Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Holland costs more to live in than 89% of U.S. towns
It ranks #182 of 282 in Massachusetts for affordability. Up 4.9% in a year, 42% below the Massachusetts typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Springfield, MA metro area ($71K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Springfield metro earn ($71K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 4.7 years of metro income, and 58% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $380Ktypical home, 42% below the Massachusetts typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,780a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 96prices across the Springfield metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 76)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 4.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$71K, Springfield-area income
- 29%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 26%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Holland
Nearly every household owns
95% of Holland households own their home, against 63% across Massachusetts. There are only 33 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
A median income doesn’t stretch to the towns next door
At Holland’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $340K covers neither the typical home here ($380K) nor in any of the three neighboring towns. The least expensive is Wales at $352K. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Holland’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Holland is more affordable than 11% of U.S. towns, #182 of 282 in Massachusetts. Rent pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have outpaced Massachusetts: the typical Holland home is up 35.3% in five years, against 25.7% statewide (Zillow).
Up 35.3% in five years
Faster than Massachusetts (25.7%).
Show as a table
| January | Holland | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $199,000 | $378,000 |
| 2018 | $208,000 | $402,000 |
| 2019 | $220,000 | $421,000 |
| 2020 | $232,000 | $433,000 |
| 2021 | $259,000 | $479,000 |
| 2022 | $285,000 | $529,000 |
| 2023 | $312,000 | $565,000 |
| 2024 | $341,000 | $609,000 |
| 2025 | $361,000 | $640,000 |
| 2026 | $371,000 | $650,000 |
| September 2026 | $380,000 | $655,000 |
A typical Holland home worth $195K in October 2016 is worth about $380K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 29% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Holland’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $118K short of a typical Holland home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,780 a month here, $620 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Holland’s typical property tax (1.28% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,780
Renters already here pay a median of $1,750.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Springfield, MA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Holland in 2025. The last year with any was 2022 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Holland gained 122 residents while 12 new homes were permitted: about 10 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Massachusetts: 3.4 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $261,000 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $261,000 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $261,000 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $261,000 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $548,000 |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $422,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $318,000 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $325,000 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $374,000 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $159,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $245,000 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $734,000 |
| 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $849,000 |
| 2007 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2006 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2005 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2004 | 35 | 35 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2003 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2002 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2001 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2000 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $995,000 |
Holland's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $4,279, under the Massachusetts median of $5,992, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.28% a year, against 1.07% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Holland
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Springfield, MA metro area, or Massachusetts. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 96 | MA 106 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 97 | MA 99 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 155 | MA 152 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 101 | MA 103 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Holland vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Holland has the 2nd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holland | D | $380K | $334K | 1.28% | $1,780 |
| Wales | C | $352K | $296K | 1.53% | $1,920 |
| Brimfield | C | $446K | $389K | 1.32% | $1,350 |
| Sturbridge | C | $517K | $426K | 1.53% | $2,190 |
Questions about the cost of living in Holland
Is Holland expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Holland costs more than 89% of U.S. towns: a D for cost of living, #182 of 282 in Massachusetts. The typical home costs 4.7 years of the median household income of the Springfield, MA metro area ($71K).
How much does a house cost in Holland?
About $380K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 4.9% in a year. The Massachusetts typical home is $655K.
What salary do you need to live in Holland?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $103,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,400 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $71,000.
How much is rent in Holland?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,780 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,750 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Holland?
The median bill is $4,279 a year, 1.28% of the median home value (Massachusetts: $5,992, 1.07%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Holland going up?
Yes: up 4.9% in the past year and 35.3% in five years, against 25.7% across Massachusetts (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Holland buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.