Massachusetts households earn the 2nd most of any state but pay the 4th highest rent
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. Massachusetts scores 36 out of 100.
Housing costs lift Massachusetts' score more than missed payments do. Renters' costs are its highest part: 26.0% of renter households paid at least half their income toward housing in 2024. Few debts go as far as bankruptcy or a collector: filings per resident ranked 5th lowest in 2025, and collections 5th lowest in early 2025. Hampden County, home to Springfield, leads the state on poverty and is more distressed than 76% of U.S. counties.
- Score
- 36/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How Massachusetts ranks among the states
The State Distress Index puts Massachusetts 33rd for financial distress. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York puts debt per person with a credit report at $77,400, 8th highest among states. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia finds serious late payments less common than in the U.S. on cards, car loans and mortgages.
Housing costs lift the score more than missed payments
A score of 36 means Massachusetts has more measured distress than 36% of the states and D.C. Each measure is ranked, and the measures within each of the four parts receive equal weight.
- Renters’ housing costs75In 2024, 26.0% of renter households paid at least half their income toward housing, compared with 26.1% nationally (U.S. Census Bureau).
- Jobs69The jobless rate averaged 4.4% from June through August 2026, against 4.1% nationwide (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Late payments20Early in 2025, serious lateness on car loans, cards and mortgages all stood below their respective U.S. shares (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia).
- Collections and bankruptcy11In 2025, Massachusetts had 71.1 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents, using the 2025 population, 5th lowest of the states (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts).
Two neighbors score higher and three score lower
Connecticut and New York have higher distress scores. Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire score lower.
The State Distress Index compares households, not state budgets. Among the neighbors, Connecticut has the highest August 2026 unemployment rate, 5.1%; Vermont and New Hampshire have the two lowest, 2.6% and 2.8% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
The long view: a lower score than at the earlier peak
At its worst
Massachusetts reached 48 in the second quarter of 2020, its highest score in the quarterly history. Jobs drove that jump during the pandemic recession; the score’s jobs part moved with the unemployment shock.
At its lowest
The score was 22 from the fourth quarter of 2019 through the first quarter of 2020, before the pandemic job losses reached the series. This is the low in the available history, which begins in 2006.
Since the chart ends
The chart ends the first quarter of 2025, with a score of 36. Today’s score is also 36, though its measures were updated on different schedules.
Massachusetts has fallen from its earlier distress peak
State Distress Index score, quarterly history from 2006 through the first quarter of 2025. Today’s score appears above the chart.
Which Massachusetts counties are poorest or most distressed?
Hampden County is both the poorest by the Census Bureau’s 2024 poverty estimate, 16.0%, and the most distressed by our County Distress Index, scoring 76. Dukes County is the least distressed, scoring 9. Those county scores include jobs, debt and housing costs, so poverty alone does not determine their order.
Hampden is the only Massachusetts county above 70 on our distress scale
County Distress Index scores for every Massachusetts county; higher scores mean greater measured household strain.
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Counties under the greatest strain
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampden | 76 | 16.0% |
| 2 | Bristol | 51 | 10.2% |
| 3 | Suffolk | 44 | 15.5% |
| 4 | Berkshire | 43 | 11.3% |
| 5 | Franklin | 37 | 10.2% |
| 6 | Worcester | 37 | 9.6% |
| 7 | Essex | 37 | 9.3% |
| 8 | Barnstable | 32 | 8.6% |
| 9 | Plymouth | 30 | 7.3% |
| 10 | Hampshire | 23 | 12.3% |
Counties with the lowest scores
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Dukes | 9 | 8.5% |
| 13 | Middlesex | 13 | 7.8% |
| 12 | Norfolk | 15 | 6.4% |
| 11 | Nantucket | 22 | 6.5% |
| 10 | Hampshire | 23 | 12.3% |
County rank uses the unrounded County Distress Index score; equal printed scores may rank differently. Poverty is the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 county estimate, a different measure.
Every Massachusetts county, by score
The distribution is uneven. Hampden stands alone in the 70s, Bristol in the 50s, and the rest score below 50.
