BOSTON, Mass. — Massachusetts has become the most expensive state in the country for families to live comfortably, according to a recent report. A family of four in Massachusetts now needs an annual income of $329,555 to live comfortably, nearly 6% more than in 2025.
The cost of raising a child shows the same pressure. Massachusetts is the most expensive state in the country to raise a child, at $35,841 per year for two working adults. That includes more than $21,000 annually in childcare, nearly $5,000 in additional housing costs, and about $2,200 in food.
Residents are responding by leaving. The number of people moving out of Massachusetts to other states has climbed significantly, and in the 12 months ending July 1, 2025, Massachusetts lost 33,340 more people to other states than it gained. A 2024 analysis by Boston University finance professor Mark Williams identified taxes, housing costs, and health care expenses as the top factors driving people to leave the Commonwealth.
Voters have noticed. A poll released in August 2026 found that the majority of Massachusetts residents disapprove of Governor Maura Healey’s handling of housing and the cost of living, which respondents named as the two most important problems facing the state.
From the press office of Mike Minogue.