Cost of living in Dedham 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 Dedham 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 Dedham is 155, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Dedham is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Dedham ranks as the #79 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Dedham ranks as the #5,809 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Dedham is $751,819.
The median income in Dedham is $124,375.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dedham has an overall cost of living index of 155, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Dedham has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Dedham ranks as #79 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Dedham ranks as the #33 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Dedham, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dedham. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Dedham is 124.
The Groceries index in Dedham is 103.
The Health index in Dedham is 111.
The Housing index in Dedham is 238.
The Transportation index in Dedham is 119.
The Utilities index in Dedham is 135.
| Living Expense | Dedham | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 155 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 124 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 238 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 119 | 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 Dedham is $751,819.
The Median Rent in Dedham is $2,058.
The Median Income in Dedham is $124,375.
The Home Value To Income in Dedham is 6.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Dedham is 0.2x.
| Statistic | Dedham | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $751,819 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,058 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $124,375 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.0x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Dedham | 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 | Dedham | 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 | Dedham | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $123.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $157.89 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $149.22 | $113.29 |
| Item | Dedham | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.43 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $97.39 | $59.92 |
| Item | Dedham | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.72 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.85 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dedham. 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, 1.3x Dedham.
Brookline, MA has a cost of living index of 221, 1.4x Dedham.
Arlington, MA has a cost of living index of 179, 1.2x Dedham.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Dedham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton, MA | 88,504 | 208 | 1.3x |
| Brookline, MA | 62,822 | 221 | 1.4x |
| Arlington, MA | 46,015 | 179 | 1.2x |
| Lexington, MA | 34,085 | 211 | 1.4x |
| Needham, MA | 32,059 | 202 | 1.3x |
| Norwood, MA | 31,380 | 153 | 1.0x |
| Wellesley, MA | 29,906 | 243 | 1.6x |
| Milton, MA | 28,481 | 167 | 1.1x |
| Winchester, MA | 22,862 | 212 | 1.4x |
| Pinehurst, MA | 6,737 | 149 | 1.0x |