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1 in 3 voters have considered leaving Massachusetts due to high cost of living, poll finds

A new poll finds that about one in three Massachusetts voters are weighing leaving the state due to how expensive it is to live here.

The survey from The Boston Globe and Suffolk University asked 500 registered voters, "In the last 12 months have you considered leaving Massachusetts because of the cost of living here?" About 32% replied yes, and 68% said no.

Respondents said utility bills were the biggest strain on their household budgets, followed by health care costs, housing and groceries.

"The cost of living is just outrageously expensive," one resident who was considering retiring on Cape Cod told the newspaper. According to Realtor.com, the median sale price for a single-family home on Cape Cod this July was $825,000.

This fall, Gov. Maura Healey promised a line item review of energy bills in Massachusetts to combat higher utility costs. A new transmission line going through the state will lower electricity bills in the new year by about $18 to $20 annually, the Department of Public Utilities says.

Health care costs could also go up soon for many in Massachusetts. More than 300,000 in the state could lose some or all the help they get paying for health insurance if federal tax credits expire. 

The Boston area is one of the most expensive places to raise a child, according to a SmartAsset report from June. The report found that the annual price tag for raising a child in Boston in 2025 is $39,221, with more than half of that money going toward childcare. 

Last year, a MassINC Polling Group survey found that 21% of residents said they could picture themselves leaving Massachusetts in the next five years, citing high housing and transportation costs. 

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