Cost of Living in Saugus, MA

An Overview of Cost of Living in Saugus, MA

Knowing the cost of living in Saugus allows individuals to create a realistic budget. This helps them understand how their income will cover expenses and whether they need to make financial adjustments. The cost of living in any region can fluctuate due to various factors. To assess the cost of living consistently across different areas, a national average of 100 serves as the basis for the cost of living index. The cost of living in Saugus stands at 142, marking it 42% higher than the national average.

The cost of living in Saugus is among the highest in the country, making it a very expensive place to live. Only a small fraction of regions boast a cost of living that is at least 20% higher than the national average, and regrettably, Saugus falls into this category, which may not be suitable for those seeking an economically favorable living environment.

Housing costs are a major factor in the Saugus cost of living index, and they often eat up a big chunk of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, housing expenses for both homeownership and rentals were 94.6% higher than what's typical in an average city. That includes the prices of homes and rents, as well as mortgage rates and insurance.

Goods and services make up 33% of the total cost of living index score and are a large part of your everyday expenses. These items could include things like haircuts, salons, toothpaste, shampoo, clothes, movies, bowling, gym memberships or yoga. In Saugus, you can expect to pay 21.6% more than average for these items, making it a more expensive place to live.

Is Saugus Affordable?

Is Saugus an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Saugus is 134.4% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 1.7% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Saugus has a median household income of $88,463, which is 59.9% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Saugus?

Taxes: Cities that enforce higher taxes, covering both sales taxes and income taxes, can be a factor contributing to a higher cost of living. Paying more in taxes for everyday essentials like clothing and food inevitably leads to higher expenses. A higher income tax rate can further contribute to an overall elevated cost of living. In Saugus, the baseline sales tax rate begins at 6.25%, and income tax rates start at 5%.

Utilities: As with the prices of anything else, utility costs can exhibit significant variations, contingent on factors like climate, energy source availability, geographic location and state regulations. The expenses associated with electricity, water, heating, and waste disposal can fluctuate, either upward or downward, depending on the particular city or state. In Saugus, the utilities index registers 33.9% higher than the national average.

Urbanization: Larger, urban centers, known for their wealth of amenities and strong employment prospects, often exhibit an elevated cost of living, primarily attributable to the heightened demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this scenario leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural areas or regions characterized by diminished demand typically provide a more limited array of amenities and experience slower job market growth, resulting in a more affordable cost of living.

Where is the Data From?

The Saugus cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.