While Cambridge’s median rent has dropped 15 percent year over year, the city has remained the most costly community for renters in October. Brookline ranked second (with rents down 10 percent), and Boston, which saw a 12.6 percent decrease, was third. The city that experienced the biggest year-over-year price drop was Revere (18.1 percent), while Lynn and Brockton posted the biggest jumps, 15.7 percent and 15.6 percent respectively.
The median rent for a one-bedroom unit in Massachusetts was $1,779 in October.
Here’s how several communities stacked up for the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment and the percentage change month over month and year over year.
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October 2020
RANK | CITY | RENT | MOM | YOY | ||||||
1 | Cambridge | $2,260 | -4.2% | -15% | ||||||
2 | Brookline | $2,250 | 0% | -10% | ||||||
3 | Boston | $2,210 | -3.9% | -12.6% | ||||||
4 | Everett | $2,140 | -4% | -7.4% | ||||||
5 | Newton | $2,000 | 0% | -4.8% | ||||||
6 | Beverly | $1,990 | 0% | 7% | ||||||
7 | Somerville | $1,970 | -1% | -8.4% | ||||||
8 | Quincy | $1,950 | -2.5% | 0% | ||||||
9 | Medford | $1,930 | -2% | -8.1% | ||||||
10 | Waltham | $1,880 | -5.1% | -11.7% | ||||||
11 | Revere | $1,860 | -5.1% | -18.1% | ||||||
12 | Chelsea | $1,830 | -1.1% | -4.2% | ||||||
13 | Framingham | $1,820 | 0% | 0% | ||||||
14 | Malden | $1,780 | -1.1% | -6.3% | ||||||
15 (tie) | Salem | $1,710 | 4.9% | 2.4% | ||||||
15 | Woburn | $1,710 | 0% | -5.5% | ||||||
17 | Melrose | $1,690 | 5.6% | -15.9% | ||||||
18 | Lynn | $1,620 | -3% | 15.7 | ||||||
19 | Lawrence | $1,500 | -3.8% | 15.4% | ||||||
20 | Lowell | $1,430 | -5.3% | -2.1% | ||||||
21 | Haverhill | $1,410 | 0% | -9% | ||||||
22 | Worcester | $1,280 | 0% | 2.4% | ||||||
23 | Brockton | $1,260 | -6% | 15.6% |
September 2020
RANK | CITY | RENT | MOM | YOY | ||||||
1 | Cambridge | $2,360 | 0.4% | -10.9% | ||||||
2 | Boston | $2,300 | 0% | -8.4% | ||||||
3 | Brookline | $2,290 | 0% | -2.1% | ||||||
4 | Everett | $2,230 | -0.9% | -1.3% | ||||||
5 (tie) | Quincy | $2,000 | 0% | 1% | ||||||
5 | Newton | $2,000 | 0% | 0% | ||||||
7 | Somerville | $1,990 | -0.5% | -6.6% | ||||||
8 | Waltham | $1,980 | -4.8% | -7% | ||||||
9 | Medford | $1,970 | -4.8% | -9.6% | ||||||
10 | Revere | $1,960 | -2% | -14.8% | ||||||
11 | Beverly | $1,930 | 0% | 0% | ||||||
12 | Framingham | $1,890 | 0% | 5.6% | ||||||
13 (tie) | Woburn | $1,850 | 0% | 1.6% | ||||||
13 | Chelsea | $1,850 | 0.5% | 1.6% | ||||||
15 | Malden | $1,800 | -1.6% | -2.7% | ||||||
16 | Melrose | $1,720 | 5.5% | -15.7% | ||||||
17 | Salem | $1,630 | 0% | -3.6% | ||||||
18 | Lowell | $1,510 | -5% | 2% | ||||||
19 | Lawrence | $1,500 | -4.5% | 15.4% | ||||||
20 | Haverhill | $1,420 | 0% | -8.4% | ||||||
21 | Brockton | $1,390 | -5.4% | 15.8% | ||||||
22 | Worcester | $1,320 | 0% | -0.8% |
August 2020
RANK | CITY | RENT | MOM | YOY | ||||||
1 | Cambridge | $2,350 | -2.9% | -9.6% | ||||||
2 | Brookline | $2,340 | 0% | -0.4% | ||||||
