Palmer, Massachusetts Tier 4
Tier 4 · mixed schools · about 103 minutes door-to-door to downtown Boston at peak · 68% of households own their home.
$400k
4BR / 2BA house (est.)
$310k
3BR townhouse (est.)
$230k
2BR condo (est.)
$16.50
Tax per $1,000 (FY2026)
103 min
Peak drive to Boston (modeled)
—
No MBTA rail
68%
Homeowners (ACS 2019–23)
What it takes to live here
| Scenario (20% down) | Monthly all-in | Income needed |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR / 2BA detached house | $2,748/mo | $118k/yr |
| 3BR / 2BA townhouse | $2,169/mo | $93k/yr |
| 2BR condo | $1,654/mo | $71k/yr |
Preliminary data: Palmer is part of our newest batch of towns — its tax rate, prices, and demographics are estimates pending verification against municipal and census sources.
Monthly = mortgage (6.5%, 30-year, 20% down) + property tax at Palmer’s actual FY2026 rate ($16.50/$1,000 = 1.65% of assessed value) + $175 insurance. “Income needed” keeps housing at 28% of gross income. Prices are market estimates, not appraisals.
Community snapshot
| ACS 2019–2023 (via MAPC DataCommon) | Share |
|---|---|
| Homeowner households | 68% |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90% |
| Asian (non-Hispanic) | 1.0% |
| Latino / Hispanic | 5.0% |
| African American (non-Hispanic) | 1.0% |
These figures are neutral census facts, shown for every town equally. They are never used to filter, rank, or recommend towns — see our methodology and the federal Fair Housing Act.
