OFFICE BLUES

BURNOUT INDEX — MA — #22th OF 50

Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

33
/100
Moderate pressure
No change vs. last update

Median household income sits +40% vs. the national median against a BEA Regional Price Parity of 103.6. Unemployment at 4.6% and a 30.5-minute average commute put Boston-Cambridge-Newton in the middle of the pack — the numbers don't make it a disaster, but they don't make it a bargain either.

Scored 2026-05-04. Data: Census ACS 5-year 2023, BEA RPP 2024. Unemployment: BLS LAUS (most recent month).

The receipts

Three components, three public sources. Each term is clamped to [0, 1] before weighting. The formula is published on the methodology page; any change to the weights requires a public ADR (ADR-0013+).

Component Raw value vs. national Weight Contribution Source
Pay-to-cost gap
Median HH income vs. cost of living.
Purchasing power index: 1.35 (wages above cost-adjusted national) 		$112,484
RPP 103.6 		+40% national
median income 		40% 0 Census ACS 2023 BEA RPP 2024
Mean commute
Minutes/day, ACS 5-year. Capped at 60 min. 		30.5 min 4 min longer than
26.5 min national 		30% 15.3 Census ACS 2023
Unemployment rate
BLS LAUS (monthly, MSA-level). Capped at 8%. Preliminary. 		4.6% 0.7pp above
3.9% national (ACS period) 		30% 17.3 BLS LAUS LAUMT251446000000003
Total score 33

Boston-Cambridge-Newton in context

Boston-Cambridge-Newton ranks 22th out of 50 major US metro areas on the Office Blues Burnout Index. The index measures three labor-market signals that directly affect worker quality of life: the gap between wages and cost of living, commute time, and unemployment pressure. It does not measure culture, management quality, or RTO mandates — those signals are not yet available at MSA level from primary sources without scraping.

The metro area population is approximately 4,919,179, making it one of the top-50 US metros by size. The data covers the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 14460), which typically extends well beyond the core city limits.

On wages vs. cost of living: median household income here is $112,484 per year (+40% the national median of $80,610). Against a BEA Regional Price Parity of 103.6 (national average = 100, higher = more expensive), that works out to a purchasing-power index of 1.35 relative to a national baseline of 1.0. Wages here stretch further than the national average on a cost-adjusted basis — that's why the pay-to-cost gap contributes 0 points, not more.

On commute: the average one-way trip takes 30.5 minutes — 4 min longer than the national mean of 26.5 minutes. The commute component contributes 15.3 points out of a possible 30 (capped when commute ≥ 60 minutes). Commute time is the most consistent predictor of reported job dissatisfaction in the academic literature; it compounds every other signal.

On unemployment: the rate is 4.6%, which is 0.7pp above the national reference figure of 3.9% for the ACS measurement period. The unemployment component contributes 17.3 points out of a possible 30 (capped at 8%). High unemployment signals a weak labor market where workers have fewer outside options — the classic condition for wage suppression and lower bargaining power. This figure is from BLS LAUS (2026-02-28), the most current available.

The score formula is editorial — 40/30/30 weights are a deliberate choice, not derived from regression. If you think the weights are wrong, the methodology page explains the rationale. Weight changes require a public ADR (ADR-0013+). The sources are federal, license-free for reuse with attribution.

HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

Formula (ADR-0012, binding):

burnout_score = round(
  40 × clamp₀₁(1 − normalized_wage / cost_norm)   // pay-to-cost gap
+ 30 × clamp₀₁(commute_min / 60)                  // commute
+ 30 × clamp₀₁(unemployment_pct / 8)              // unemployment
)

Where:

  • normalized_wage = $112,484 ÷ $80,610 (national median) = 1.3954
  • cost_norm = 103.640 ÷ 100 = 1.0364
  • pay_term = clamp₀₁(1 − 1.3954 ÷ 1.0364) = 0.0000
  • commute_term = clamp₀₁(30.5 ÷ 60) = 0.5083
  • unemp_term = clamp₀₁(4.6 ÷ 8) = 0.5750

Score = round(40 × 0.0000 + 30 × 0.5083 + 30 × 0.5750) = round(32.50) = 33

Full methodology, weight rationale, and source citations: /methodology#burnout-index. Weight changes are a brand contract — any modification requires ADR-0013+.

What changed since last update

Score moved from 33 to 33 (0 points). Data sources refresh weekly via CI cron. Score changes reflect BLS LAUS monthly releases (unemployment) and are recomputed every Monday at 14:30 UTC.

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Raw JSON: /burnout-index/boston-ma.json · License: CC BY 4.0 · Cite as: Office Blues Burnout Index, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, officeblues.net/burnout-index/boston-ma, 2026-05-04