Massachusetts vs Florida
Your $100,000 in Massachusetts is worth
$94,518
at national prices · RPP 105.8BEA RPP SARPPSource: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 2026 · Official API
The same income in Florida is worth
$96,712
at national prices · RPP 103.4BEA RPP SARPPSource: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 2026 · Official API
Your income goes +$2,194 further in Florida (+2.3% purchasing power).
Show the math
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive.
| Component | Massachusetts | Florida | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.8 | 103.4 | −2.3% |
| Housing rents | 128.1 | 122.1 | −4.7% |
| Goods | 98.8 | 98.1 | −0.7% |
| Utilities | 152.1 | 90.1 | −40.8% |
| Other services | 102.9 | 101.3 | −1.6% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 2026 · Official API
Housing reality check
Typical rent and home price in each state — tangible context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official API
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
| Tax | Massachusetts | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 9.00% | None |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 6.25% | 6.98% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Massachusetts vs Florida: the read
The bottom line
Move a $100,000 income from Massachusetts to Florida and its purchasing power changes from $94,518 to $96,712 in national-average terms — a gain of $2,194. Florida is the cheaper of the two, running at 103.4 on the price index versus 105.8.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap is utilities: Massachusetts sits at 152.1 and Florida at 90.1 (100 = national). Florida has the edge there, and it's the main reason the two states diverge.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,762 in Massachusetts against $1,669 in Florida, and the typical home $562,100 versus $359,000. Florida is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, Massachusetts has 9.00% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 6.25%; Florida has no wage income tax and 6.98%. That income-tax difference can outweigh a chunk of the cost-of-living gap for higher earners.
Full profiles: Massachusetts ·Florida. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
Comparing a different pair?Use the full tool →