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Average Rent in Boston, MA & Rent Trends

What is the average rent in Boston, MA?

The average listed apartment rent in Boston, MA is $4,548 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 401 priced apartments in 24 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from November 3, 2026 through November 8, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 24 apartment communities in Boston, MA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas Brighton Chinatown D Street / West Broadway East Boston Prudential / St. Botolph South Boston West End
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed 5 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in Boston, MA.

Market Average

$4,548/mo

Lowest Available

$2,000/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

24

tracked daily

Units Listed

401

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

See current options while we confirm new price comparisons. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Rent by Neighborhood in Boston, MA

Compare average rent across Boston, MA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends. View these neighborhoods on the rent map

Neighborhood Avg Rent 30d Change From Properties Units
West End $5,349 ▼  $296 $3,272 1 14
D Street / West Broadway $4,832 ▼  $44 $3,033 11 206
Prudential / St. Botolph $4,518 ▲  $748 $2,000 3 65
Chinatown $4,161 ▼  $106 $2,800 5 73
Brighton $3,958 ▲  $401 $2,845 1 13
South Boston $3,825 ▼  $2,766 $2,960 2 16
East Boston $3,111 ▼  $8 $2,533 1 14

Is Rent Going Up or Down in Boston, MA?

As of November 2026, the average rent in Boston, MA is $4,548 per month across 24 apartment communities and 401 available units.

The most affordable option is Boston Pads starting at $2,000/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $3,364/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $4,023/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $5,550/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $6,704/mo, a 4-bedroom averages $5,992/mo.

Prices range from $2,000 to $13,095 per month. The most common price point is the $6,600+ range, where 48 units are currently listed.

Boston, MA Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
April 2026 $4,454 - 9
May 2026 $4,521 +$67 21
June 2026 $4,675 +$154 22
July 2026 $4,725 +$50 28
August 2026 $4,660 -$65 29
September 2026 $4,675 +$15 29
October 2026 $4,617 -$58 26
November 2026 $4,451 -$166 23

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in Boston, MA

Studio
$3,364
from $2,100 · 81 units
1 Bed
$4,023
from $2,200 · 172 units
2 Bed
$5,550
from $2,000 · 109 units
3 Bed
$6,704
from $2,300 · 29 units
4 Bed
$5,992
from $2,100 · 10 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in Boston, MA

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Boston Pads $2,000/mo $4,093/mo 53 4.9
Addison $2,533/mo $3,111/mo 14 4.7
Ink Block $2,800/mo $3,442/mo 17 4.5
Avalon Brighton $2,845/mo $3,958/mo 13 3.9
West Square Apartments $2,960/mo $2,960/mo 1 3.4
South Standard $2,970/mo $3,883/mo 15 4.9
Gables Seaport $3,033/mo $4,328/mo 26 4.8

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in Boston, MA

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

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Any bedrooms

What is the average rent in Boston, MA?
The average listed apartment rent in Boston, MA is $4,548 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 401 priced apartments in 24 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in Boston, MA?
The apartment listings we track in Boston, MA range from $2,000 to $13,095 per month, as of November 8, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in Boston, MA?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for apartment listings in Boston, MA. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a studio apartment in Boston, MA?
Studio apartments average $3,364 per month across 81 priced listings in Boston, MA. Listed rents range from $2,100 to $6,400 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Boston, MA?
1-bedroom apartments average $4,023 per month across 172 priced listings in Boston, MA. Listed rents range from $2,200 to $6,502 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Boston, MA?
2-bedroom apartments average $5,550 per month across 109 priced listings in Boston, MA. Listed rents range from $2,000 to $12,165 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 3-bedroom apartment in Boston, MA?
3-bedroom apartments average $6,704 per month across 29 priced listings in Boston, MA. Listed rents range from $2,300 to $13,095 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 4-bedroom apartment in Boston, MA?
4-bedroom apartments average $5,992 per month across 10 priced listings in Boston, MA. Listed rents range from $2,100 to $7,850 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How do 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rents compare in Boston, MA?
The 1-bedroom average is $4,023 per month across 172 listings. The 2-bedroom average is $5,550 across 109 listings, $1,527 (38.0%) higher. This is a comparison of listing groups, not the cost to upgrade a specific apartment.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in Boston, MA?
Boston Pads has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $2,000 per month. We track 53 priced listings matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of November 8, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

How many apartment listings do you track in Boston, MA?
We track 401 priced units at 24 apartment buildings, as of November 8, 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for Boston, MA?
We have recorded rent data on 197 days from April 2026 through November 2026 for apartment listings in Boston, MA. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in Boston, MA?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ / senior community and Corporate housing and Military / active duty housing and Veteran housing. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the Boston, MA rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was November 8, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

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

$182,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $4,548/mo.

Comfortable income

$218,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($2,000/mo), you need to earn at least $80,000/year.

Median household income in Boston, MA is $94,755 , about 57% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore Boston, MA Apartments

Browse all 24 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

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) $4,548
Utilities $637
Groceries $544
Transportation $1,520
Healthcare $741
Other goods and services $1,186
Estimated total $9,176/mo

Population

663,972

Median household income

$94,755

Census median rent

$2,093/mo

Census rent burden

30.1%

Median age

33.2

Mean commute

30 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

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

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

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.
Massachusetts Rent Trends
Compare rent across all Massachusetts cities
Boston, MA Neighborhood Rent Map
See rent history by neighborhood on a map
Explore Boston, MA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how Boston, MA rents stack up against the national median

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