Housing

California vs Massachusetts: Rent to Income Ratio

Massachusetts has a lower rent to income ratio than California.

California flag
California
CA · West
26.5%
Annualized median gross rent as a share of median household income.
Massachusetts flag
Massachusetts
MA · Northeast
Winner
20.9%
Annualized median gross rent as a share of median household income.

Visual comparison

California26.5%
Massachusetts20.9%

Difference: 5.60 percentage points — Massachusetts leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for rent to income ratio.

California #50 · 26.5%
Massachusetts #35 · 20.9%
Best Worst

10 Best States — Rent to Income Ratio

Lower is better
#1 North Dakota flag North Dakota
15.2%
#2 Iowa flag Iowa
15.5%
#3 South Dakota flag South Dakota
16.0%
#4 Nebraska flag Nebraska
16.5%
#5 Minnesota flag Minnesota
16.6%
#6 Wisconsin flag Wisconsin
17.2%
#7 Kansas flag Kansas
17.7%
#8 Missouri flag Missouri
17.8%
#9 Indiana flag Indiana
17.9%
#10 Wyoming flag Wyoming
17.9%
Selected states
#50 California flag California
26.5%
#35 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
20.9%

California ranks 50th and Massachusetts ranks 35th nationally for rent to income ratio.

Related context

Rent Burden in Context

This ratio shows how much of a median paycheck goes straight to the landlord — the higher, the less breathing room renters have.

What this means

California vs Massachusetts: Rent to Income Ratio in context

Massachusetts's rent to income ratio is 20.9%, compared with 26.5% in California. Annualized median gross rent as a share of median household income.

California
26.5%
Massachusetts
20.9%
Difference
5.60 percentage points

People also ask

California vs Massachusetts Rent to Income Ratio — common questions

QWhat is California's rent to income ratio?

California's rent to income ratio is 26.5%.

QWhat is Massachusetts's rent to income ratio?

Massachusetts's rent to income ratio is 20.9%.

QWhich state has a lower rent to income ratio — California or Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has a lower rent to income ratio than California.

More comparisons: California vs Massachusetts

Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.

Full comparison

Data source and freshness

Data period
ACS 2023 estimates
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
State values or ratios calculated from ACS fields.