Moving to Massachusetts from Pennsylvania
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 14.9% more expensive than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $89,326 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $89,326 To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 13.9% more Groceries pay 0.6% more Transportation pay 0.4% more Housing pay 32.1% more Childcare pay 30.2% more Entertainment and Sports pay 24.6% more Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources. How Pennsylvania and Massachusetts stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Pennsylvania generally does better on safety, though Massachusetts leads in property crime rate. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Massachusetts performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Pennsylvania performs better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Pennsylvania generally does better on infrastructure, though Massachusetts leads in internet access. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person typical annual income of a household share of people below the poverty line Massachusetts generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Massachusetts performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all family life metrics. Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Day-to-day costs in Massachusetts run about 19% higher than Pennsylvania on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $22,332 in Massachusetts for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Pennsylvania generally does better on safety, though Massachusetts leads in property crime rate. Massachusetts performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 61°F in Harrisburg. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Harrisburg gets 43.6 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Harrisburg Boston Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) Apr–Jun 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) Jul–Sep 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) Oct–Dec 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) View all months
Month Harrisburg Boston Jan 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) Feb 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) Mar 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) Apr 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) May 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) Jun 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) Jul 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) Aug 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) Sep 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) Oct 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) Nov 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) Dec 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than Pennsylvania?
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Is Massachusetts safe?
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What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to Pennsylvania?
