Cost of Living in the Northeast
New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island & Vermont
Photo: Peter James Eisenhaure / UnsplashThe Northeast — New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island & Vermont — covers 13 cities we track across 9 states. Median one-bedroom rent across those cities is $1,150 — about the same as the $1,130 median across the 6 regions we track.
The cheapest city we track in the Northeast is Buffalo, NY, at $849/mo for a one-bedroom; the priciest is Boston, MA, at $1,978/mo. Median household income across the region's tracked cities is $64,137, about the same as the $65,767 median across all regions.
Region Medians
Medians across the 13 cities we track in the Northeast — not a population-weighted regional figure.
States in the Northeast
Cities in the Northeast
Northeast cost of living — FAQ
- Is the Northeast expensive to live in?
- The Northeast is on the pricier side of the 6 US regions we track. Its median one-bedroom rent of $1,150 ranks #3 of 6 and is about the same as the $1,130 median.
- What is the cheapest city to live in in the Northeast?
- Buffalo, NY is the cheapest of the cities we track in the Northeast, with a one-bedroom rent of $849 a month.
- What is the most expensive city in the Northeast?
- Boston, MA is the priciest of the cities we track in the Northeast, with a one-bedroom rent of $1,978 a month.
- Which states are in the Northeast?
- We track cities in 9 states in the Northeast: New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island & Vermont.
Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year; NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010; Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).