United States · Massachusetts

Massachusetts mortgage calculator

Estimate your monthly payment in Massachusetts — principal & interest, property tax, and insurance — using the live national average rate and Massachusetts's estimated ~1.2% effective property tax rate. Adjust any figure below.

Data researched & maintained by Robinjit Singh · Last verified June 2026

Affording a home in Massachusetts

Very difficult

Income gap

+$86,000

$86,000 more yearly income than the typical household here earns is what a median home asks — the reason many buyers combine two incomes, buy smaller, or put more down.

Median home price

$642,000

The statewide middle — half of homes cost less, half more.

Income needed

$184,000

To qualify at the standard 28% rule with 20% down.

Typical household income

$98,000

What the median household here actually earns.

A median Massachusetts home costs $642k and needs $86k more annual income than the typical household earns.

Median is a statewide figure — expensive cities and more affordable rural areas vary widely.

Source: Zillow ZHVI · U.S. Census ACS · Splitero · Verified 2026-06-30

Most Massachusetts buyers combine two incomes — here's why

The typical Massachusetts household earns $98,000/year. To buy a median-priced home, lenders generally want to see $184,000/year. That's a $86,000 gap — which is why many Massachusetts buyers combine two incomes, choose a smaller first home, or put down a larger deposit to reduce the loan. None of these is the wrong choice; knowing the gap is the starting point.

The roles and income paths that commonly reach it in Massachusetts are listed below — some single high-earning roles, some two incomes combined.

Roles and income paths that commonly meet the income in Massachusetts

Software engineer
Doctor
Finance professional
Dual income essential

Pay varies widely by employer, experience, and city — these are paths that often (not always) reach the income needed, not a guarantee for any individual. Entries like “+ partner income” mean two incomes combined.

First-time buyer programs available in Massachusetts

MassHousing Mortgage
ONE Mortgage Program
MassDREAMS down payment grant

Programs and their terms change — verify current availability and eligibility with the official state housing agency before relying on any of these.

What makes Massachusetts legally different for homebuyers

Massachusetts has a short nonjudicial foreclosure timeline but also requires a 'right to cure' period — homeowners must be given 150 days notice before foreclosure can proceed (reduced from 90 days in 2010). Despite no post-sale redemption, this notice period provides meaningful time to respond.

If you buy here

Massachusetts has some of the highest property values and closing costs in the country. The attorney's fee (Massachusetts requires attorney presence at closing, unlike many other states) and transfer taxes add to the total — budget 3–5% of the purchase price for closing costs.

Foreclosure: nonjudicial, ~3 mo
Post-sale redemption: None
Anti-deficiency protection: No

General overview only — laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a real estate attorney for advice specific to your purchase. (Verified 2026-06-30.)

A clean, printable one-page summary — free, no account needed.

Loan details

Understanding your numbers before you sign.

A mortgage is likely the largest financial commitment of your life. The Mortgage Ledger was built so you can explore what that commitment actually looks like — payment by payment, line by line — before you're sitting across from a lender.

Rates sourced from FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Estimates only — not a loan offer.

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Down-payment scenarios for a median home in Massachusetts

How much you put down changes the loan, the monthly payment, and the income a lender wants to see. Below is a median-priced $642,000 home in Massachusettsat a 6.65% benchmark rate over 30 years — the same assumptions behind the income figures above.

Down payment	Loan	Monthly P&I	Income to qualify	Mortgage insurance
5% · $32,100	$609,900	$3,915/mo	≈ $227,921	PMI ~$407/mo
10% · $64,200	$577,800	$3,709/mo	≈ $218,172	PMI ~$385/mo
20% · $128,400	$513,600	$3,297/mo	$184,000	None

At 20% down the income to qualify is the $184,000 shown above; putting less down means a bigger loan, a higher payment, and PMI (estimated at ~0.8% of the loan per year until you reach 20% equity — the actual rate varies by credit).

What a median home actually costs each month (20% down)

$3,297principal & interest + $642 property tax + $150 insurance = $4,089/mo. Property tax and insurance are added on top of the mortgage, never blended into the rate. Insurance is Massachusetts's average annual premium ($1,800/yr, at a benchmark $300k dwelling) — your quote will vary.

The bigger picture: a median home in Massachusetts costs about 6.6×the typical household's yearly income — well above the national ratio of about 4.8×.

Go deeper: run your own numbers in the affordability calculator, download the full dataset or read the methodology. Compare with neighbouring New Hampshire and New York.

How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, you need to earn about $184,000 a year to afford a median-priced home of $642,000 — $86,000 more than the $98,000 a typical household earns. That gap is why most buyers here combine two incomes, buy below the median, or put more down.

How much do you need to earn to buy a house in Massachusetts?

To afford a median-priced home in Massachusetts (about $642,000), a buyer needs roughly $184,000 per year, compared with the $98,000 a median Massachusetts household earns. Source: The Mortgage Ledger, 2026.

What is the average home price in Massachusetts?

The median home price in Massachusetts is about $642,000 as of June 2026, per The Mortgage Ledger.

What are property taxes in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has an effective property tax rate of about 1.2%, or roughly $7,704 per year on a median-priced home. Source: The Mortgage Ledger, 2026.

Do you need two incomes to buy a home in Massachusetts?

Yes — the income needed to buy a median-priced home ($184,000) is well above a single median household income of $98,000, so most buyers combine two incomes or make a larger down payment.

Source: The Mortgage Ledger · Figures are statewide medians and benchmark estimates · Data verified June 2026.