Greater Boston · Town guide
Living in Boston, MA.
The city itself: two dozen very different neighborhoods, the densest transit network in New England, and a market where condos far outnumber single-family homes.
Boston at a glance
- Median single-family
- $877,500
- ▼ 3.6% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $785,000
- ▲ 1.9% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 43
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 99.8%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $12.40
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 673,458
- 2024 Census estimate, −0.8% since 2020
- To Boston
- under 1 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- Commuter rail · Subway · Light rail · Ferry
Boston market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $877,500 | $785,000 |
| Change vs. last year | ▼ 3.6% | ▲ 1.9% |
| Sales closed | 526 | 2439 |
| Median days on market | 43 | 55 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 99.8% | 97.5% |
| For sale at month end | 158 | 1180 |
| Months of supply | 2.3 | 4.0 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Boston Local Market Update (PDF, opens in a new tab) (MLS PIN data). Year-to-date figures except homes for sale and months of supply, which are for the latest month. A town median is a starting point; the right price is street by street.
Side by side · August 2026 year to date
How does Boston compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | $877,500 ▼ 3.6% | $785,000 | 43 | $12.40 |
| Cambridge | $2,460,000 ▲ 1.2% | $975,000 | 35 | $6.67 |
| Chelsea | $703,500 ▲ 11.5% | $472,500 | 29 | $11.48 |
| Somerville | $1,375,000 ▼ 10.7% | $865,000 | 47 | $10.98 |
| Everett | $700,000 ▲ 3.3% | $465,000 | 38 | $12.62 |
| Brookline | $2,525,000 ▼ 9.8% | $1,037,500 | 55 | $10.24 |
Year-to-date medians from each town's MAR Local Market Update; tax rates per $1,000 from the Mass. Division of Local Services. Nearby = closest town centers among the towns I cover.
Town guide
What it's like to live in Boston.
What is it like to live in Boston?
Boston isn't one market. It's a collection of neighborhoods that price, feel, and live completely differently: historic brownstone districts downtown, triple-decker streets in Dorchester, waterfront condos in the Seaport and East Boston, and single-family neighborhoods in West Roxbury and Roslindale.
Most Boston sales are condos. The single-family median shown here comes from a relatively small slice of the city's housing, so neighborhood-level comparisons matter more than the citywide number.
What are Boston's neighborhoods like?
A few of the city's neighborhoods, as a quick orientation:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Back Bay, Beacon Hill & the South End | Brownstones and historic condos, walkable, near everything | Classic city living at the top of the market |
| Seaport & downtown | Newer high-rise condos near offices and the waterfront | Amenity buildings and short commutes |
| East Boston & Charlestown | Waterfront neighborhoods with skyline views; East Boston near the airport | Views and relative value (East Boston) |
| South Boston | Condos and multifamilies near the beaches and Castle Island | A neighborhood feel near downtown |
| Dorchester | Boston's largest neighborhood, full of triple-deckers and single-families | Multifamily and relative value |
| Jamaica Plain & Roslindale | Green, residential, with parks and village centers | Space near the city |
| West Roxbury & Hyde Park | The most suburban parts of the city, more single-families | A yard inside city limits |
What does housing look like in Boston?
Condos dominate: in converted brownstones and triple-deckers, mid-rises, and luxury towers. Two- and three-family homes are common in Dorchester, Roxbury, East Boston, and parts of South Boston. Single-family homes are concentrated in West Roxbury, Roslindale, Hyde Park, and parts of Dorchester and Jamaica Plain.
For condo buyers, the building matters as much as the unit: condo fee, reserves, special assessments, parking, and rental rules.
How is the commute from Boston to Boston?
Boston has the full MBTA network: subway, light rail, commuter rail, and ferries. How you get around depends entirely on the neighborhood. Map your real commute from the specific address.
Where do people spend time in Boston?
- The Emerald Necklace parks, Boston Common, and the Public Garden
- The Harborwalk and the harbor islands
- Neighborhood squares and main streets across the city
What should buyers and sellers know about Boston?
- Compare within the neighborhood, not the city. A citywide median hides huge differences.
- Parking is a real line item. A deeded space can add significant value to a condo.
- Boston offers a residential exemption on property taxes for owner-occupants, which lowers the bill; check eligibility with the city.
- Coastal neighborhoods can have flood-zone exposure. Check the FEMA map.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (Boston Public Schools).
Questions people actually ask.
Is it better to buy a condo or a house in Boston?
Most buyers in Boston are choosing between condos because single-family homes are a small share of the housing, concentrated in a few neighborhoods. Budget, commute, and the building's finances usually decide it.
What is the residential exemption in Boston?
A property tax reduction for owners who live in the home as their primary residence. Eligibility and amounts are set by the city, so check the current rules.
MBTA stations in Boston
- Commuter rail: 21 stations (Fairmount Line, Fall River/New Bedford Line, Fitchburg Line, Foxboro Event Service…)
- Subway: 34 stations (Blue Line, Orange Line, Red Line)
- Light rail: 43 stations (Green Line B, Green Line C, Green Line D, Green Line E…)
- Ferry: 12 stations (Charlestown Ferry, East Boston Ferry, Harbor Loop Ferry, Hingham Ferry…)
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Boston home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Boston's median single-family price and its FY2026 tax rate. Change anything. This is an estimate for planning, not a loan quote.
How I help in Boston
Three ways to start.
Buy in Boston
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Boston
A price grounded in Boston sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Boston
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Boston.
What is the median home price in Boston, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Boston was $877,500 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $910,000 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $785,000. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Boston?
Single-family homes that sold in Boston during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 43 days on market and sold for 99.8% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Boston, MA?
Boston's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $12.40 per $1,000 of assessed value (Massachusetts Division of Local Services). On a home assessed at the median single-family sale price, that's roughly $10,880 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there public transit from Boston to Boston?
Yes. MBTA service in Boston: commuter rail: 21 stations (Fairmount Line, Fall River/New Bedford Line, Fitchburg Line, Foxboro Event Service…); subway: 34 stations (Blue Line, Orange Line, Red Line); light rail: 43 stations (Green Line B, Green Line C, Green Line D, Green Line E…); ferry: 12 stations (Charlestown Ferry, East Boston Ferry, Harbor Loop Ferry, Hingham Ferry…). Check the MBTA's current schedules for times.
MLS listings
Boston homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Boston, through my Ruuster home search. Save a search to hear about new ones as they come on.
Search provided by Ruuster via HomeBase. Open the full Boston search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Boston?
Tell me what you're weighing: a street, a price range, a timeline. I'll send the recent sales that matter and what I'd watch for in Boston specifically.
More Greater Boston towns
- Cambridge
- Somerville
- Brookline
- Medford
- Malden
- Everett
- Revere
- Chelsea
- Melrose
- Wakefield
- Reading
- Stoneham
- Winchester
- Wilmington
- All towns
Sources: market figures, Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Local Market Update (data: MLS PIN; © ShowingTime Plus); tax rate, Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Municipal Databank, Tax Rates by Class; population, U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates for cities and towns; stations, MBTA (V3 API); distance, OpenStreetMap Nominatim (town center); miles are straight-line to Boston City Hall. Numbers retrieved 2026-09-25.