Rent by ZIP code in Boston
| ZIP code | County | Typical rent | vs city median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02210 | Suffolk County | $4,442 | +35% |
| 02110 | Suffolk County | $4,351 | +32% |
| 02120 | Suffolk County | $4,260 | +29% |
| 02111 | Suffolk County | $4,014 | +22% |
| 02127 | Suffolk County | $3,959 | +20% |
| 02118 | Suffolk County | $3,872 | +17% |
| 02109 | Suffolk County | $3,777 | +15% |
| 02129 | Suffolk County | $3,627 | +10% |
| 02116 | Suffolk County | $3,585 | +9% |
| 02114 | Suffolk County | $3,583 | +9% |
| 02215 | Suffolk County | $3,414 | +4% |
| 02119 | Suffolk County | $3,388 | +3% |
| 02125 | Suffolk County | $3,360 | +2% |
| 02115 | Suffolk County | $3,297 | 0% |
| 02121 | Suffolk County | $3,223 | -2% |
| 02130 | Suffolk County | $3,201 | -3% |
| 02128 | Suffolk County | $3,189 | -3% |
| 02134 | Suffolk County | $3,153 | -4% |
| 02122 | Suffolk County | $3,133 | -5% |
| 02108 | Suffolk County | $3,110 | -6% |
| 02113 | Suffolk County | $3,093 | -6% |
| 02126 | Suffolk County | $3,092 | -6% |
| 02135 | Suffolk County | $3,064 | -7% |
| 02124 | Suffolk County | $3,041 | -8% |
| 02131 | Suffolk County | $2,991 | -9% |
| 02132 | Suffolk County | $2,798 | -15% |
| 02136 | Suffolk County | $2,668 | -19% |
Rent by bedroom count in Boston
Zillow's index above blends every unit size into one number. For a bedroom level view, these are HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Suffolk County. They include utilities and sit near the 40th percentile of the market, so treat them as the low side of what a typical unit lists for.
| Unit size | FY2027 Fair Market Rent |
|---|---|
| Studio | $2,440 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,518 |
| 2 bedroom | $3,008 |
| 3 bedroom | $3,584 |
| 4 bedroom | $3,953 |
Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Updates when HUD publishes a new fiscal year.
Is rent going up or down in Boston?
Typical rent across Suffolk County is $3,280 as of August 2026. That is up 3.1% from a year earlier and up 29.4% over five years.
| Year | Typical rent, Suffolk County | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $2,659 | +14.0% |
| 2022 | $2,879 | +8.3% |
| 2023 | $3,047 | +5.8% |
| 2024 | $3,129 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $3,196 | +2.1% |
| 2026 (through August) | $3,280 | +2.6% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index for the county, all home types, last published month of each year. Each row is compared with the end of the year before it.
Boston rent questions
- What is the average rent in Boston, MA?
- Typical asking rent in Boston is $3,297 a month as of July 2026, across 27 ZIP codes. By ZIP code it runs from $2,668 to $4,442.
- How much is rent for a 2 bedroom in Boston?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in Suffolk County is $3,008 a month including utilities. A one bedroom is $2,518 and a three bedroom is $3,584. Fair Market Rent is set near the 40th percentile, so a typical unit lists somewhat higher.
- Is rent going up or down in Boston?
- Rent is rising. Typical rent in Suffolk County is $3,280 as of August 2026, up 3.1% from a year earlier.
- What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in Boston?
- ZIP 02136 has the lowest typical asking rent in Boston at $2,668 a month, compared with $3,297 for the city overall.
- How much income do you need to rent in Boston?
- Most landlords look for gross income of about three times the rent. At the typical Boston rent of $3,297, that is about $9,891 a month, or $118,692 a year. This is a common screening rule of thumb, and individual landlords set their own.
How to use these numbers
These are Zillow Observed Rent Index values, a smoothed measure of typical asking rent for single family homes, condos, and apartments in each ZIP code. They describe what units are listed for, not what any specific unit will get. Condition, bedroom count, and the exact block all move the number.
If you are underwriting a purchase, use the ZIP figure rather than the city median, and then verify against live listings for the same bedroom count before you commit. Boston sits in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area.