1 score 70–79
1 score 50–69
Poverty and financial distress do not always rank counties alike
Suffolk County’s poverty rate, 15.5%, is close to Hampden’s 16.0%, but Suffolk ranks 3rd for overall distress and Hampden ranks 1st. Hampshire County has the state’s third-highest poverty rate, 12.3%, yet its distress score is lower than most counties. The index also weighs jobs, late payments, housing costs and collections.
Springfield, in Hampden County, photographed in February 2026. Hampden has Massachusetts’ highest county poverty estimate, 16.0%, and its highest County Distress Index score, 76.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; American Default Research.
Why Hampden stands apart
Hampden’s typical household income was $71,287 in 2024, the lowest of the Massachusetts counties in the Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Its August 2026 unemployment rate was 5.7%, above the state’s seasonally adjusted 4.3%; county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so this is context rather than a like-for-like comparison.
U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics.
The island counties are not interchangeable
Dukes County scores 9, the state’s lowest distress score. Nantucket scores 22 and has one of the lowest county poverty estimates, 6.5%. Small county surveys deserve caution; the index combines several measures rather than using one poverty estimate.
American Default Research, County Distress Index; U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates.
Is Massachusetts expensive to live in?
Housing is expensive by the measures we hold. The median gross rent was $1,762 a month in the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey, 4th highest among the states; 26.0% of renters spent half or more of income on housing in the 2024 one-year survey. Our data do not measure a full basket of food, energy and transportation prices.
The statewide median income, $104,569 in 2024, does not tell us what a renter with a different income can afford. The Census Bureau counts renters’ actual housing burden separately, and the two figures describe different groups.
Median monthly gross rent
$1,762
U.S. $1,413
Census five-year survey, 2020–2024
Renters paying half or more
26.0%
U.S. 26.1%
Census one-year survey, 2024
Owners paying at least 30%
26.4%
U.S. 22.5%
Census five-year survey, 2020–2024
High income does not erase the housing bill
The rent-burden chart follows Massachusetts and the U.S. through the same Census one-year series. It measures renter households paying at least half their income toward housing, not the price of a typical apartment.
A large share of Massachusetts renters face severe housing costs
Share of renter households spending at least half their income on rent and utilities, Census one-year estimates.
The Census poverty and income figures put those housing payments beside the state’s broader economy.
How is the Massachusetts economy doing?
Massachusetts’ unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2026, compared with 4.1% nationally (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The state’s typical household income was $104,569 in 2024, 2nd highest among the 50 states and D.C. (U.S. Census Bureau).
The jobless rate is a monthly labor-market measure. Household income is an annual Census estimate; it does not update with a new jobs release.
Unemployment, August 2026
4.3%
U.S. 4.1%
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median household income, 2024
$104,569
U.S. $81,604
U.S. Census Bureau
Income per resident, 2024
$93,607
U.S. $73,204
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
The jobs line is not the whole household story
The next chart follows the monthly unemployment rate. The August 2026 reading is also in the card above, while debt and rent are measured on their own schedules.
Massachusetts unemployment has moved away from its pandemic high
Seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate in Massachusetts and the U.S.
The county ranking shows why a statewide labor rate cannot describe every part of Massachusetts.
Is Massachusetts a poor state?
By the Census Bureau’s 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 9.8% of Massachusetts residents lived in poverty, against 12.1% nationally. Its median household income, $104,569, was 2nd highest among the states. Neither figure means every Massachusetts county shares the statewide result.
Hampden County’s poverty estimate, 16.0%, was the state’s highest; Norfolk County’s, 6.4%, was the lowest. Those are countywide estimates, not a count of each town or neighborhood.
Residents in poverty, 2024
9.8%
U.S. 12.1%
Census Bureau, SAIPE
Median household income, 2024
$104,569
U.S. $81,604
Census Bureau, SAIPE
Residents receiving SNAP
12.5%
U.S. 10.5%
U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 2026; 2025 population
The poverty estimate has its own history
The Census Bureau’s annual state estimate below traces Massachusetts and the U.S. using the same poverty measure. It is separate from the county score and from the federal poverty guideline used to decide some program eligibility.
