MA · Metro #10

Boston - MA housing market

The Boston metro has a typical home value of $725,639, up 2.1% from a year ago. Homes are moving fast at 14 days on market, a strong seller's market. 24% of listings have had a price cut. Data from Zillow Research, updated monthly.

Typical home value
$725,639
+2.1% vs. year ago
Median sale price
$702,348
+2.2% YoY
Median list price
$756,000
Sale-to-list ratio
101.3%
Selling above ask
Days on market
14d
Listings w/ price cut
23.7%
New listings / mo
4,731
+7.5% YoY
Homes for sale
12,583
+14.2% YoY
Typical rent
$2,987/mo
+2.7% YoY
Income needed to buy
$211,100
October 2026 report · Zillow data through September 2026

Boston housing market, October 2026

The typical Boston home is worth $725,639 as of September 2026, up 0.2% from the prior month, up 0.6% over three months, and up 2.1% from a year ago. Over the past two years values have ranged from $704,354 to $725,639.

Homes are going pending in about 14 days, slower than the 8 days seen three months earlier. There are roughly 12,583 homes for sale, 14% more than a year ago. 23.7% of listings have taken a price cut (up from 19.9% three months ago).

Typical rent is $2,987 a month, up 2.7% year over year, which puts the price-to-rent ratio at 20.2.

At this week's 7.40% mortgage rate with 20% down ($145,128), the typical Boston home costs about $4,926 a month including tax and insurance, which needs a household income of roughly $211,100 to stay under a 28% payment-to-income ratio.

Typical home value, 24 months
$726k$704kOct 24Oct 25Sep 26
Days to pending, 24 months
23d7dOct 24Oct 25Sep 26
Homes for sale, 24 months
13.0k5.9kOct 24Oct 25Sep 26

Income needed to buy assumes 20% down, a 30-year fixed mortgage at 7.4% (Freddie Mac weekly average), property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.4% of value per year, and a 28% payment-to-income cap. Local taxes and insurance vary; treat it as a comparison figure across metros, not a lender's answer. All metros ranked →

Context

How to read this data

The typical home value ($725,639) is the Zillow Home Value Index for the Boston - MA metro area: a smoothed, seasonally adjusted estimate of the typical value for middle-tier homes (33rd to 67th percentile) across single-family and condo properties.

Prices are up 2.1% over the past year. In Boston - MA, that means a home worth $710,714 last year is now worth roughly $725,639.

The median sale price, what homes actually close for, is $702,348. Homes are selling at 101.3% of list price, meaning buyers are typically paying at or above asking.

Homes listed in Boston - MA sit on the market for roughly 14 days before going pending. Shorter = seller's market; longer = buyer's market.

About 23.7% of current listings have had at least one price cut. High price-cut shares signal sellers are adjusting expectations downward.

Roughly 4,731 new listings hit the market each month in Boston - MA. There are currently 12,583 homes for sale, up 14.2% from a year ago.

The typical monthly rent in Boston - MA is $2,987, up 2.7% year over year. On the Rent vs Buy Index that is a price-to-rent ratio of 20.2x, renting territory (#47 of 195 metros). The mortgage on a typical home here, 20% down at today's 7.4% 30-year rate, runs about $4,019 a month in principal and interest, $1,032 more than renting before taxes, insurance and upkeep. The two break even at a 4.63% rate.

What's not on this page

This is market-level data, not property-level. We don't list individual homes for sale. For that, go to Zillow, Redfin, or your local MLS.

Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI and market indicators), refreshed monthly at the source. This page was rebuilt October 2026. Methodology →

Related

Other metros in MA

MetroHome value1-yr changeDays on market
Worcester - MA$476,551 +2.1% 14.0d
Springfield - MA$372,394 +3.3% 14.0d
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