How much you have to make to rent comfortably in Boston

A worker needs to make nearly $127,000 a year to afford the typical monthly rent in greater Boston, according to a new report.

Why it matters: That’s about 26.8% higher than what a Boston-area household would have needed to earn five years ago, per the analysis from Zillow.

  • It’s also about $10,000 more than the income needed to afford the typical rent nationwide, Zillow found.

The online real estate hub pegged its affordability standard for Boston at 32.5% of household income.

  • They found the average observed rent in the Boston area was $3,175 in April 2025.
  • The median household income in…

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