3 | Boston | $2,300 | -2.1% | -8% | ||||||
4 | Everett | $2,250 | 4.7% | -3.4% | ||||||
5 | Waltham | $2,080 | 5.1% | 0% | ||||||
6 | Medford | $2,070 | 0% | -1.4% | ||||||
7 (tie) | Somerville | $2,000 | -4.8% | -7% | ||||||
7 | Revere | $2,000 | -0.5% | -8.7% | ||||||
7 | Quincy | $2,000 | 0% | 0% | ||||||
7 | Newton | $2,000 | 0% | -4.8% | ||||||
11 | Woburn | $1,970 | 0% | -6.2% | ||||||
12 | Beverly | $1,880 | 0% | -3.6% | ||||||
13 | Framingham | $1,850 | 2.2% | 4.5% | ||||||
14 | Chelsea | $1,840 | 5.1% | 3.4% | ||||||
15 | Malden | $1,830 | 2.8% | 4% | ||||||
16 | Melrose | $1,790 | 5.9% | -16% | ||||||
17 | Salem | $1,610 | 0% | -13% | ||||||
18 (tie) | Lowell | $1,590 | 3.9% | 8.9% | ||||||
18 | Lawrence | $1,590 | 0% | 0% | ||||||
20 | Haverhill | $1,440 | 5.9% | -15.3% | ||||||
21 | Brockton | $1,390 | 0% | 0% | ||||||
22 | Worcester | $1,280 | -5.2% | -3.8% |
July 2020
1 | Cambridge | $2,420 | -6.9% | ||||
2 | Brookline | $2,390 | -0.4% | ||||
3 | Boston | $2,350 | -6% | ||||
4 | Everett | $2,150 | -3.6% | ||||
5 | Somerville | $2,100 | -4.5% | ||||
6 | Medford | $2,070 | -1.4% | ||||
7 | Revere | $2,010 | -14.1% | ||||
8 (tie) | Quincy | $2,000 | 1% | ||||
8 | Newton | $2,000 | 0% | ||||
10 | Waltham | $1,980 | -2% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,950 | 8.9% | ||||
12 | Woburn | $1,910 | -6.4% | ||||
13 | Framingham | $1,810 | 2.3% | ||||
14 | Malden | $1,780 | 5.3% | ||||
15 | Melrose | $1,770 | 6.6% | ||||
16 | Chelsea | $1,750 | -6.9% | ||||
17 | Salem | $1,580 | -15.1% | ||||
18 | Lowell | $1,530 | 9.3% | ||||
19 | Lawrence | $1,520 | 15.2% | ||||
20 | Haverhill | $1,430 | -10.1% | ||||
21 | Brockton | $1,360 | 15.3% | ||||
22 | Worcester | $1,350 | 5.5% |
June 2020
1 | Cambridge | $2,500 | -0.8% | ||||
2 | Boston | $2,410 | -1.6% | ||||
3 | Brookline | $2,390 | 0.4% | ||||
4 | Everett | $2,200 | 0% | ||||
5 | Medford | $2,130 | 1.4% | ||||
6 | Somerville | $2,100 | -5.8% | ||||
7 | Quincy | $2,010 | 6.3% | ||||
8 (tie) | Newton | $2,000 | 2.6% | ||||
8 | Revere | $2,000 | -11.9% | ||||
10 | Waltham | $1,950 | -8% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,890 | -2.6% | ||||
12 | Woburn | $1,820 | -1.6% | ||||
13 (tie) | Framingham | $1,750 | 1.2% | ||||
13 | Malden | $1,750 | 3.6% | ||||
15 | Chelsea | $1,710 | -5% | ||||
16 | Melrose | $1,680 | -1.2% | ||||
17 (tie) | Lawrence | $1,530 | 15% | ||||
17 | Salem | $1,530 | -3.8% | ||||
19 | Lowell | $1,490 | 4.2% | ||||
20 | Haverhill | $1,420 | -7.8% | ||||
21 | Brockton | $1,410 | 8.5% | ||||
22 | Worcester | $1,330 | 0% |
May 2020
1 | Cambridge | $2,500 | 0% | ||||
2 | Boston | $2,450 | -2% | ||||
3 | Brookline | $2,400 | 0% | ||||
4 | Medford | $2,220 | 4.2% | ||||
5 | Everett | $2,170 | 0% | ||||
6 | Somerville | $2,130 | -3.2% | ||||
7 | Waltham | $2,050 | -3.3% | ||||
8 | Newton | $2,000 | 3.6% | ||||
9 | Quincy | $2,000 | 11.1% | ||||
10 | Revere | $2,000 | -8.3% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,880 | 11.9% | ||||
12 | Woburn | $1,810 | -5.7% | ||||
