Cost of living in Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg is 115, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Fitchburg is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Fitchburg ranks as the #21 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Fitchburg ranks as the #4,090 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Fitchburg is $394,806.
The median income in Fitchburg is $70,659.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Fitchburg has an overall cost of living index of 115, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Fitchburg has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Fitchburg ranks as #21 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Fitchburg ranks as the #91 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Fitchburg, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Fitchburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Fitchburg is 122.
The Groceries index in Fitchburg is 103.
The Health index in Fitchburg is 113.
The Housing index in Fitchburg is 111.
The Transportation index in Fitchburg is 110.
The Utilities index in Fitchburg is 133.
| Living Expense | Fitchburg | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 115 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 122 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 111 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 110 | 120 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 133 | 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 Fitchburg is $394,806.
The Median Rent in Fitchburg is $1,131.
The Median Income in Fitchburg is $70,659.
The Home Value To Income in Fitchburg is 5.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Fitchburg is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Fitchburg | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $394,806 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,131 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $70,659 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.6x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Fitchburg | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.25 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.07 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $25.44 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.58 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $67.97 | $45.56 |
| Item | Fitchburg | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.47 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.44 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.75 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.01 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.66 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.82 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.73 | $3.7 |
| Item | Fitchburg | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $115.0 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $164.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $136.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | Fitchburg | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.33 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $86.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Fitchburg | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.72 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Fitchburg. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Nashua, NH has a cost of living index of 126, 1.1x Fitchburg.
Leominster, MA has a cost of living index of 122, 1.1x Fitchburg.
Gardner, MA has a cost of living index of 114, 1.0x Fitchburg.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Fitchburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashua, NH | 91,131 | 126 | 1.1x |
| Leominster, MA | 43,697 | 122 | 1.1x |
| Gardner, MA | 21,075 | 114 | 1.0x |
| Hudson, MA | 15,610 | 134 | 1.2x |
| Milford, NH | 8,857 | 123 | 1.1x |
| Clinton, MA | 6,908 | 123 | 1.1x |