Boston: Housing & Real Estate
The median Boston home is valued at $731,700 (estimated market value runs 7% higher at $783,882), with median rent $2,147 (about the same as Suffolk County median $2,129; 1.2× higher than Massachusetts median $1,762). Homeownership rate: 35.7%. That's about the same as the Suffolk County median ($705,800); 1.3× higher than the Massachusetts median ($562,100). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 9.3%. New construction makes up 11.4% of stock. 24 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 7.5× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Massachusetts 6.1×).
- 28.4 years to break even renting at the median (vs Massachusetts 26y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.7× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 26% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $731,700 — 1.2× the Massachusetts median ($597,400). Median rent $2,147/month. homeownership rate 35.7% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Price To Income Ratio | 7.5× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Rent To Income Pct | 26.5% |
| Affordability · Interpretation | very expensive |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $2,359 (at Massachusetts median) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $2,476 (vs Massachusetts $2,425) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $2,941 (at Massachusetts median) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $3,526 (at Massachusetts median) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $3,894 (at Massachusetts median) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $783,882 |
| Median Home Value | $731,700 (vs Massachusetts $597,400) |
| Median Rent | $2,147 (vs Massachusetts $1,917) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 9.3% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 11.4% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 3.0% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 140 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (1)
Systems (3)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Massachusetts median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Massachusetts median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Massachusetts median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 62.5% (vs Massachusetts 61.4%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 358,761 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 29.35¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 2924535 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $5,868 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Massachusetts median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.999530296 (at Massachusetts median) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 768 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 749 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 1,899 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 77 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 35.7% (vs Massachusetts 54.1%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1947 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12