NEEDHAM, Mass. — A recent report ranks Massachusetts as the most expensive state in the country for families to live comfortably. A family of four now needs an annual income of $329,555 to get by, nearly 6 percent more than in 2025. It happened on Maura Healey’s watch.
Raising a child costs more here than anywhere else in the nation, at $35,841 a year for two working adults. That figure includes more than $21,000 in annual childcare, nearly $5,000 in additional housing costs, and about $2,200 in food.
Many residents are choosing to leave. In the 12 months ending July 1, 2025, Massachusetts lost 33,340 more people to other states than it gained, and the number of people moving out has climbed significantly. A 2024 analysis by Boston University pointed to taxes, housing costs, and health care expenses as the top reasons people leave the Commonwealth.
Voters have taken notice. An August 2026 poll found that majorities of Massachusetts residents disapprove of Healey’s handling of housing and the cost of living. Respondents named those two issues as the most important problems facing the state.
From the press office of Mike Minogue.