Census estimates poverty at 9.8% in Massachusetts and 12.1% nationally
Share of residents in poverty, Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates.
The county table gives the local poverty estimates beside our wider measure of financial distress.
How many Massachusetts borrowers are behind on bills?
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found 10.3% of Massachusetts credit-card holders at least 90 days behind in early 2025, versus 13.5% nationally. Its measures for auto loans, mortgages and debts in collections were also below the corresponding U.S. shares. The bank counts people with a credit record, not all residents.
The chart compares each kind of serious payment trouble with the U.S. figure from the same Philadelphia Fed release. A card balance and a late card account are different things.
The Philadelphia Fed’s U.S. comparison is our population-weighted average of its state figures. These shares do not show how many dollars each borrower owes.
Large balances, fewer seriously late loans
The New York Fed counts outstanding debt per person with a credit report. At the end of 2025, Massachusetts stood at $77,400, against $63,200 for the U.S.; in 2019 it had been $65,500. The New York Fed’s share of card balances seriously late was 10.3%, a dollar-based measure that is not the Philadelphia Fed’s share of people.
| New York Fed measure | Massachusetts | U.S. | Massachusetts in 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt per person with a credit report Massachusetts in 2019 $65,500 | $77,400 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | $65,500 |
| Card balance 90 or more days late Massachusetts in 2019 7.2% | 10.3% U.S. 12.4% | 12.4% | 7.2% |
| Auto-loan balance 90 or more days late Massachusetts in 2019 2.8% | 2.6% U.S. 5.2% | 5.2% | 2.8% |
| Mortgage balance 90 or more days late Massachusetts in 2019 0.9% | 0.7% U.S. 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
Debt is household borrowing, not Massachusetts government debt. Late-balance shares count dollars; the Philadelphia Fed chart above counts people. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax, end of 2025 and end of 2019.
The mortgage section explains where state law and free housing counseling fit if payments become difficult.
What changed in Massachusetts in the past year
This timeline covers food-benefit rules, benefit cards and the state budget. It keeps announcements separate from the older measures behind the score.
-
Oct. 1, 2026
SNAP benefit standards change for the new federal year
Massachusetts’ Department of Transitional Assistance applied the federal SNAP cost-of-living adjustment from October. The agency says it recalculated active cases in September. The adjustment changes benefit standards; it does not tell us how many households became eligible.
Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, policy guide
-
Sept. 24, 2026
The governor proposes more help for health and food programs
Governor Maura Healey filed a supplemental budget proposal to support the agency that administers SNAP and to create a health-care fund. It was a proposal when filed, not an enacted benefit or an observed change in household distress.
-
July 29, 2026
New benefit cards begin rolling out statewide
Massachusetts announced a statewide rollout of chip-enabled Electronic Benefit Transfer cards after a Worcester-area pilot. The cards are intended to reduce benefit theft; the state’s announcement is not evidence that theft or food need has fallen.
Massachusetts governor’s office, corrected release in the State Library archive
-
July 9, 2026
The state enacts its next budget
Governor Maura Healey signed Massachusetts’ fiscal 2027 budget on July 9. The signing does not establish an effect on the poverty or distress measures shown here.
How common is bankruptcy in Massachusetts?
There were 5,085 bankruptcy filings in Massachusetts in 2025, or 71.1 per 100,000 residents using the 2025 population. That rate was 5th lowest among the states, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Filings are cases, not a count of everyone in financial trouble.
The count is above its 2022 level of 3,384, yet below the 2019 count of 7,622. The courts report Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 separately; 30.0% of Massachusetts filings were Chapter 13 in 2025.
Filings in 2025
5,085
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Per 100,000 residents
71.1
U.S. 166.3
2025 population
Chapter 13 share
30.0%
U.S. 35.9%
2025 filings
For the full national comparison, see bankruptcy statistics.
How does foreclosure work in Massachusetts?
