64,506 figure applies to the smaller, separately-defined CDP geography).
Key takeaways
- Average home value (~$602,330) runs above the national median, below Massachusetts's own statewide average.
- FY2026 effective property tax rate (~1.32%) runs above Massachusetts's own statewide range, producing a real $6,778.22 bill on the median assessed home.
- Homeowners insurance (~$859-$1,165/year) runs genuinely below both state and national averages.
- Poverty rate (~5.9%) runs well below the 15.1% national average.
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