Average Rent in Boston, MA
25 apartment buildings, 320 units. Real asking prices, refreshed daily.
Avg Rent
$5,011/mo
market average
Cheapest
$2,550/mo
Boston Pads
Properties
25
tracked daily
Units
320
available now
Boston, MA Resident Access
City Club members share insider gate codes, parking links, and amenity tips.
Analysis
Rent Price Breakdown
Compare pricing across all 25 properties in Boston, MA.
Average Rent by Property
Starting Price vs Average
Rent by Bedroom Count
Price per Square Foot
Boston, MA Rent Prices
All 25 properties ranked by lowest available rent.
Boston Pads
279 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
West Square Apartments
320 D St, Boston, MA 02127, USA
Watermark Seaport Apartments
85 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Flats on D
411 D St, Boston, MA 02210, USA
South Standard
235 Old Colony Ave, Boston, MA 02127, USA
VIA Seaport Residences Apartments
5 Fan Pier Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210, USA
One Greenway
99 Kneeland St, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| # | Property | From | Avg | $/sqft | Rating | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Pads 279 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116, USA | $2,550 | $3,653 | -- | 4.9 (76) | 27 |
| 2 | West Square Apartments 320 D St, Boston, MA 02127, USA | $2,735 | $3,337 | $4.57 | 3.4 (54) | 3 |
| 3 | Watermark Seaport Apartments 85 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210, USA | $2,983 | $4,539 | $7.19 | 4.7 (130) | 18 |
| 4 | Flats on D 411 D St, Boston, MA 02210, USA | $3,094 | $3,815 | $4.90 | 4.4 (70) | 14 |
| 5 | South Standard 235 Old Colony Ave, Boston, MA 02127, USA | $3,097 | $4,422 | -- | 4.9 (94) | 19 |
| 6 | VIA Seaport Residences Apartments 5 Fan Pier Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210, USA | $3,188 | $3,965 | $6.88 | 4.7 (173) | 27 |
| 7 | One Greenway 99 Kneeland St, Boston, MA 02111, USA | $3,338 | $4,062 | -- | 4.8 (209) | 9 |
Explore Each Property
Boston Pads
4.9 (76)279 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
West Square Apartments
3.4 (54)320 D St, Boston, MA 02127, USA
Watermark Seaport Apartments
4.7 (130)85 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Flats on D
4.4 (70)411 D St, Boston, MA 02210, USA
South Standard
4.9 (94)235 Old Colony Ave, Boston, MA 02127, USA
VIA Seaport Residences Apartments
4.7 (173)5 Fan Pier Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Boston, MA Average Rent Prices 2026
The average rent in Boston, MA is $5,011 per month, based on 320 units across 25 apartment communities. Prices range from $2,550 at Boston Pads to $8,352 at Elevated Boston.
Average Rent by Bedroom Type
| Type | Avg Rent | Starting From | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $3,633/mo | $2,735/mo | 67 |
| 1 Bed | $4,837/mo | $3,350/mo | 148 |
| 2 Bed | $5,913/mo | $2,550/mo | 97 |
| 3 Bed | $8,821/mo | $6,336/mo | 8 |
Every price is a real asking rent, updated that morning. Request a neighborhood we don't cover and we add it within 24 hours.
Building Economics
How much do Boston, MA apartments earn?
The 19 buildings we can estimate generate about $67M in rental revenue per month ($809M a year). Estimated from each building's unit-level listing and leasing activity.
| Building | Est. Monthly Revenue | Est. Occupancy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Elevated Boston | $46M/mo | 100% | 4000 |
| 2.South Standard | $3.0M/mo | 97% | 684 |
| 3.100 Pier 4 | $2.3M/mo | 96% | 510 |
| 4.The Sudbury | $1.8M/mo | 92% | 368 |
| 5.The Metlo | $1.7M/mo | 94% | 390 |
Research estimates from listing activity, not operator financials. Click any building for the full revenue breakdown and methodology.
Market Context
Who rents in Boston, MA, and what they pay
Tracked one-bedroom rent in Boston, MA averages $4,837/mo, with two-bedroom units averaging $5,913/mo. At the local median household income of $94,755, that works out to 63% of gross income, a severely rent-burdened market by HUD standards.
The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2023 release pegged median gross rent in Boston, MA at $2,093/mo. The current tracked market average runs 139% higher than that benchmark, reflecting both two to three years of rent growth and the fact that the Census figure covers all renter-occupied housing in Boston, MA while the tracked market average covers units currently listed in larger apartment communities.
Who employs renters in Boston
Demand in the Boston rental market is shaped by the metro's largest private and public employers. The following organizations anchor local hiring and influence what renters can pay:
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Boston University
- State Street
- Fidelity Investments
- Wayfair
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Mean one-way commute in Boston, MA is 30 minutes, per the Census ACS, useful context when weighing which properties sit inside reasonable reach of these employers.
What salary do I need to live comfortably in Boston, MA?
Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.
Minimum to afford average rent
$200,000/year
Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $5,011/mo.
Comfortable income
$241,000/year
Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.
To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($2,550/mo), you need to earn at least $102,000/year.
Median household income in Boston, MA is $94,755 , about 61% below the comfortable-living threshold.
Cost of living in Boston, MA
Overall prices in Boston, MA runs above the national average by about 10% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 110.4, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Boston, MA's regional price parities.
| Category | Monthly estimate |
|---|---|
| Rent (market average) | $5,011 |
| Utilities | $637 |
| Groceries | $544 |
| Transportation | $1,520 |
| Healthcare | $741 |
| Other goods and services | $1,186 |
| Estimated total | $9,639/mo |
Population
663,972
Median household income
$94,755
Census median rent
$2,093/mo
Rent as % of income
30.1%
Median age
33.2
Mean commute
30 min
Methodology
Rent data
Sourced directly from each tracked apartment community and refreshed every 24 hours. Every listed unit price on this page is real and listed today.
Cost of living
Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.
Salary to live comfortably
Applies the standard 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income rule on top of the listed rent. This is the same affordability guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.
Demographic figures
Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.
Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
Compare
Nearby cities in Massachusetts
How Boston, MA rent compares to other markets in the state.
| City | Avg Rent | vs Boston, MA | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agawam, MA | $2,298 | -54% | 28 |
| Lynn, MA | $2,899 | -42% | 15 |
| Springfield, MA | $1,628 | -68% | 12 |
| Waltham, MA | $3,724 | -26% | 12 |
| Fall River, MA | $1,794 | -64% | 10 |
| Framingham, MA | $2,964 | -41% | 10 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average rent in Boston, MA?
The average rent in Boston, MA is $5,011 per month, based on 320 units across 25 apartment buildings tracked by Average Rent. Prices are refreshed daily.
What is the cheapest apartment rent in Boston, MA?
The lowest available rent in Boston, MA starts at $2,550 per month. Availability changes daily and prices are refreshed each morning.
How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Boston, MA?
1-bedroom apartments in Boston, MA average $4,837/mo. The lowest listed 1-bedroom starts at $3,350/mo across 148 units tracked.
How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Boston, MA?
2-bedroom apartments in Boston, MA average $5,913/mo. Units start from $2,550/mo across 97 units currently listed.
Rent Trends in Boston, MA
Track how apartment prices are changing over time.
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