If you’re a senior couple looking for a livable locale where you can retire on just Social Security checks, your options are limited in Massachusetts. In fact, when GOBankingRates scoured the Bay State to find its top ten places for livability and Social Security-only affordability, only 11 cities and towns even qualified for consideration.
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According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the average combined benefit for a couple these days is about $3,580 a month. That price range is tough to find in Massachusetts towns with AreaVibes livability scores of at least 60. Massachusetts is the fourth most expensive state in the U.S., based on numbers from World Population Review (trailing only Hawaii, New York and California).
There are reasons Massachusetts is so expensive and in demand. It’s a diverse state rich in history and culture, with some of the nation’s best hospitals, four-season living and world-class fall foliage — along with a famously fervent fan base for its sports teams.
If you’re still dreaming of retiring here, though, read on for a list of its most affordable, livable options for retired couples counting on just Social Security. Just be aware that many of the cities and towns have livability scores below 70 — and living costs that still might stretch Social Security-only budgets. To compile this list, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sperling’s Best Places, AreaVibes and Zillow.
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Fitchburg is a city of about 42,000 residents, located about an hour northwest of Boston near the New Hampshire border. Its attractions include Fitchburg State University, the Fitchburg Art Museum and wooded Cogshall Park. A retired couple will pay about $417 a month for groceries, which is above the national average but the second lowest in our top 10.
You’ll find Leominster just a few miles southeast of Fitchburg. Its many outdoor offerings include the Leominster State Forest, the Doyle Community Park and Center, and Monument Square. About 44,000 people make their home here.
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Located in the state’s South Coast region, New Bedford touts itself as “See-worthy.” Herman Melville’s classic book “Moby-Dick” is set in New Bedford, which these days is home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park, and numerous historical sites. About 100,000 people live in New Bedford, with about 15% of the population age 65 and up.
Fall River’s livability score of 60 is the lowest in our top 10, but its cost of living may be manageable for retirees on tight budgets. Home to about 94,000 residents, it’s tied for the lowest average monthly healthcare costs in our list. Fall River is located in southeast Massachusetts, in between New Bedford and Providence, Rhode Island. Points of interest include the USS Massachusetts at Battleship Cove, Fall River Heritage State Park, and the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum.
Worcester (pronounced WUH-ster or WOOS-tuh) tops our list in livability with a score from AreaVibes of 80. It also tops our list in average rent and total cost of living, and it has the highest average monthly transportation costs (nearly $300). With about 204,000 residents, it’s the second most populous city in New England behind Boston. Worcester is located in central Massachusetts. It’s an ethnically diverse city with numerous parks, more than 20 lakes and plentiful opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Taunton was founded way back in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony. You’ll find it along the Taunton River in the state’s southeast region, about 40 miles south of Boston. It features the Old Colony History Museum, a town square called the Taunton Green, and numerous ways to view birds and other wildlife. Groceries here will run a retired couple about $425 a month.
Clinton offers budget-conscious retirees the lowest average monthly rent in our top 10, along with the third-lowest average total monthly cost of living. This town of roughly 15,000 residents is located about an hour west of Boston, depending on traffic. Attractions include Fuller Field, which Clinton residents claim is the oldest continuously used baseball field in the world.
Another history-rich Massachusetts city, Springfield was founded in 1636. It is located in the western part of the state about 25 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut. Springfield played key roles in the Revolutionary and Civil wars. It’s also the birthplace of basketball and home to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Springfield isn’t particularly loaded with retirees — only about 12.5% of the population is 65 or older.
Pittsfield offers a rich blend of the arts, history and outdoor recreation. Located in western Massachusetts between Springfield and Albany, New York, Pittsfield has about 44,000 residents — about 20% of whom are age 65 or older. Average monthly costs for groceries ($403) and transportation ($302) are the lowest in our top 10.
Retired couples relying on just Social Security will appreciate Chicopee’s average monthly rent (the second lowest in our list) and average monthly total cost of living (the lowest in our list). Chicopee’s livability score of 75 is also tied for second-highest in this top 10. Located just north of Springfield on the Connecticut River, Chicopee has a population of about 56,000. Residents and visitors enjoy picnicking, fishing, hiking, biking and swimming in Chicopee Memorial State Park, among other attractions.
Methodology: To find the best places in Massachusetts for a couple to live on only social security checks, GOBankingRates analyzed the cities in Massachusetts across a variety of factors including total population and population aged 65 and over (both sourced from U.S. Census American Consumer Survey), cost-of-living indexes for groceries, healthcare, utilities and transportation (all sourced from Sperling’s Best Places), monthly rental costs as sourced from the Zillow Observed Rental Index, national average expenditure costs as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, livability scores sourced from AreaVibes, and average monthly Social Security benefits as sourced from the Social Security Administration. The cost-of-living indexes for each city were multiplied by the national average expenditure cost to find the average expenditure costs for each city. The expenditure costs for each city were added to the average rental cost to find the total monthly cost needed to live in each city. The average Social Security benefits were doubled to find the average needed for a couple, and all cities above the average monthly Social Security benefits were removed. The total population was scored and weighted at 0.75, the percent of population 65 and over was scored and weighted at 0.75, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.50, the rental cost was scored and weighted at 1, the expenditure cost was scored and weighted at 1, and the total monthly cost was scored and weighted at 1.25. All of the scores were added together and sorted to show the best places in Massachusetts for a couple to live on only Social Security checks. All data is up to date as of November 7, 2023.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Best Places To Live in Massachusetts on Only a Social Security Check
