Who Should NOT Move to Massachusetts?
Massachusetts is probably not the right fit for movers expecting genuine statewide housing affordability, anyone assuming a moderate property tax rate means an affordable bill, movers counting on car-free living outside Greater Boston, or anyone assuming the MBTA Communities Act has already solved the state's housing shortage.
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Learn moreMovers expecting genuine statewide housing affordability
Anyone expecting genuine statewide housing affordability should reconsider: Massachusetts's real, acknowledged shortage (roughly 222,000 homes needed by 2035) and its substantial average home values and property tax bills apply regardless of which specific city a mover targets, though the Pioneer Valley and parts of Central Massachusetts offer real relief from the statewide pattern.
Anyone assuming a moderate property tax RATE means an affordable BILL
Anyone assuming Massachusetts's comparatively moderate statewide average effective property tax RATE (1.00%-1.17%) means an affordable overall tax burden should reconsider, given Massachusetts's high home values still produce a substantial $7,838 statewide average BILL -- and the state's real, enormous town-by-town rate spread (0.27% to 1.41%) means a specific target municipality's rate does not tell the whole story either.
Anyone counting on car-free living outside Greater Boston specifically
Anyone counting on car-free living outside Greater Boston specifically should reconsider, given the state's real public-transit access is concentrated there via the MBTA and much of the rest of the state (the Berkshires, Western Massachusetts, Cape Cod) is genuinely more car-dependent.
Anyone assuming the MBTA Communities Act has already solved the housing shortage
Anyone assuming the MBTA Communities Act has already solved the housing shortage it targets should reconsider, given the real, current 2026 reporting describing its results so far as 'real but modest' (only a 1% increase in housing units within MBTA communities). Anyone underweighting Massachusetts's real electricity costs -- roughly 40%-65% above the national average per this pass's own research -- should also budget that in directly.
Key takeaways
- Probably not the right fit for movers expecting genuine statewide housing affordability -- Massachusetts's real 222,000-home shortage applies almost everywhere.
- Probably not the right fit for anyone assuming a moderate property tax rate means an affordable bill -- high home values still produce a $7,838 average.
- Probably not the right fit for anyone counting on car-free living outside Greater Boston, where the MBTA's reach is concentrated.
- Probably not the right fit for anyone assuming the MBTA Communities Act has already solved the housing shortage -- 2026 reporting calls results 'real but modest.'
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