Cambridge's Kendall Square is currently the most expensive area in Greater Boston to rent a 1-BR apartment, according to real estate listings site Zumper, which is out with its monthly rental snapshot. The data surveyed available apartments in the region in March, so it's good indicator of what's out there as spring (finally!) gets underway.
In Kendall Square, where M.I.T. is developing several buildings, the median rent for a 1-BR was $3,490 a month, virtually unchanged from February. Farther along the Red Line, downtown Boston was the region's second-priciest area to rent a 1-BR in March, with a median of $3,110.
As for median rents for 2-BRs, Back Bay ran away with it: The figure was $4,460 in March. The only area that really challenged the former tidal basin was Chinatown/Leather District, where the median was $4,360.
Finally, as for Boston proper, the city is about to fall to fourth most expensive in the U.S. for renting a 1-BR, according to Zumper. Oakland, Calif., appears poised to overtake it soon (see graphic below to see the steadiness of the San Francisco neighbor's rise). The median 1-BR rent in Boston was $2,310 in March, and $2,280 in Oakland.
- Zumper National Rent Report, April 2016 [Zumper]
- Go Time for M.I.T.'s Six-Building Revamp in Kendall Square [Curbed Boston]
- Boston's Physical Landscape: Four Huge Decisions That Shaped It [Curbed Boston]