The 5 Most and Least Expensive Neighborhoods to Rent in Boston Right Now

On Tuesday, October 1, we published our monthly National Rent Report analyzing 100 major cities in the U.S. — and at $2,750 a month, Boston, MA was ranked as the No. 4 most expensive city to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the country.

In this report, we wanted to take a deeper look into which neighborhoods are driving the price hikes in Greater Boston and which are offering renters some relief. Read on to find out the top 5 most and least expensive neighborhoods to rent in Boston right now.

In September, the most expensive neighborhood to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Boston was the Seaport District, at $4,076 a month. It has held this position every month of 2024 except for April, when it was briefly unseated by Cambridge’s Kendall Square neighborhood. Both are known for their new luxury development and high-end real estate. Typically, the closer a neighborhood is to downtown Boston, the more expensive.

Below, you’ll find the top 5 most expensive neighborhoods to rent in Boston right now.

While every neighborhood in Boston will run you rates higher than the national median, there are some neighborhoods that are more affordable than others. Currently, the neighborhood with the lowest median asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Boston is Roslindale at $2,200 a month.

Below, you’ll find the 5 most affordable neighborhoods to rent in Boston right now.

Using our rental data, we’ve compiled a list of Greater Boston neighborhoods and their median rent prices for studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. For even more rental market data, check out our Boston Metro Report, updated daily. 

To generate our rent data, ApartmentAdvisor analyzes rental listings available on our platform, sourced from multiple listing syndication partners. We take all the unique apartments that were available for any amount of time during a time period, deduplicate them by unit type, and remove unreliable listings. We also use a minimum threshold of units for cities to ensure that data is accurate. Luxury bias is removed by focusing on median figures instead of average rent price.

For more rent data, check out our Massachusetts Rent Report, update monthly, and our Boston Market Report, updated daily.

Yes! Started by the founders behind Tripadvisor and CarGurus, ApartmentAdvisor combines smart technology with expert local guidance to make your apartment search easier at every step, from finding the right apartment to signing your lease. Click here to learn more and get started.