Boston multifamily market, October 2026

Landlords have the edge in Boston, and it is holding steady: asking rents are up 2.2% on a year, while jobs grew 0.1%.

Updated October 31, 2026 · from Zillow, BLS and the US Census Bureau

+2.2%

Asking rent, year over year

Zillow · September 2026

+0.1%

Jobs, year over year

BLS · September 2026, preliminary

3.6%YEARLY

Vacancy

Census · 2024 count

What is moving now

Asking rents are up 2.2% on a year to September 2026, which is the figure the condition is read from. Jobs are up 0.1% over the same year to September 2026, a first release the BLS revises the following month. Nothing is pulling hard either way in the latest figures (September 2026).

The backdrop

These are yearly Census counts, not this month's: 3.6% of rentals sat empty in 2024, permits for new apartments were down 17% in 2025, more people moved out than in in 2025, and the typical rent was $2,093 a month in 2024. They are the background the monthly figures move against, and they are the newest the Census has published.

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Common questions about Boston

Answered from the data, updated October 31, 2026

Is the Boston rental market tight or soft right now?

In Boston right now, landlords have the edge, and it is stable.

Which way is the Boston market heading?

Boston is stable right now, as asking rents firm over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Boston a landlord's or a renter's market?

Boston is a landlord's market right now: landlords have the edge, and it is stable.

What is the vacancy rate in Boston?

Vacancy in Boston is 3.6% in the 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a monthly reading (US Census Bureau).

How much have Boston rents changed?

Asking rents in Boston are up 2.2% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Sep 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Whelan: Mass. renters need housing, not more barriersBoston Herald

Massachusetts Ballot Question 7, explained: Single-family housingThe Boston Globe

Boston Councilors Propose Public ‘Worst Landlords’ List for Repeated Housing ViolationsBoston's ROCK 92.9

Op-ed: Mass. ban on algorithmic rent pricing won’t help housing crisisThe Business Journals

ONE-ON-ONE WITH BOSTON 25: From soaring costs and housing to ICE, schools, and the MBTA, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey faced questions last night from voters ahead of Election Day.Facebook

Mass. Development Issues Push Investors To New HampshireBisnow

See all Boston news →

Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.
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