13 | Framingham | $1,800 | 6.5% | ||||
14 | Malden | $1,760 | 4.8% | ||||
15 | Chelsea | $1,700 | -5.6% | ||||
16 | Melrose | $1,640 | -8.9% | ||||
17 | Salem | $1,610 | 3.9% | ||||
18 | Lynn | $1,600 | -3% | ||||
19 | Lawrence | $1,460 | 15% | ||||
20 | Lowell | $1,420 | 0% | ||||
21 | Brockton | $1,370 | 10.5% | ||||
22 | Haverhill | $1,350 | -8.8% | ||||
23 | Worcester | $1,280 | -3.8% |
April 2020
1 | Cambridge | $2,520 | 1.2% | ||||
2 | Boston | $2,500 | 3.3% | ||||
3 | Brookline | $2,440 | 1.7% | ||||
4 | Everett | $2,280 | 5.1% | ||||
5 | Medford | $2,260 | 9.7% | ||||
6 | Waltham | $2,160 | 1.9% | ||||
7 | Somerville | $2,140 | -0.5% | ||||
8 | Revere | $2,100 | -3.7% | ||||
9 | Newton | $2,050 | 2.5% | ||||
10 | Quincy | $2,020 | 8.6% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,900 | 8.6% | ||||
12 | Framingham | $1,830 | 7% | ||||
13 | Woburn | $1,810 | -14.2% | ||||
14 | Chelsea | $1,780 | -3.8% | ||||
15 | Malden | $1,750 | 5.4% | ||||
16 | Melrose | $1,730 | 1.8% | ||||
17 | Salem | $1,690 | -14.6% | ||||
18 | Lynn | $1,600 | 6.7% | ||||
19 | Lawrence | $1,470 | 15.7% | ||||
20 | Lowell | $1,400 | 0.7% | ||||
21 | Haverhill | $1,380 | -2.1% | ||||
22 | Brockton | $1,370 | 4.6% | ||||
23 | Worcester | $1,280 | -3.8% |
March 2020
1 | Cambridge | $2,350 | 2.8% | ||||
2 (tie) | Boston | $2,340 | 4.2% | ||||
2 | Brookline | $2,300 | 6.4% | ||||
4 | Everett | $2,250 | 9.8% | ||||
5 | Waltham | $2,080 | 7.1% | ||||
7 | Medford | $2,150 | 9.7% | ||||
6 | Somerville | $2,240 | 6.7% | ||||
8 | Revere | $2,120 | -3.6% | ||||
9 (tie) | Newton | $2,000 | 3.1% | ||||
9 | Quincy | $2,000 | 3.6% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,920 | 14.3% | ||||
12 | Chelsea | $1,870 | 3.9% | ||||
13 (tie) | Framingham | $1,800 | 9.5% | ||||
15 (tie) | Malden | $1,770 | 7.3% | ||||
16 | Salem | $1,690 | 9% | ||||
13 | Woburn | $1,800 | -10.9% | ||||
15 | Melrose | $1,770 | -9.2% | ||||
17 | Lynn | $1,600 | -3% | ||||
18 | Lawrence | $1,560 | 15.6% | ||||
19 | Lowell | $1,470 | 3.5% | ||||
20 | Haverhill | $1,390 | 6.9% | ||||
22 | Worcester | $1,300 | -2.3% | ||||
21 | Brockton | $1,340 | 7.2% |
February 2020
1 | Cambridge | $2,620 | 6.1% | ||||
2 (tie) | Boston | $2,500 | 4.6% | ||||
2 | Brookline | $2,500 | 6.4% | ||||
4 | Everett | $2,260 | 13% | ||||
5 | Waltham | $2,200 | 3.8% | ||||
6 | Somerville | $2,150 | 2.4% | ||||
7 | Revere | $2,140 | 11.5% | ||||
8 | Medford | $2,100 | 1.9% | ||||
9 | Newton | $2,050 | 7.9% | ||||
10 | Quincy | $2,030 | 5.2% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,920 | 0% | ||||
12 | Framingham | $1,880 | 13.9% | ||||
13 | Malden | $1,860 | 14.1% | ||||
14 | Woburn | $1,850 | 2.8% | ||||
15 | Chelsea | $1,790 | -3.8% | ||||
16 | Melrose | $1,690 | -15.5% | ||||
17 | Lawrence | $1,650 | 10.7% | ||||
18 | Lynn | $1,630 | 3.2% | ||||
19 | Salem | $1,610 | 1.9% | ||||
20 | Lowell | $1,470 | 4.3% | ||||
21 | Haverhill | $1,430 | -.03% | ||||
22 (tie) | Brockton | $1,280 | 11.3% | ||||
22 | Worcester | $1,280 | -3.8% | ||||