Most Massachusetts home foreclosures proceed without a court judgment under a power of sale. The details depend on the mortgage and notice, and the Massachusetts foreclosure law guide sets out the steps and sources. This page tracks financial conditions across households, not any one homeowner’s legal position.
In September 2025, 1.2% of Massachusetts mortgages were 30 to 89 days behind, compared with 1.6% nationally (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). The bureau’s mortgage series and the state foreclosure process answer different questions.
The state guide also lists free counseling and legal-help sources.
What mortgage problems do Massachusetts borrowers report?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s complaint database includes reports from Massachusetts about mortgage payments and getting help with a loan. These are reports filed by consumers, not findings that a company broke a rule. The bureau does not verify the allegations before publishing them.
The newest payment-trouble reports in the edition are shown below. They are examples of what people reported, not a rate of complaints or a ranking of mortgage companies.
- Oct. 12, 2026 Select Portfolio Servicing Struggling to pay: an existing modification, forbearance or other relief Closed with explanation
- Oct. 9, 2026 JPMorgan Chase Payment process Closed with explanation
- Oct. 8, 2026 Select Portfolio Servicing Struggling to pay: trouble reaching the company about a modification, forbearance or foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Oct. 6, 2026 Carrington Mortgage Struggling to pay: trouble reaching the company about a modification, forbearance or foreclosure In progress
- Oct. 5, 2026 Selene Finance Struggling to pay: foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Oct. 5, 2026 Santander Holdings USA, Inc. Payment process: releasing the lien In progress
- Oct. 4, 2026 Fay Servicing Struggling to pay: foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Oct. 4, 2026 PennyMac Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with non-monetary relief
- Oct. 3, 2026 Santander Holdings USA, Inc. Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance In progress
- Oct. 3, 2026 Cathay Bank Payment process Closed with explanation
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint database; latest ten Massachusetts mortgage payment or assistance complaints in the dated edition. Credit bureaus are excluded.
What to watch before the next edition
Three coming dates may change the picture after this October edition. Their outcomes are not yet reflected here.
-
Oct. 23, 2026
Health Connector enrollment opens
The Massachusetts Health Connector says its enrollment window for 2027 coverage is scheduled to open October 23 and continue into January. That opening has not happened as of the October 2026 figures.
-
Nov. 3, 2026
Voters decide on a state revenue-limit proposal
A statewide ballot question asks whether to change the state’s revenue limit and refund collections above it under a new formula. The vote has not happened in the October 2026 figures; any effect on household budgets is unknown.
-
Nov. 20, 2026
October state employment report
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics schedules its October state unemployment report for November 20. That reading is not yet available; this page uses August.
Where Massachusetts ranks highest and lowest
Income and debt balances are high. Serious payment trouble and bankruptcy are much lower in the state rankings. Each row uses its own producer and period.
| Measure | Massachusetts | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income 2nd highest · 2024 | $104,569 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | 2nd highest | 2024 |
| Median monthly gross rent 4th highest · 2020–2024* | $1,762 U.S. $1,413 | $1,413 | 4th highest | 2020–2024* |
| Household debt per person with a credit report 8th highest · End of 2025 | $77,400 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | 8th highest | End of 2025 |
| Owners paying at least 30% of income toward housing Tied for 7th highest · 2020–2024* | 26.4% U.S. 22.5% | 22.5% | Tied for 7th highest | 2020–2024* |
| Renters paying half or more toward housing Tied for 14th highest · 2024 | 26.0% U.S. 26.1% | 26.1% | Tied for 14th highest | 2024 |
| Residents receiving SNAP 11th highest · June 2026 | 12.5% U.S. 10.5% | 10.5% | 11th highest | June 2026 |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average Tied for 14th highest · June–August 2026 | 4.4% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | Tied for 14th highest | June–August 2026 |
| Residents in poverty Tied for 8th lowest · 2024 | 9.8% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | Tied for 8th lowest | 2024 |
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late Tied for 9th lowest · Sept. 2025 | 1.2% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | Tied for 9th lowest | Sept. 2025 |
| People with a debt in collections 5th lowest · Early 2025 | 8.2% U.S. 13.2% | 13.2% | 5th lowest | Early 2025 |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 5th lowest · 2025 | 71.1 U.S. 166.3 | 166.3 | 5th lowest | 2025 |
| Residents without health insurance Lowest · 2020–2024* | 2.6% U.S. 8.4% | 8.4% | Lowest | 2020–2024* |
Ranks cover the 50 states and D.C.; equal printed values tie. * Census five-year estimates. The Philadelphia Fed U.S. figure is our population-weighted average of state values. Source and period details appear below. Download the table as CSV.
