Cost of living in Spencer 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 Spencer 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 Spencer is 113, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Spencer is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Spencer ranks as the #17 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Spencer ranks as the #3,948 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Spencer is $428,496.
The median income in Spencer is $59,618.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Spencer has an overall cost of living index of 113, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Spencer has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Spencer ranks as #17 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Spencer ranks as the #95 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Spencer, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Spencer. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Spencer is 116.
The Groceries index in Spencer is 102.
The Health index in Spencer is 109.
The Housing index in Spencer is 115.
The Transportation index in Spencer is 94.
The Utilities index in Spencer is 114.
| Living Expense | Spencer | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 113 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 116 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 109 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 115 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 94 | 120 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 114 | 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 Spencer is $428,496.
The Median Rent in Spencer is $1,052.
The Median Income in Spencer is $59,618.
The Home Value To Income in Spencer is 7.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Spencer is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Spencer | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $428,496 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,052 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $59,618 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.2x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Spencer | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.43 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.37 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.72 | $18 |
| Haircut | $31.5 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.92 | $45.56 |
| Item | Spencer | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.85 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.74 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.0 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.59 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.74 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.46 | $3.7 |
| Item | Spencer | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $104.45 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $169.83 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $130.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Spencer | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.38 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $48.2 | $59.92 |
| Item | Spencer | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $230.62 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $195.18 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Spencer. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Worcester, MA has a cost of living index of 115, 1.0x Spencer.
Webster, MA has a cost of living index of 111, 1.0x Spencer.
Whitinsville, MA has a cost of living index of 122, 1.1x Spencer.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Spencer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | 205,501 | 115 | 1.0x |
| Webster, MA | 12,300 | 111 | 1.0x |
| Whitinsville, MA | 7,250 | 122 | 1.1x |
| Clinton, MA | 6,908 | 123 | 1.1x |
| Northborough, MA | 6,720 | 145 | 1.3x |
| Ware, MA | 5,723 | 105 | 0.9x |
| Oxford, MA | 5,572 | 112 | 1.0x |