Local News

Where to find the best deals on 1-bedroom rentals in Greater Boston

Zumper’s year-over-year data shows price swings across the region’s most competitive markets.

An aerial view of Worcester, which boasts one of the cheapest rents for a 1-bedroom in the state. Wangkun Jia - stock.adobe.com

A new report from Zumper, an online marketplace for renters, shows that rental prices in Boston overall increased 3% from last year, but certain pockets of the region are seeing declines. 

The Massachusetts median one-bedroom rent was $2,220 in December, with Brookline the most expensive at $3,040, followed by Cambridge at $2,990 and Boston at $2,880. 

The most affordable city in the region was Manchester, New Hampshire, with one-bedroom prices at $1,700, followed by Massachusetts cities Brockton ($1,740), and Worcester and Lowell (both at $1,760). 

On the flip side, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, had the fastest-growing rent for one-bedrooms, up 18.5% since this time last year. 

Advertisement:

Medford, located just north of Boston, was the second-fastest-growing, with rents up 8.8% from last year; Brockton placed third with a 5.5% increase. 

However, Quincy saw the most significant rent decrease at 6.8%, followed by Lowell at 6.4% and Somerville at 6.2%. 

It is important to note that Somerville remains one of the most expensive places to live, with one-bedroom rents at $2,580 per month, while Quincy is $2,330 per month. Lowell has one of the lowest rents at $1,760 a month. 

Nationally, in Zumper’s November report, Boston ranked fourth most expensive for one-bedroom apartments, down from third the previous year. The city was behind New York, NY ($4,330), San Francisco, CA ($3,500), and Jersey City, NJ ($3,000). 

Advertisement:

Zumper compiled data from the site’s active listings that went live over the last month, including a few thousand listings per city. 

Headquartered in San Francisco, the private company — founded in 2012 — uses the tagline “making renting a home as easy as booking a hotel.” 

Profile image for Beth Treffeisen

Beth Treffeisen

Reporter

Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.

Sign up for the Today newsletter

Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com