Worcester, MA vs Phoenix, AZ
Moving from Worcester to Phoenix? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($482,611 → $448,352 median home) and taxes.
Worcester vs Phoenix at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Worcester, MA, you'd need about $101,645 in Phoenix, AZ (+$1,645).
Livability — Worcester, MA: 56 · Phoenix, AZ: 62 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 1,761 sqft in Worcester vs 2,063 sqft in Phoenix ($284 vs $242 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Worcester, MA | Phoenix, AZ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $26,184 | $20,904 | −$5,280 |
| Groceries | $4,938 | $4,919 | −$19 |
| Transportation | $3,210 | $3,960 | +$750 |
| Utilities | $3,180 | $1,668 | −$1,512 |
| Insurance | $1,800 | $1,800 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $16,011 | $7,280 | −$8,730 |
| Total | $55,322 | $40,531 | −$14,791 |
Side by side
| Metric | Worcester, MA | Phoenix, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 103.0 | 104.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.78% | 4.88% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.3% | 6.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 37 | 86 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.86 | $5.96 |
| Median home price | $482,611 | $448,352 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.6× | 5.6× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 1.8% | -1.7% |
| Price per square foot | $284 | $242 |
| Median rent | $2,182 | $1,742 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 11.5% | 9.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.25% | 8.38% |
| Capital gains tax | 9.00% | 2.50% |
| Property tax rate | 1.39% | 0.51% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $8,200 | $6,300 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $21,000 | $12,500 |
| Vehicle property tax | 2.25% | 1.68% |
| Avg commute (min) | 29 | 27 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,500 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $800 | $550 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 29.4 | 15.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.30 | 3.60 |
| Violent crime /100k | 330 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 82 | 104 |
| Avg winter low °F | 22 | 41 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 4 | 2 |