Housing & affordability in Boston

ACS 2020–24 · four inputs · 18% of the overall score

D−

40/100
43rd of 60

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The four inputs

Median home value vs metro$731,700

Boston $646,30040% · scores 57

Median rent vs metro$2,147/mo

Boston $2,023/mo30% · scores 54

Ownership rate36%

Boston 62%15% · scores 1

Households spending >30% of income on housing43%

Boston 36%15% · scores 8

Context, not scored

Median year built · Boston 19641947

Houses rather than flats · Boston 53%18%

Households with children · Boston 28%20%

Neither direction is better here, so none of it moves the grade. It is on the page because it changes what a place is like to live in.

Vertical rule marks the Boston reference. ACS 2020–24. Every scale is on the methodology page.

Best Boston suburbs for housing

All 60 ranked, Boston highlighted

1WellesleyA−$1,582,700 2LexingtonB+$1,203,100 3WinchesterB$1,215,200 4NeedhamB$1,188,500 5LynnfieldB−$917,600 6NewtonB−$1,264,900 7BelmontB−$1,159,000 8BrooklineC+$1,246,800 9ReadingC+$809,000 10WilmingtonC+$680,500 11MarbleheadC+$943,900 12BurlingtonC$740,600 13ArlingtonC$933,800 14CambridgeC−$1,092,100 15MiltonC−$933,200 16SwampscottC−$771,100 17MelroseC−$822,900 18NewburyportC−$834,000 19Braintree TownC−$656,800 20MedfordC−$755,500 21WakefieldC−$723,500 22Franklin TownC−$611,700 23SomervilleC−$911,300 24StonehamC−$671,900 25DanversD+$644,200 26WatertownD+$784,600 27DedhamD+$661,800 28WalthamD+$748,700 29Bridgewater TownD+$533,100 30SaugusD+$603,400 31WoburnD+$673,500 32NorwoodD$651,700 33FraminghamD$627,300 34Weymouth TownD$552,100 35PeabodyD$596,200 36Winthrop TownD$649,600 37BeverlyD$650,300 38AbingtonD$539,600 39Randolph TownD−$496,400 40MethuenD−$499,700 41PortsmouthD−$688,500 42BostonD−$731,700 43QuincyD−$618,500 44MaldenD−$633,500 45AmesburyD−$519,300 46MarlboroughF$513,100 47RevereF$597,400 48HudsonF$473,300 49EverettF$610,000 50GloucesterF$600,600 51SalemF$542,800 52HaverhillF$453,900 53DoverF$436,700 54LynnF$510,100 55DerryF$391,200 56BrocktonF$437,500 57ChelseaF$493,500 58LowellF$429,200 59RochesterF$279,100 60LawrenceF$415,200

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Better than Boston on housing & affordability

Boston grades D− on housing & affordability. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.

SuburbHousingMedian home valueOwnership rateOverall

Wellesley14 mi from BostonA−$1.58M84% 76 B Lexington13 mi from BostonB+$1.20M80% 75 B Winchester10 mi from BostonB$1.22M82% 73 B Needham12 mi from BostonB$1.19M83% 73 B Lynnfield14 mi from BostonB−$918k87% 67 C+ Newton10 mi from BostonB−$1.26M70% 75 B

Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24

Six Boston lists

Best Boston suburbs for families Most affordable Boston suburbs Best Boston suburbs for schools Shortest commutes to Downtown Boston Most walkable Boston suburbs Best Boston suburbs for young professionals

Compare Boston

Boston vs Winthrop Town Every Boston suburb, side by side

How this works

How we score Boston suburbs — every weight and source Twelve guides to moving to Boston