Regional starting points
These county indices seed the comparison below. They cover different housing mixes; use comparable listings for your decision.
Typical home value
$750,961
Suffolk County, MA
· Zillow ZHVI
Zillow ZHVI county series · Retrieved . Coverage and method.
Typical monthly rent
$3,280 / month
Suffolk County, MA
· Zillow ZORI
Zillow ZORI county series · Retrieved . Coverage and method.
1 · Compare your options
What would each path cost?
Start with two homes that meet the same needs. A countywide home value and rent index can represent different sizes and property types.
Adjust tax and growth assumptions
Mortgage, growth and property tax rates are illustrative scenario assumptions. Check your lender quote and the property's actual tax bill.
Starting scenario · 10 years · Before income taxes
Renting and investing finishes $328,715 ahead
This compares projected home equity after selling costs with invested cash. It assumes the cheaper housing path invests the entire monthly difference. Changing that behavior can change the answer.
Buying cash at closing
$172,721
Down payment + 3% closing costs; reserves extra
First year buying catches up
Not within 30 years
Annual checkpoints under these assumptions
Monthly budget in year one
Includes housing costs and utilities. Principal builds equity but still leaves your bank account.
Calculated from your inputs using the RentalCalcs model. See costs, source periods and exclusions. Dollar amounts are rounded after calculation.
Renting leaves $2,609 more per month to invest in year one.
Monthly cost breakdown
Scroll the table sideways if needed.
| Cost | Renting | Buying |
|---|---|---|
| Rent / mortgage P&I | $3,280 | $3,997 |
| Property tax | $0 | $770 |
| Insurance | $17 | $150 |
| PMI | $0 | $0 |
| Maintenance reserve | $0 | $939 |
| HOA dues | $0 | $0 |
| Utilities | $150 | $200 |
| Total | $3,447 | $6,055 |
What if you move sooner or stay longer?
Wealth at each exit date, including a home sale. These are nominal dollars and modeled outcomes, not market forecasts.
Scroll the table sideways if needed.
| Exit year | Rent + invest | Buy + sell |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | $313,631 | $177,945 |
| 5 | $420,992 | $239,764 |
| 10Your stay | $746,718 | $418,003 |
| 20 | $1,748,731 | $910,354 |
| 30 | $3,542,617 | $1,686,790 |
Take this scenario further
Change insurance, maintenance, transaction costs and other assumptions in the full calculator. All ten inputs above carry over.
Continue with these numbers →2 · Check the homes you are comparing
What matters for your decision in Boston?
Finalize utility charges separately from opening the new account
Boston Water and Sewer Commission separates two steps in a property transfer. Before closing, a Certificate of Water, Sewer and Stormwater Charges and a final meter reading establish the utility charges. Its current instructions require the application and fee at least ten working days before closing to arrange the inside-meter reading. After closing, the new owner submits a separate ownership and billing-name form, including when an authorized agent pays a condominium association’s bills.
Boston water, sewer and stormwater closing certificates and ownership changes · Undated current Boston Water and Sewer Commission transfer instructions. Checked .
Ask the closing professional for the current utility certificate and confirm how the final charges are allocated. Arrange meter access early and verify who will submit the ownership change. For a condo, identify the association account and whether your dues already cover its charges. Separate any closing adjustment from the recurring water, sewer and stormwater budget in the calculator. A recent seller bill or a property-tax certificate alone does not complete BWSC’s stated process.
Compare actual homes with the same financing assumptions in Cambridge or Lynn. Their local requirements and property costs may differ.
Condo dues and upcoming work
For a condo, enter the actual HOA dues and review the reserve study, meeting minutes and special assessments. The starting scenario uses $0 dues; that can understate a condo's cost.
The property's tax bill
The 1.23% starting tax rate is an illustrative assumption, not a verified rate for this home. Use the annual tax bill ÷ purchase price × 100 to enter a matching rate. Look up the Boston assessor and collector through the Massachusetts city and town websites. Review how the bill could change after purchase. The county housing index is separate from the city or town property-tax assessment.
Comparable space and location
Compare similar bedroom counts, commute needs, parking and outdoor space. A county home index and a county rent index do not describe a matched pair of homes.
A shorter stay and cash reserves
Try a three-year exit alongside your expected stay. Include moving costs, repairs and an emergency reserve in your real budget; the cash-at-closing figure does not include those reserves.
If you would rent out a room or unit, model a house hack separately so rental income and vacancy are explicit.
3 · Understand the comparison
Sources and assumptions
- Home value reference · Zillow ZHVI
- Suffolk County, MA (county FIPS 25025; Zillow region 2045). Observation: . All homes, mid-tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted. Retrieved . Download the Zillow ZHVI county series (CSV).
- Monthly rent reference · Zillow ZORI
- Suffolk County, MA (county FIPS 25025; Zillow region 2045). Observation: . All homes plus multifamily, smoothed, seasonally adjusted. Retrieved . Download the Zillow ZORI county series (CSV).
- How to use these indices
- Zillow's data definitions describe typical home values (ZHVI) and typical market rents (ZORI). They cover their respective housing stocks, not a matched pair of homes, Boston city medians or an individual property quote. ZIP-level and listing-based sources use different coverage and may differ. Published source files may be revised after retrieval.
- Financing and ownership costs
- 30-year conventional loan; 3% purchase closing costs; $1,800 yearly home insurance, growing 3%; maintenance at 1.5% of purchase price, growing 2.5%; property taxes growing 2%; $200 monthly owner utilities. PMI is modeled below 20% down at a 0.5% annual rate, until the modeled loan-to-value reaches 80%. All are illustrative assumptions.
- Renting and investing
- $200 yearly renter insurance and $150 monthly utilities. Renting starts with the buyer's down payment and closing costs invested. The path with lower ongoing housing costs invests the difference. Security deposits, broker fees and moving costs are excluded from this comparison.
- Selling and tax treatment
- Selling costs total 7.5% of future home value, including commissions, closing costs and sale preparation. Buyer wealth is equity after selling costs plus invested savings; renter wealth is the investment balance. This comparison excludes income-tax deductions and taxes on investment gains. Dollars are not inflation-adjusted.
Use the full calculator to adjust the remaining costs and explore additional scenarios. Its optional paid report does not gate the free comparison.
Boston rent vs buy questions
Does a lower monthly rent mean renting is better?
It helps your cash budget, but the wealth result also depends on what you invest, home value growth and when you move. Check both the monthly comparison and the exit-year table.
Why is there no universal Boston break-even year?
The answer changes with price, rent, financing and investment returns. “Not within 30 years” describes the modeled window, not a claim that buying can never catch up. A first crossover also does not guarantee buying stays ahead.
Can I compare a cash purchase?
Yes. Set the down payment to 100%. The rent scenario then invests the purchase cash and closing costs, so the opportunity cost of paying cash remains in the comparison.