Cost of living in Walpole 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 Walpole 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 Walpole is 148, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Walpole is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Walpole ranks as the #66 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Walpole ranks as the #5,642 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Walpole is $760,160.
The median income in Walpole is $132,411.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Walpole has an overall cost of living index of 148, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Walpole has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Walpole ranks as #66 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Walpole ranks as the #46 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Walpole, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Walpole. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Walpole is 124.
The Groceries index in Walpole is 106.
The Health index in Walpole is 115.
The Housing index in Walpole is 215.
The Transportation index in Walpole is 119.
The Utilities index in Walpole is 134.
| Living Expense | Walpole | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 148 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 124 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 106 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 215 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 119 | 120 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 134 | 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 Walpole is $760,160.
The Median Rent in Walpole is $1,952.
The Median Income in Walpole is $132,411.
The Home Value To Income in Walpole is 5.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Walpole is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Walpole | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $760,160 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,952 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $132,411 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.7x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Walpole | 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 | Walpole | 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 | Walpole | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $123.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $157.89 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $149.22 | $113.29 |
| Item | Walpole | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.43 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $97.39 | $59.92 |
| Item | Walpole | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.72 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.85 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Walpole. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Cambridge, MA has a cost of living index of 201, 1.4x Walpole.
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 208, 1.4x Walpole.
Brookline, MA has a cost of living index of 221, 1.5x Walpole.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Walpole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA | 117,794 | 201 | 1.4x |
| Newton, MA | 88,504 | 208 | 1.4x |
| Brookline, MA | 62,822 | 221 | 1.5x |
| Needham, MA | 32,059 | 202 | 1.4x |
| Norwood, MA | 31,380 | 153 | 1.0x |
| Wellesley, MA | 29,906 | 243 | 1.6x |
| Milton, MA | 28,481 | 167 | 1.1x |
| Belmont, MA | 27,009 | 204 | 1.4x |
| Dedham, MA | 25,109 | 155 | 1.0x |
| Mansfield Center, MA | 7,232 | 128 | 0.9x |