Boston, MA Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Boston, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Boston →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Boston, Massachusetts has a population of about 665,945. Typical household income is $89,212 per year, above the median across the cities in our dataset (+24%).
Boston's housing market shows a median home value of $684,900, above the multi-city benchmark (+110%), alongside median rent of $1,981 per month. Both figures matter for anyone weighing a move here.
Home values running about 7.7× median income put Boston on the stretched end of the affordability spectrum among cities we cover. Home values near Boston rose 3.4% in the past year, a pace most would call steady rather than hot. Climate and natural-hazard risk in Boston runs on the lower side, per FEMA's Relatively Moderate rating.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,981/mo in Boston would take 26.6% of your income.
$249/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($684,900) would take 49.2% of your income toward principal & interest.
$1,575/mo over the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Boston
Median home value is $684,900 and median gross rent is $1,981/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Suffolk rose 3.4% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $2,941/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Boston's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively Moderate. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Boston reported a violent crime rate of 583.2 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Boston
Planning a move to Boston? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Cost estimates for moving between Boston and nearby popular destinations:
- Moving from Boston to New York
- Moving from Boston to Seattle
- Moving from Boston to Miami
- Moving from Boston to Tampa
- Moving from Boston to Orlando
- Moving from Boston to Atlanta
- Moving from Boston to Charlotte
- Moving from Boston to Raleigh
- Moving from Boston to Dallas
- Moving from Boston to Austin
- Moving from Boston to Washington
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Boston, MA?
- Boston's key cost-of-living figures: $684,900 median home value, $1,981 median monthly rent, and $89,212 median household income, per the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Boston?
- Using the standard 30%-of-income rule of thumb, affording Boston's median rent of $1,981/month takes an income of roughly $79,240 a year. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Boston.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Boston?
- Boston's median rent of $1,981/month translates to about $79,240 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $156,702 a year for principal and interest on the $684,900 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is Boston safe?
- Per FBI Crime Data Explorer figures, Boston's violent crime rate was 583.2 per 100,000 residents in 2025.
See the full salary breakdown for Boston →
Compare Boston to similar cities
- Boston vs New York: Cost of Living & Housing Comparison
- Boston vs Seattle: Cost of Living & Housing Comparison
- Miami vs Boston: Cost of Living & Housing Comparison
- Tampa vs Boston: Cost of Living & Housing Comparison
- Orlando vs Boston: Cost of Living & Housing Comparison
- Atlanta vs Boston: Cost of Living & Housing Comparison
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Boston's.