Should You Move to a Massachusetts Mill Town?

Lowell, Massachusetts photo by Lei Han on Flickr/Creative Commons

Living costs in Boston are exorbitant. We know that, you know that, everyone knows that.

They’re so high that people are leaving, sometimes by choice, but often out of necessity. Research and data startup NeighborhoodX noticed this, and decided to compare condo prices in Boston to condo prices in the mill towns that are increasingly being seen as viable alternatives to Boston—towns like Lowell, Worcester, Haverhill, and others.

The new report pits the most affordable neighborhoods in Boston (Dorchester, Hyde Park, and Mattapan) against eight mill towns.

By looking at market-rate condominiums listed in February 2016, the research shows how the prices line up. For starters, the average-priced condo in Dorchester is $40 more expensive per square foot than the highest-priced condos in Lowell. On the other hand, the average-priced condo in Mattapan is priced similarly to the most expensive condo in Worcester—$204 per square foot in Mattapan versus $210 per square foot in Worcester.

See the full analysis below.

For an interactive version, click here.