Gardner, MA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Gardner, MA Summary

Cost of living in Gardner 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 Gardner 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 Gardner is 114, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Gardner is 1.1x higher than the national average.

  • Gardner ranks as the #20 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.

  • Gardner ranks as the #4,023 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Gardner is $366,741.

  • The median income in Gardner is $62,948.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
114
Gardner's Overall Cost Of Living
1.1x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Gardner, MA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Gardner has an overall cost of living index of 114, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Massachusetts, Gardner has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Massachusetts's index of 134.

The standard of living in Gardner ranks as #20 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Gardner ranks as the #92 most expensive place in the Bay State.

For more reading on life in Gardner, check out:

20 out of 112
In Massachusetts
4,023 out of 6,489
In America

Gardner Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Gardner. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Gardner is 120.

  • The Groceries index in Gardner is 103.

  • The Health index in Gardner is 115.

  • The Housing index in Gardner is 99.

  • The Transportation index in Gardner is 112.

  • The Utilities index in Gardner is 131.

Living Expense Gardner Massachusetts National Average
Overall 114 134 100
Services 120 121 100
Groceries 103 106 100
Health 115 112 100
Housing 99 164 100
Transportation 112 120 100
Utilities 131 136 100
For more reading on cost of living around Massachusetts, check out:
Gardner Cost of Living Vs. MA

Gardner, MA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 Gardner is $366,741.

  • The Median Rent in Gardner is $1,071.

  • The Median Income in Gardner is $62,948.

  • The Home Value To Income in Gardner is 5.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Gardner is 0.2x.

Statistic Gardner Massachusetts United States
Median Home Value $366,741 $649,115 $303,400
Median Rent $1,071 $1,687 $1,348
Median Income $62,948 $101,341 $78,538
Home Value To Income 5.8x 6.4x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.2x 0.2x 0.21x
$366,741
Median Home Value
$1,071
Median Rent
$62,948
Median Income

Gardner, MA Costs By Category

Detailed Gardner Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Gardner 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

Detailed Gardner Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Gardner 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

Detailed Gardner Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Gardner Massachusetts
Optometrist $115.0 $125.68
Doctor $164.0 $135.78
Dentist $136.17 $113.29

Detailed Gardner Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Gardner Massachusetts
Gasoline $3.33 $3.46
Tire Balancing $86.0 $59.92

Detailed Gardner Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Gardner Massachusetts
All Electricity $294.4 $193.99
Phone $186.72 $192.25

Gardner SnackAbility

5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
6/10
Housing
8
Affordability
6
Diversity
8
Safety
6
Amenities
8
Education
6
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Gardner

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Gardner. 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, 1.8x Gardner.

  • Leominster, MA has a cost of living index of 122, 1.1x Gardner.

  • Fitchburg, MA has a cost of living index of 115, 1.0x Gardner.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Gardner
Newton, MA 88,504 208 1.8x
Leominster, MA 43,697 122 1.1x
Fitchburg, MA 41,633 115 1.0x
Lexington, MA 34,085 211 1.9x
Needham, MA 32,059 202 1.8x
Wellesley, MA 29,906 243 2.1x
Reading, MA 25,448 164 1.4x
Winchester, MA 22,862 212 1.9x
Athol, MA 8,711 106 0.9x
Cochituate, MA 6,688 191 1.7x

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