Boston, Cambridge among U.S. cities with highest shares of homes near cemeteries

Boston and Cambridge are among the U.S. cities with the highest shares of homes near cemeteries and funeral parlors, according to a Halloween-centric report from real estate listings and research site Trulia.

Some 28.8 percent of Cambridge homes are within a half-mile of such sites, and 29.4 percent of Boston homes are. Those shares have nothing on Philly’s (see below), but both are sizable when compared with much of the rest of the U.S.

The high shares are likely functions of the Boston region’s density and history, with even the deceased competing for space in close quarters. Plus, a lot of the region’s older cemeteries were established well before the streets, houses, and buildings around them.

Interestingly, such proximity to the dead does not appear to be a drag on property prices, according to Trulia. Again, it’s likely a matter of history and density. From the report:

Residents in areas with centuries of history, like New Orleans or Philadelphia, appear to be more comfortable living in close quarters with the dead—or are at least comfortable in the fact that they may have no choice. In these areas, houses within a quarter mile of undertaking establishments have higher home values than those farther away, even after controlling for home attributes like number of bedrooms and square footage.

Seemingly indestructible housing prices—now that’s scary.

• The Boston area’s 26 most historic cemeteries, mapped [Curbed Boston]
• Haunted Boston tour: 17 spooky spots around the region, mapped [Curbed Boston]