23 | Fall River | $1,050 | 0% |
January 2020
1 | Cambridge | $2,650 | 6% | ||||
2 | Boston | $2,500 | 3.3% | ||||
3 | Medford | $2,210 | 1.8% | ||||
4 | Everett | $2,170 | 2.4% | ||||
5 | Waltham | $2,150 | 1.4% | ||||
6 (tie) | Revere | $2,100 | 6.1% | ||||
6 | Somerville | $2,100 | 0.5% | ||||
7 | Newton | $2,050 | 7.9% | ||||
8 | Quincy | $1,990 | -2% | ||||
9 | Malden | $1,960 | 15.3% | ||||
10 | Woburn | $1,950 | 0% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,920 | 2.1% | ||||
12 | Chelsea | $1,850 | 0% | ||||
13 | Framingham | $1,840 | 6.4% | ||||
14 | Melrose | $1,800 | -10% | ||||
15 | Lynn | $1,590 | 6% | ||||
16 | Salem | $1,560 | 0.6% | ||||
17 | Haverhill | $1,500 | -3.2% | ||||
18 | Lowell | $1,410 | 1.4% | ||||
19 | Lawrence | $1,400 | 9.3% | ||||
20 | Worcester | $1,280 | -3.8% | ||||
21 | Brockton | $1,150 | -8% | ||||
22 | Fall River | $1,025 | 3.54% |
December 2019
1 | Cambridge | $2,750 | 10% | ||||
2 | Boston | $2,590 | 5.7% | ||||
3 | Medford | $2,310 | 6.5% | ||||
4 | Everett | $2,190 | 7.4% | ||||
5 | Somerville | $2,150 | 2.4% | ||||
6 | Waltham | $2,130 | -2.3% | ||||
7 | Revere | $2,100 | 0% | ||||
8 | Newton | $2,030 | 6.8% | ||||
9 | Malden | $2,010 | 14.9% | ||||
10 | Quincy | $2,000 | 0.5% | ||||
11 | Beverly | $1,920 | 6.7% | ||||
12 | Melrose | $1,900 | -15.2% | ||||
13 | Woburn | $1,890 | 15.2% | ||||
14 | Chelsea | $1,880 | 6.2% | ||||
15 | Framingham | $1,830 | 7.65% | ||||
16 | Salem | $1,620 | -4.1% | ||||
17 | Haverhill | $1,580 | -2.5% | ||||
18 | Lynn | $1,510 | -5.6% | ||||
19 | Lowell | $1,410 | 1.4% | ||||
20 | Lawrence | $1,300 | 5.17% | ||||
21 | Worcester | $1,260 | -5.3% | ||||
22 | Brockton | $1,075 | 5.08% | ||||
23 | Fall River | $1,025 | -5.05% |
November 2019
1 | Cambridge | $2,640 | 5.2% | ||||
2 | Boston | $2,500 | 0.8% | ||||
3 | Everett | $2,270 | 3.2% | ||||
4 (tie) | Medford | $2,200 | 6.3% | ||||
4 (tie) | Revere | $2,200 | 3.3% | ||||
6 | Waltham | $2,180 | -4.8% | ||||
7 | Somerville | $2,150 | 2.4% | ||||
8 | Newton | $2,050 | 7.9% | ||||
9 | Quincy | $1,970 | 1.5% | ||||
10 | Chelsea | $1,960 | 13.3% | ||||
11 | Malden | $1,910 | 15.8% | ||||
12 | Framingham | $1,800 | 8.4% | ||||
13 | Salem | $1,660 | -1.8% | ||||
14 | Haverhill | $1,550 | 2.65% | ||||
15 | Lowell | $1,460 | 0% | ||||
16 | Lawrence | $1,260 | 8.62% | ||||
17 | Worcester | $1,250 | -6.0% | ||||
18 | Brockton | $1,050 | -11.02% | ||||
19 | Fall River | $915 | -7.58% |
November 2018
1 | Cambridge | $2,510 | 4.6% | ||||
2 | Boston | $2,480 | 10.2% | ||||
3 | Waltham | $2,290 | 15.7% | ||||
4 | Somerville | $2,100 | 5% | ||||
5 | Medford | $2,070 | 8.9% | ||||
6 | Quincy | $1,940 | 9% | ||||
7 | Newton | $1,900 | 0.5% | ||||
8 | Framingham | $1,660 | 7.1% | ||||
9 | Malden | $1,650 | -2.9% | ||||
10 | Haverhill | $1,510 | 4.1% | ||||
11 | Lowell | $1,460 | 7.4% | ||||
12 | Worcester | $1,330 | 15.7% | ||||
13 | Brockton | $1,180 | -8.5% | ||||
14 | Lawrence | $1,160 | -9.4% | ||||
15 | Fall River | $990 | 11.2% |