Housing cost burden is a significant problem in Massachusetts and throughout the United States. “Cost burden” measures the percentage of household income spent on housing costs, such as rent or mortgage. A household is considered to be cost-burdened if it spends more than 30% of its monthly income on such costs. According to the American Community Survey, more than 34% of occupied units in Massachusetts, and more than 32% in Worcester County alone, were cost-burdened as of its most recent 2022 5-year survey estimates. In Worcester County, no community is more cost burdened than Southbridge, where 45% of occupied units in that same survey report spending more than 30% of their household income on housing costs. This Insights Insider explores Southbridge and the southwestern towns of Worcester County in terms of their median household income and cost burden over the last 15 years.