Boston

Most affordable Boston suburbs

Ranked on what a household actually pays: the in-house cost-of-living index at 55%, the median home value against the metro at 25% (lower is better here), and the share of households already stretched by housing costs at 20%.

Updated Sep 2026·60 suburbs considered, 10 listed
1
Buildings in downtown Rochester, New Hampshire, USA.
Rochester$279k median · 26.1 min commute
Cost of living BHousing FEmployment C−
72
Affordability
overall 48 D+
2
The Adams Memorial Building in Derry, New Hampshire. This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the U
Derry$391k median · 29.3 min commute
Cost of living A−Housing FEmployment C
71
Affordability
overall 50 D+
3
Hudson Town Center
Hudson$473k median · 30.2 min commute
Cost of living B+Housing FEmployment D+
70
Affordability
overall 54 C−
4
Front view of Peabody City Hall after a snowfall in Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody$596k median · 25.8 min commute
Cost of living A−Housing DEmployment D+
65
Affordability
overall 57 C−
5
Dover City Hall, 288 Central Avenue, Dover, New Hampshire
Dover$437k median · 22.7 min commute
Cost of living BHousing FEmployment C
65
Affordability
overall 59 C
6
Aerial view of South Weymouth, one of the four village centers of Weymouth, Massachusetts, a city of 57,437 residents on Boston’s South Shore.
Weymouth Town$552k median · 34.7 min commute
Cost of living B+Housing DEmployment C−
65
Affordability
overall 55 C−
7
Searles High School
Methuen$500k median · 27.7 min commute
Cost of living BHousing D−Employment D+
65
Affordability
overall 55 C−
8
Main Street, Franklin Massachusetts
Franklin Town$612k median · 32.5 min commute
Cost of living B−Housing C−Employment C+
64
Affordability
overall 62 C
9
Rear view of the remodelled Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, MA, August 2012. The basement annex containing the children's room and a function room are in th
Danvers$644k median · 28.4 min commute
Cost of living BHousing D+Employment C
64
Affordability
overall 62 C
10
Aerial of Wilmington Town Common
Wilmington$681k median · 30.3 min commute
Cost of living B−Housing C+Employment B−
63
Affordability
overall 64 C+
This list's weighting
Cost of living 55%Median home value (lower is better) 25%Cost-burdened households 20%
Other Boston lists
Best Boston suburbs for familiesBest Boston suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown BostonMost walkable Boston suburbsBest Boston suburbs for young professionalsHow we score Boston suburbs →

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Rochester (Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0); Derry (User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0); Hudson (Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domain); Peabody (Fletcher · CC BY 4.0); Dover (MidniteOIL · CC BY-SA 4.0); Weymouth Town (Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0); Methuen (The original uploader was EraserGirl at English Wikipedia. (Original text: Erase · CC BY 2.0); Franklin Town (John Phelan · CC BY 3.0); Danvers (Botteville · CC BY-SA 3.0); Wilmington (Vinnyanabg · CC BY 4.0).