6 Boston neighborhoods to search for a deal on rent this fall

Boston’s rental market is one of the most expensive in the nation. But some neighborhoods are less expensive than others; not only that, they offer more reasonably priced inventory for wary and weary prospective tenants to search.

Using rent and inventory data from search site RentCafe, as well as reports of new development, here are six neighborhoods to check out if you’re looking for a deal on Boston rent this fall.

Dorchester

Michael Moloney/Shutterstock

It’s difficult not to apartment hunt in Dorchester. It’s Boston’s largest neighborhood by area—it was its own city once, in fact—with a diverse housing stock. Its average rent of $2,597 a month as of late July is 13 percent lower than the overall Boston average, per RentCafe.

Jamaica Plain

Boston Globe via Getty Images

Like in Dorchester, Jamaica Plain’s housing stock is variegated and its average rent of $2,612 runs 13 percent lower than Boston’s overall. The neighborhood has also seen a sizable amount of rental development during the past few years, especially along Huntington Avenue and in Jackson Square.

Allston-Brighton

Boston Globe via Getty Images

The neighboring neighborhoods have an average rent of $2,705 that is 10 percent lower than Boston’s in general; and they positively teem with rental stock. Allston is a particularly student-heavy area, for one thing, with early September full of moving trucks.

Roxbury

Tupungato/Shutterstock

The inventory of available apartments might not be as hefty in Roxbury as in the likes of Dorchester and Jamaica Plain, but it’s hard to beat the centrally located neighborhood’s rent. The average is $2,277, 24 percent lower than Boston’s overall.

East Boston

Tupungato/Shutterstock

East Boston is famously (or infamously, depending on one’s view) full of new development, much of it rentals. And, despite growing popularity among workers looking for a quicker commute downtown, the neighborhood is still a bargain. Its average rent of $2,627 is 12 percent lower than Boston as a whole.

• Boston apartment rents: Why they’re so high [Curbed Boston]
• Boston neighborhoods: How they got their names [Curbed Boston]
• Moving day in Boston: Which will be the busiest? [Curbed Boston]
• East Boston residents to city: Don’t let us become the Seaport [Curbed Boston]