Cost of living in Brockton research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Brockton is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Brockton is 128, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Brockton is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Brockton ranks as the #34 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Brockton ranks as the #4,889 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Brockton is $497,739.
The median income in Brockton is $77,089.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Brockton has an overall cost of living index of 128, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Brockton has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Brockton ranks as #34 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Brockton ranks as the #78 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Brockton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Brockton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Brockton is 122.
The Groceries index in Brockton is 106.
The Health index in Brockton is 114.
The Housing index in Brockton is 145.
The Transportation index in Brockton is 118.
The Utilities index in Brockton is 135.
| Living Expense | Brockton | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 128 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 122 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 106 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 145 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 118 | 120 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 135 | 136 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Brockton is $497,739.
The Median Rent in Brockton is $1,545.
The Median Income in Brockton is $77,089.
The Home Value To Income in Brockton is 6.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Brockton is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Brockton | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $497,739 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,545 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $77,089 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.5x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Brockton | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.49 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $15.49 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $29.33 | $18 |
| Haircut | $43.72 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $65.56 | $45.56 |
| Item | Brockton | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.48 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.45 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.99 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.52 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.53 | $3.7 |
| Item | Brockton | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $123.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $157.89 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $149.22 | $113.29 |
| Item | Brockton | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.43 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $97.39 | $59.92 |
| Item | Brockton | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.72 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.85 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Brockton. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 208, 1.6x Brockton.
Southfield, MI has a cost of living index of 101, 0.8x Brockton.
Brookline, MA has a cost of living index of 221, 1.7x Brockton.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Brockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton, MA | 88,504 | 208 | 1.6x |
| Southfield, MI | 76,025 | 101 | 0.8x |
| Brookline, MA | 62,822 | 221 | 1.7x |
| Needham, MA | 32,059 | 202 | 1.6x |
| Norwood, MA | 31,380 | 153 | 1.2x |
| Milton, MA | 28,481 | 167 | 1.3x |
| Dedham, MA | 25,109 | 155 | 1.2x |
| Abington, MA | 17,008 | 139 | 1.1x |
| Holbrook, MA | 11,320 | 132 | 1.0x |
| Medfield, MA | 6,355 | 173 | 1.4x |