I'm not surprised. The state is too goddamned expensive, and inflation isn't making it any easier to survive here!

I left Mass for southern Maine recently.

It was driven almost exclusively by the cost of housing.

Other costs (groceries, utilities, insurance etc), are pretty similar, so thats not breaking the bank. I pay higher state taxes here in Maine (also when I lived in virginia) so that's not it either.

The real difference in cost of living is rent and the price to purchase a home. In greater Boston, rent is tens of thousands more per year. And when you can't save because you're spending your money on rent, it's much harder to purchase a property that costs 4 times what you can find elsewhere.

It's really shitty actually, the locals up here blame the rise in housing prices mostly on massholes who move up here and can afford more expensive housing. This issue is pricing people out of their own communities, hours away.

Who knows, maybe I'll move back eventually, but it won't be anywhere within an hour of Boston if prices don't become more reasonable.

Money grab

This

Good riddance. The fuck out of here.The net change of the population didn’t show any significant reduction. Plus we’re crowded.

No one really cares anymore. Colored hair has been popularized since the 90’s so it’s not something that stands out. Plus New England is pretty chill and doesn’t care what you do as long as you’re not an asshole doing it.

That's nice champ.

Not to sound flippant or rude but at a certain point the state will be economically forced to confront the reality that to function it needs a normal income bell-curve. You "need" full-stack coders, but you also need maids, restaurant workers, state and town employees like teachers, etc... It's a problem if a majority of people can't afford to live here.

Because with a lot of out of state visitors they incur maintenance and staff expenses that State and/or town residents have already paid for through taxes.

1. We have a traffic problem especially in places like the cape and it gets exponentially higher in the summer for almost everyone, making everything nearly inaccessible for residents as is, residents in MA are forced to vacation in the cape or other popular summer spots in the winter or not at all because of the burden
2. Because residents of the state who pay taxes for those parks and areas deserve a little reprieve (if you think the same of where your taxes go, vote in your own state)
3. Because MA has a high cost of living in general, so if we had to pay tourists prices, either most wouldn’t go, or it wouldn’t really make a difference to us
4. Because MA is forward thinking and believes that even it’s poorest citizens should be able to engage with its own landmarks before out of staters take it away from them.
5. Because fuck em’

It’s a blue state you’ll be fine

While MA has a lot to offer, it is very expensive. I once had a conversation with friends who work in tech about the mass tax. We compared it to the "Apple tax" when buying apple products. The taxes of MA aren't necessarily too high, but the state itself has a high cost of living that feels like a tax. You get a lot for your money, but it may not be worth it to everyone. Definitely to some. With Covid changing the landscape of where and "how" people work everyday, those who were in MA because of the quality of jobs and potential opportunities, no longer have to stay. I grew up in western MA and always worked out east. Now, I could apply to a job in almost any state and live wherever I want to (within reason).

I was concerned about the right hand corner, too. Is that a cart full of people tipping over? It feels a little chaotic to me. Unless I just looked at it wrong?

Traffic begs to differ

People aren't flipping out about 1 park in the deep backwoods of Maine and so you think people wouldn't be upset about the whole state of NH tripling the camping rates? Hmm ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nFQDQMJARs

They sold the riceball (and crispelli) recipe to Crispelli USA-they operate out of a food truck that's typically at Ted's Stateline store in Salem, NH or Mann's Orchardin Methuen but yes they're also at the feast. My husband and I still pick up Crispellis and riceballs about once a month...still delicious! They also make various other foods...which are equally delicious.

Welp. They tried.

To keep the Frenchies and RI rockets out.

Well. I’m on your side. It’s not going to change but I’m in agreement with you. Fishing licenses are the same as I recall (haven’t bought one in years but CT wanted some huge amount of extra money for me as a MA resident and I live like 1 mile from the border)

Worst of the Best?

Nah, Baxter State park in Maine only has entry fees for out of state residents and is free for residents so technically infinitely higher. I don't think people would flip out since you don't really hear anyone flip out about Baxter.

Despite tourism not being our main economy, MA has more total tourist visiting than either NH or ME each year. They don't really need to lure out of state folks into the campgrounds for the economy.

>Haverhill

Could you explain why Haverhill is not doing so great?

I think 2x is a little bit high as well. I think an extra $5 or $10 per night would be more appropriate.

I doubt it has anything to do with how well the campgrounds are kept. Let's say New Hampshire were to triple the prices for non-residents at their state parks. Everyone in Mass would cry bloody murder about it.

Edit- downvote all you want my friends, you know it's true.

Tourists spend whatever they want, and the state doesn't care about Tourists that don't go to Boston. Prices need to be low for Bostonians who want to go camping.

Remember, 2/3rds of all votes in MA come from the Boston Metro. Everything the state does is in service of Bostonians. Worcester, WMA, and the entire world only matter when Boston can't agree