Moving to Massachusetts from Washington
What to Expect
Considering a move from Washington to Massachusetts? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Washington to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 5.2% more expensive than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $82,124 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Washington and Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $82,124
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.5% more
Groceries
pay 3.7% more
Transportation
pay 7.3% less
Housing
pay 15.2% more
Childcare
pay 15.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.4% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Massachusetts cost about 8% more than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Massachusetts compared to Washington.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Massachusetts leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Washington performs better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington performs better than Massachusetts across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
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 Washington leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington generally does better on family life, though Massachusetts leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than Washington?
On average Massachusetts is around 9% pricier than Washington, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Budget about $20,531 for 3 months in Massachusetts (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Massachusetts safe?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to Washington?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Massachusetts leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
