Renting in Boston costs about $3,050 a month, and the typical home is listed at $805,000. That puts the price-to-rent ratio at 22.0: a typical home costs as much as 22.0 years of rent.
Boston now and in 2031
| Now | 2031 (projected) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent | $3,050/mo | $3,000/mo |
| Typical list price | $805,000 | $964,000 |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 22.0 | — |
Rent is projected at -0.3% a year, the trend in RentCast's median rents for these ZIP codes since mid-2024. For home values: The first 2 years follow this year's change in list prices (-0.4%); later years use the Federal Housing Finance Agency's house price index average for these ZIP codes from 2020 to 2025 (+6.5% a year). These are trends carried forward, not predictions of the next market turn.
How to read the price-to-rent ratio
The ratio divides the typical list price by a year of typical rent. A higher ratio means buying is expensive relative to renting; a lower one means monthly rent is high compared with what a home costs. It's a quick way to compare cities, not a verdict for your situation.
By ZIP code
| ZIP | Median rent | Rental listings | Median list price | Sale listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02124 | $3,000/mo | 308 | $689,900 | 126 |
| 02128 | $2,950/mo | 649 | $699,000 | 272 |
| 02135 | $3,000/mo | 2,854 | $725,000 | 259 |
| 02130 | $3,095/mo | 686 | $849,000 | 184 |
| 02136 | $2,650/mo | 152 | $670,000 | 86 |
| 02127 | $3,600/mo | 464 | $1,049,900 | 278 |
What this doesn't account for
Mortgage rates, your down payment, property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, maintenance, and how long you'll stay decide more than any city-wide figure. These are area numbers built from active listings; they don't know the specific home or your finances.
Source: RentCast market data for 6 of Boston's 30 ZIP codes (the most populous, home to 39% of residents in the city's ZIP codes, per the Census Bureau's ACS 2023). A ZIP counts only with at least 20 active listings. Retrieved October 15, 2026. Figures are listing-weighted averages of ZIP medians, not an appraisal. How Predictye calculates this.
Frequently asked questions
How much is rent in Boston, MA?
Typical asking rent is $3,050 a month, across 5,113 active rental listings in 6 ZIP codes.
How much do homes cost in Boston, MA?
The typical list price is $805,000, across 1,205 active sale listings in 6 ZIP codes. List prices are asking prices, not final sale prices.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Boston, MA?
About 22.0: the typical list price equals 22.0 years of typical rent. The higher the ratio, the more buying costs relative to renting.