Wellesley, MA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In Wellesley, MA Summary

Cost of living in Wellesley 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 Wellesley 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 Wellesley is 216, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Wellesley is 2.2x higher than the national average.

  • Wellesley ranks as the #113 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.

  • Wellesley ranks as the #6,345 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Wellesley is $1,251,800.

  • The median income in Wellesley is $226,250.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
216
Wellesley's Overall Cost Of Living
2.2x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Wellesley, MA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Wellesley has an overall cost of living index of 216, which is 2.2x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Massachusetts, Wellesley has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than Massachusetts's index of 143.

The standard of living in Wellesley ranks as #113 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Wellesley ranks as the #0 most expensive place in the Bay State.

For more reading on life in Wellesley, check out:

113 out of 113
In Massachusetts
6,345 out of 6,412
In America

Wellesley Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Wellesley. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Wellesley is 130.

  • The Groceries index in Wellesley is 109.

  • The Health index in Wellesley is 122.

  • The Housing index in Wellesley is 432.

  • The Transportation index in Wellesley is 115.

  • The Utilities index in Wellesley is 119.

Living Expense Wellesley Massachusetts National Average
Overall 216 143 100
Services 130 126 100
Groceries 109 108 100
Health 122 117 100
Housing 432 202 100
Transportation 115 114 100
Utilities 119 123 100
For more reading on cost of living around Massachusetts, check out:
Wellesley Cost of Living Vs. MA

Wellesley, MA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Wellesley is $1,251,800.

  • The Median Rent in Wellesley is $2,329.

  • The Median Income in Wellesley is $226,250.

  • The Home Value To Income in Wellesley is 5.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Wellesley is 0.12x.

Statistic Wellesley Massachusetts United States
Median Home Value $1,251,800 $424,700 $244,900
Median Rent $2,329 $1,429 $1,163
Median Income $226,250 $89,026 $69,021
Home Value To Income 5.5x 4.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.12x 0.19x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Wellesley, MA
$1,251,800
Median Home Value
$2,329
Median Rent
$226,250
Median Income

Wellesley, MA Costs By Category

Detailed Wellesley Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Wellesley Massachusetts
Shampoo $1.02 $1.06
Movie $12.55 $10.68
Bowling $5.61 $14.67
Haircut $16.68 $18.62
Beauty Salon $50.37 $39.05

Detailed Wellesley Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Wellesley Massachusetts
Ground Beef $3.34 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.71 $1.39
Milk $2.49 $2.05
Potatoes $3.3 $3.29
Pizza $11.3 $10.62
Beer $9.6 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.75 $2.34

Detailed Wellesley Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Wellesley Massachusetts
Optometrist $136.98 $108.57
Doctor $151.91 $116.17
Dentist $110.63 $99.13

Detailed Wellesley Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Wellesley Massachusetts
Gasoline $2.42 $2.22
Tire Balancing $59.24 $50.07

Detailed Wellesley Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Wellesley Massachusetts
All Electricity $217.29 $167.67
Phone $31.08 $175.64

Wellesley SnackAbility

7.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8.5/10
Housing
10
Affordability
8
Diversity
8
Safety
9
Amenities
9
Education
9.5
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Wellesley

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Wellesley. 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 192, 0.9x Wellesley.

  • Waltham, MA has a cost of living index of 150, 0.7x Wellesley.

  • Brookline, MA has a cost of living index of 191, 0.9x Wellesley.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Wellesley
Newton, MA 88,647 192 0.9x
Waltham, MA 64,655 150 0.7x
Brookline, MA 62,620 191 0.9x
Arlington, MA 46,045 162 0.8x
Lexington, MA 34,235 190 0.9x
Needham, MA 31,808 180 0.8x
Belmont, MA 27,056 181 0.8x
Reading, MA 25,483 152 0.7x
Dedham, MA 25,308 141 0.7x
Winchester, MA 22,875 190 0.9x

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