Washington - DC vs Boston - MA: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

Boston - MA is roughly 27% more expensive than Washington - DC in typical home value. Washington - DC sees more listings with price cuts (29.4% vs 23.7%), a sign of softening seller expectations.

Washington vs Boston: what the numbers say

At today's 7.40% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $3,156 a month in principal and interest in Washington and $4,019 in Boston, a gap of $863 a month.

Typical rent runs $2,407 in Washington and $2,987 in Boston, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.3 times rent in Washington and 1.3 times rent in Boston, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 19.7 years of rent in Washington and 20.2 in Boston; the lower ratio in Washington means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved +0.7% in Washington and +3.0% in Boston; over just the last three months the change was +0.3% in Washington and +0.6% in Boston.

Homes sell for 99.7% of list price in Washington and 101.3% in Boston, after 19 and 14 days on the market, with price cuts on 29% and 24% of listings. All three signs point the same way: buyers have more room to negotiate in Washington.

The number of homes for sale is up 12% on a year ago in Washington and up 14% on a year ago in Boston.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-15), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.