Questions about Massachusetts
What is the unemployment rate in Massachusetts?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics put the seasonally adjusted rate at 4.3% in August 2026, compared with 4.1% nationally. This dated edition uses the August release; the jobs section shows the history.
What is the poorest county in Massachusetts?
Hampden County had the highest 2024 poverty estimate, 16.0%, in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. It also scored highest on our wider County Distress Index. See every county.
Is Massachusetts expensive?
The Census Bureau’s median gross rent was $1,762 a month in its 2020–2024 survey, 4th highest among the states. In the separate 2024 one-year survey, 26.0% of renter households paid at least half their income toward housing. Our page does not calculate a complete cost-of-living index.
What is Massachusetts’ poverty rate?
The Census Bureau estimated 9.8% of residents lived in poverty in 2024, versus 12.1% nationally. County estimates differ; Hampden was highest at 16.0%.
How does foreclosure work in Massachusetts?
Most home foreclosures use a power-of-sale process without a court judgment. The Massachusetts foreclosure guide gives the state steps, source links and free-help listings; the process depends on the mortgage and notices.
Cite or reuse Massachusetts’ data
The dated figures, chart images and downloads may be quoted with credit to their named producers and American Default Research’s calculations.
State Distress Index
Massachusetts
33rdmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 36% of the other states and D.C.
On American Default Research’s State Distress Index, Massachusetts ranks 33rd for household financial distress. Its median household income was $104,569 in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and the New York Fed put household debt per credit-report holder at $77,400 at the end of 2025. Yet serious card delinquency among credit-record holders was 10.3% in early 2025, below the U.S. share of 13.5% (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). Hampden County had the state’s highest poverty estimate, 16.0%, and distress score, 76. These measures cover different populations and periods and do not establish a causal relationship.
For interviews or a custom cut of the data, contact press@americandefault.org.
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- Poverty and median household income, state and countiesU.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates2024
- Rent, housing-cost burden, homeownership and insuranceU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey2024 one-year and 2020–2024 five-year estimates
- Population used for ratesU.S. Census Bureau, population estimates2025
- State and county unemploymentU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; archived August 2026 releasethrough August 2026
- Income per personU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts2024
- People seriously late and debts in collectionsFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerearly 2025
- Debt balances and dollars seriously lateFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifaxend of 2019 and 2025
- Bankruptcy filingsAdministrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-22025
- SNAP participationU.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition ServiceJune 2026
- Mortgage payment status and consumer reportsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mortgage Performance Trends and complaint databaseSeptember 2025; October 2026 complaint selection
- State budgetCommonwealth of Massachusetts, FY2027 enacted budgetJuly 9, 2026
- SNAP benefit adjustmentMassachusetts Department of Transitional AssistanceOctober 2026
- Supplemental budget proposalState House News Service, via WBURSept. 24, 2026
- Benefit card security rolloutMassachusetts governor’s office, corrected release in the State Library archiveJuly 29, 2026
- Upcoming enrollment, ballot and labor datesMassachusetts Health Connector; Massachusetts secretary of state; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calendarOctober–November 2026 schedules
- Foreclosure law and free counselingMassachusetts foreclosure guide; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentOctober 2026
- Springfield skyline photographQuintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0February 2026
The State Distress Index uses renters’ housing costs, late payments, collections and bankruptcy, and jobs. Each measure is scored among the states; the four parts receive equal weight. A state’s final score is the share of the other 50 places whose four-part average falls below its own. The full method →
We write with AI tools, and Ross Kilburn checks and reviews every page before it's published.
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