Bedroom count
Property type
Last updated on November 8, 2026
Last updated on November 8, 2026
Bedroom count
Property type
Boston, MA rent rose 5.3% year over year, with a current median of $3,416/month. Renters today are paying $173 more per month on average than last year, with rents just 1.4% below the peak seen in August 2026.
Boston rents run roughly 1.8× the $1,900/month national median. This positions Boston, MA as a higher-cost market relative to the national median for renters.
Studios in Boston run around $2,495/month, 1-bedrooms around $2,900/month, 2-bedrooms around $3,470/month, 3-bedrooms around $3,700/month, and 4+ bedrooms reach $5,262/month. These figures reflect the range across bedroom sizes in the city.
Median rent in Boston
$3,415/mo
vs previous year
The average rent in Boston is $3,415 per month as of November 2026. This is 80% above the national average rent, or $1,515 more per month.
average price per square foot
Available rentals in Boston
5,687
for rent on Zumper.com as of November 2026
Share of Boston rentals at each price point
Average rent prices in Boston have increased by 1% over the last month and have increased by 5% since last year.
Rent prices on this page are calculated on a rolling 30-day basis and updated daily.
Rent prices in Boston vary by bedroom size, rental type, and neighborhood. The average rent for an apartment in Boston is $3,420, whereas a house costs $3,797. 1-bedroom apartments in Boston run $3,041 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $3,500.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studio | $2,495 | No Change | 2% | |
1 bedroom | $2,900 | 2% | No Change | |
2 bedroom | $3,470 | 1% | 2% | |
3 bedroom | $3,700 | No Change | 3% | |
4 bedroom | $5,262 | 4% | 17% |
Listings | ||
|---|---|---|
Back Bay | $3,775 | |
Columbia Point | $3,083 | |
Commonwealth | $2,830 | |
D Street West Broadway | $4,007 | |
Downtown Boston | $4,110 | |
Fenway Kenmore Audubon Circle Longwood | $3,414 | |
Mission Hill | $4,200 | |
Oak Square | $3,200 | |
South End | $3,800 | |
St Elizabeth's | $3,200 |
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apartments | $3,420 | No Change | 4% | |
Condos | $3,450 | 1% | 2% | |
Houses | $3,797 | 4% | 6% | |
Rooms | $1,280 | 8% | 15% |
Studio
Average rent
$2,495
Last year
2%
1 bedroom
Average rent
$2,900
Last 30 days
2%
2 bedroom
Average rent
$3,470
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
2%
3 bedroom
Average rent
$3,700
Last year
3%
4 bedroom
Average rent
$5,262
Last 30 days
4%
Last year
17%
Commonwealth
Average rent
$2,830
Fenway Kenmore Audubon Circle Longwood
Average rent
$3,414
Mission Hill
Average rent
$4,200
St Elizabeth's
Average rent
$3,200
Downtown Boston
Average rent
$4,110
Oak Square
Average rent
$3,200
Back Bay
Average rent
$3,775
D Street West Broadway
Average rent
$4,007
South End
Average rent
$3,800
Columbia Point
Average rent
$3,083
Apartments
Average rent
$3,420
Last 30 days
No Change
Last year
4%
Condos
Average rent
$3,450
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
2%
Houses
Average rent
$3,797
Last 30 days
4%
Last year
6%
Rooms
Average rent
$1,280
Last 30 days
8%
Last year
15%
The table above reflects average rent prices in Boston, MA, broken down by the number of bedrooms, neighborhoods, and property types. The availability of data for each category is dependent on market inventory and will adjust depending on your selected filters.
Compare median rent prices in Boston and Brockton by all bedroom counts and property types.
Boston
higher than the national median
higher than the national median
Takeaway
The median rent for all rentals in Boston, MA is 61% higher than the median rent in Brockton, MA.
Explore rent trends in neighboring markets
Explore the cost of essential expenses, and then use our rent calculator to find out how much rent you can afford.
Expenses accrued by most renters | Average cost compared to national average |
|---|---|
| Goods & Services | 17% higher |
| Groceries | 5% higher |
| Health | 33% higher |
| Housing | 123% higher |
| Transportation | 6% higher |
| Utilities | 52% higher |
Are you interested in licensing our current and historical rental real estate data, or do you have custom data requests? Contact datalicensing@zumper.com.
Quick answers to common questions about the Boston rental market.
The average rent in Boston is $3,415 per month as of November 7, 2026.
Average rent prices in Boston have increased by 1% over the last month and have increased by 5% since last year.
Rent in Boston is 80% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $1,515 more per month.
The most affordable neighborhoods in Boston are Commonwealth ($2,830/mo), Columbia Point ($3,083/mo), and St Elizabeth's ($3,200/mo).
To comfortably afford rent in Boston, you'd need to earn approximately $137,000/year, based on spending no more than 30% of your income on rent.
May offers the best rental deals in Boston with the lowest rents of the year, while August sees peak pricing with roughly a 3.6% difference between the seasons. December is the least competitive month for apartment hunting.
Rent prices are based on Zumper's rental listings from the past 30 days. Median rent is calculated across all available listings and property types on the platform. If you filter the page by bedroom count or property type, the pricing throughout the page will update automatically to reflect that segment of the rental market.
Household and population data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data is sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index (COLI).
For additional insights into rental trends, including month-over-month changes and historical comparisons, see Zumper's Monthly Metro Report.
The Zumper Boston Metro Report analyzed active listings last month across metro cities to show the most and least expensive cities and cities with the fastest growing rents. The Massachusetts one bedroom median rent was $2,253 last month.

The Most Expensive
The Least Expensive

The Fastest Growing (Y/Y%)
The Fastest Growing (M/M%)

About
The Zumper Boston Metro Area Report analyzed active listings that hit the market last month. Listings are aggregated by city to calculate median asking rents.
Crystal Chen is a seasoned real estate and housing market expert with more than a decade of experience analyzing rental trends, housing affordability, and urban living. At Zumper, she leads data storytelling as well as press and media relations, where she translates complex housing research into easily digestible insights for renters, industry professionals, and journalists. Her reports can be seen cited in national outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. She is passionate about helping renters navigate today’s evolving housing landscape with clarity and confidence. Living in New York City herself, she knows firsthand the chaos and challenges of navigating a competitive rental market.