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.
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:
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 | |
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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Item | Gardner | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $115.0 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $164.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $136.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | Gardner | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.33 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $86.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Gardner | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.72 | $192.25 |
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 |