Massachusetts Best Suburb for 1st Time Homebuyers Ranks 312th in the Nation

Wow. Massachusetts is NOT where it's at for first time homebuyers. A new study published by Today’s Homeowners ranked the Top 100 Best Suburbs in America for First Time Homebuyers and the highest Massachusetts ranked was 312th place. Daaaaaannnnnnnnngggg that's... uhh... not great.

The Today's Homeowners team ranked more than 580 US suburbs located outside 78 of the largest cities to find the best suburbs for first-time homebuyers. And none of them were in Massachusetts until waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy down at #312. So what's the best suburb in Massachusetts (but absolutely not in the country) for first time homebuyers? That answer is coming up. But first let's look at a few other highlights.

Big congrats are in order for Bel Air, Maryland. It was named the best suburb to buy a home in America, ranking within the top 15 for affordability and livability. Fort Mill, South Carolina (actually a suburb of Charlotte, NORTH Carolina) earned the highest “livability” score based on entertainment and dining options, low climate risk, and percentage of households with children.

No New England suburbs ranked in the Top 100 and Massachusetts' best suburb for first time homebuyers didn't pop up until #312.

Alright, I think we've beaten around the bush enough. The best suburb for first time homebuyers in Massachusetts is..... BROCKTON!

Check out all of Today's Homeowners findings including the Top 100 Best Suburbs for First Time Homebuyers RIGHT OVER HERE!

Since Massachusetts is pretty expensive and obviously (judging from the above) not the most budgetarily friendly for new homeowners, it would be a safe assumption that there are a good amount of people leaving Massachusetts to try to make a more manageable life elsewhere. We know which states they're moving to. The top 3 are listed below along with some additional tasty data for your brain stem to munch on.

Massachusetts residents want to relocate. But where?

They're pretty close by.

Real estate company Hypewired examined which US states people want to relocate to by analyzing Google search data.

The study looked at search terms such as "move to", "relocate to", and "homes in" followed by the name of each state, and then looked at the combined searches for each US state name to find which were the most popular relocation destinations.

People in Massachusetts are eyeing the exit signs for a change of scenery.

First up, the taxes! Massachusetts is like that clingy ex who can't let go of your paycheck. High property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes – they're all here, and they're not leaving you any love notes.

Then, there's the weather. Winter in Massachusetts? More like an episode of "Frozen." Folks are dreaming of palm trees, not icicles hanging from their noses.

And let's not forget the cost of living. Rent prices that make your eyes water, and don't get me started on how much a cup of coffee costs in Boston. You'll need a second job just to feed your caffeine habit.

But where are the escape routes? How about sunny California, where beach bums and tech geeks unite? Or the Lone Star State, Texas, where everything's bigger, including the BBQ servings! And Florida, where retirees go to pretend they're 30 again.

So, if you're looking to trade lobster rolls for fish tacos or Dunkin' for In-N-Out, it might be time to say "later" to Massachusetts. You won't miss those snow shovels, traffic jams, or that "wicked expensive" lifestyle.

Massachusetts' top three most aspired states to move to are:

Live free or die? Live cheaper and live more like it! The average house price in NH $431,461, which is 27.0% lower than in Massachusetts, where the average is $590,793.

You can get there from here! The average house price in Maine is $389,848, which is $200,945 less expensive than in Massachusetts.

Nutty for Newport or Narraganset? You should be! The average house price is going for $436,612 in this area, which is a 26.1% decrease compared to Massachusetts' average house price.