Editorial: Massachusetts lawmakers must get serious about costs
In Massachusetts, the rising cost of living has become an existential threat, particularly for families trying to make ends meet. A recent report from SmartAsset highlights the alarming reality that Massachusetts is now the most expensive state in the U.S. to raise a child, with annual costs soaring to approximately $44,000—a 5.7% increase from last year. This staggering figure underscores a broader trend in which the expenses associated with housing, food, childcare, and taxes are becoming increasingly burdensome for families. According to a study by ConsumerAffairs, the cost of raising a child in Massachusetts is nearly double the national average, making it a significant financial strain for many Bay State residents.
The challenges extend beyond just child-rearing costs. A report by Mass General Brigham and The Greater Boston Food Bank reveals that over 2 million adults in Massachusetts, or more than one in three residents, faced food insecurity in 2024. This figure has risen sharply from previous years, indicating a growing crisis that affects a wide swath of the population. While some residents have prospered—evidenced by a nearly 39% increase in the number of millionaires in the state—many families are struggling to afford basic necessities. This widening gap between the affluent and those who are financially squeezed raises urgent questions about the state’s affordability crisis and the need for effective policy solutions.
In response to these pressing issues, Massachusetts lawmakers must prioritize affordability across the board. Governor Maura Healey has made strides by releasing over 450 acres of unused land to develop affordable housing, potentially creating up to 3,500 new units. Additionally, her administration’s launch of the $2.5 million Employer Child Care Innovation Fund aims to enhance access to affordable childcare for working families, a crucial step in supporting the workforce. However, these initiatives must be complemented by broader efforts to address the soaring energy costs that have been partly attributed to state-mandated climate and energy programs. As the cost of living continues to rise, it is imperative for policymakers to adopt a holistic approach to affordability, ensuring that all residents, not just the wealthy, can thrive in Massachusetts.
Affordability is an existential threat in Massachusetts. Policy makers should treat it as such.
We know high energy costs are squeezing Bay Staters. This week they saw their hopes of the Legislature focusing on saving money on bills thwarted in favor of climate initiatives.
Now a new report from SmartAsset finds that Massachusetts is the most expensive state in which to raise a child, costing parents roughly $44,000, up 5.7% from last year, when we also topped the list.
That’s for one child.
That matches a ConsumerAffairs study from earlier this year which found the costs of raising a child in Massachusetts almost double the national average.
“To calculate this figure, we analyzed key expenses such as housing, food, childcare and taxes for a household with one child,” said Brooklyn Bannister, a media relations specialist for ConsumerAffairs.
Buying a house is out of reach for far too many, and rents are eating up more and more of taxpayers’ paychecks. Food banks are doing a steady business.
Findings from Mass General Brigham and The Greater Boston Food Bank’s annual statewide food access report, released this summer, are sobering.
Approximately 2 million Massachusetts adults — over 1 in 3 residents — faced food insecurity in 2024. The report revealed that 37% of Massachusetts households faced food insecurity in 2024, rising from 34% in 2023 and nearly doubling from 19% in 2019.
Bay Staters are being hit from all sides, and “barely making it” can’t be the new normal.
There are some untouched by such struggles. A spring report from Institute for Policy Studies noted that the number of millionaires by net worth in Massachusetts rose by almost 39% from 2022 to last year — from 441,610 people to 612,109 people.
There’s a chasm between the comfortable and the squeezed in this state, and the squeezed now include those who used to be comfortable.
Massachusetts is a great state, and lawmakers need to pull out the stops so residents, even the non-millionaires, can afford to live and raise families here.
For starters, energy costs are out of control, and while Gov. Healey may blame Donald Trump’s administration for not releasing heating assistance funds, the state can’t ignore the Fiscal Alliance Foundation report which found that state-mandated climate and energy programs are behind the sharp rise in electric bills in Massachusetts.
We need more housing stock, specifically homes that are affordable. Healey deserves kudos for releasing more than 450 acres of unused land, in a bid to create up to 3,500 new housing units across Mass. We should make building in the Bay State easier and uncomplicated.
Last month the Healey administration launched the Employer Child Care Innovation Fund, a $2.5 million pilot program to help employers expand access to affordable, high-quality child care for working families. An excellent idea, and a great way to attract talent to Mass.
But we can’t forget workers who are already here and under the radar. The ones who serve the coffee, clean the office buildings, drive the Ubers, ring up the customers and work more than one job to care for their families.
Affordability across the board should be the mantra, and mandate, for Massachusetts lawmakers and leaders.
Editorial cartoon by Chip Bok (Creators Syndicate)
