It costs $1 million or more for a starter home in these 10 Massachusetts cities and towns

A new report from real estate company Zillow this week found that hundreds of U.S. cities and towns now have starter homes that typically cost $1 million, including 10 in Massachusetts.

Surprisingly, Boston is not on the list, as Zillow says an entry-level home in the city is worth just over $514,000. But the wealthy suburbs around Boston, as well as some island towns, did make the cut.

Zillow defines a "starter home" as a house in the lowest third of home values in a given region. The typical cost of a starter home nationwide is $198,649. In Massachusetts, it's $435,700.

$1 million starter homes in Massachusetts

According to Zillow, the cities and towns in Massachusetts where starter homes typically cost over $1 million are:

1. Nantucket: $1.73M
2. Weston: $1.49M
3. Wellesley: $1.39M
4. Chilmark: $1.37M
5. Dover: $1.29M
6. West Tisbury: $1.17M
7. Needham: $1.15M
8. Lexington: $1.12M
9. Edgartown: $1.11M
10. Carlisle: $1.06M

Since February of 2020, Massachusetts has added nine cities and towns to its count of places with $1 million starter homes. Zillow senior economist Karen Ng says the COVID pandemic "reset the cost of buying a home."

"Million-dollar starter homes are popping up in more Northeast cities because the housing shortage there hasn't been solved," Ng said in a statement. "Sun Belt markets have responded with new supply and seen price growth moderate as a result. The Northeast hasn't had that relief."

Cheaper starter homes in Massachusetts

A report last year found that only 15% of renters make enough to afford a starter home in the Boston area. The required household income for a bottom tier home was more than $162,000, the report found.

Zillow's numbers suggest that prospective homebuyers looking for a bargain should head west. Below is the list of communities with the cheapest starter homes, most of which are small towns in western Massachusetts.    

1. Heath: $58.7K
2. Florida: $150.1K
3. Wendell: $172.2K
4. Plainfield: $178.4K
5. North Adams: $186.1K
6. Windsor: $186.5K
7. Clarkburg: $189.5K
8. Peru: $190.2K
9. Savoy: $198.7K
10. Adams: $201.0K