Cost of living in Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence is 129, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lawrence is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Lawrence ranks as the #37 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Lawrence ranks as the #4,942 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Lawrence is $500,341.
The median income in Lawrence is $57,903.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lawrence has an overall cost of living index of 129, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Lawrence has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Lawrence ranks as #37 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Lawrence ranks as the #75 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Lawrence, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Lawrence. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Lawrence is 121.
The Groceries index in Lawrence is 103.
The Health index in Lawrence is 112.
The Housing index in Lawrence is 143.
The Transportation index in Lawrence is 117.
The Utilities index in Lawrence is 136.
| Living Expense | Lawrence | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 129 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 112 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 143 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 117 | 120 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 136 | 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 Lawrence is $500,341.
The Median Rent in Lawrence is $1,569.
The Median Income in Lawrence is $57,903.
The Home Value To Income in Lawrence is 8.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lawrence is 0.33x.
| Statistic | Lawrence | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $500,341 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,569 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $57,903 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 8.6x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.33x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Lawrence | 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 | Lawrence | 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 | Lawrence | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $123.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $157.89 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $149.22 | $113.29 |
| Item | Lawrence | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.43 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $97.39 | $59.92 |
| Item | Lawrence | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.72 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.85 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Lawrence. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lowell, MA has a cost of living index of 129, 1.0x Lawrence.
Haverhill, MA has a cost of living index of 131, 1.0x Lawrence.
Arlington, MA has a cost of living index of 179, 1.4x Lawrence.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lawrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell, MA | 114,799 | 129 | 1.0x |
| Haverhill, MA | 67,387 | 131 | 1.0x |
| Arlington, MA | 46,015 | 179 | 1.4x |
| Lexington, MA | 34,085 | 211 | 1.6x |
| Melrose, MA | 29,488 | 166 | 1.3x |
| Wakefield, MA | 27,284 | 163 | 1.3x |
| Burlington, MA | 26,223 | 169 | 1.3x |
| Reading, MA | 25,448 | 164 | 1.3x |
| Wilmington, MA | 23,195 | 161 | 1.2x |
| Winchester, MA | 22,862 | 212 | 1.6x |