Massachusetts Rent Report – September 2019

• The national average rent went up by 3.2% in the past year but dipped by 0.1% month-over-month, reaching $1,471 in September according to data from Yardi Matrix.
• Amherst, MA renters saw the highest monthly rent increase in September, with the average rate reaching $1,582 per month. 
• Boston apartments are the most expensive, while apartments in Holyoke have the cheapest rents. 

The first monthly decline in over two years brings the U.S. average rent down to $1,471

As part of a seasonal respite, the national average rent decreased for the first time since February 2017, dipping by -0.1% ($1) from last month to $1,471. The decrease might seem insignificant, but coupled with the slowest year-over-year hike in the past 13 months, 3.2% ($45), it points to a slight wind-down in rent prices in the context of a more volatile financial climate, according to Yardi Matrix.

Renting in Massachusetts in September 2019

The average rent in Massachusetts cities is generally higher than the national average rent. The fastest growing rents in September were in Amherst, where rental apartment prices increased by 1.2% month over month, or $18. Springfield apartments saw the second highest monthly increase, jumping by 0.7%, or $7, while the slowest rising rents were in Brookline, where prices decreased by 1.5% ($46) compared to August.

Boston apartments are the state’s most expensive for renters, with an average rent of $3,505, followed by apartments in Cambridge, where the average monthly rent is $3,224. On the other hand, the cheapest city to rent an apartment of the cities analyzed is Holyoke, with its average rent of $968.

To compare the rental market in Massachusetts with other cities in the U.S., you can also check our national September rent report.

Methodology

RentCafe.com is a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout the United States.

The data on average rents included in our reports comes directly from competitively-rented (market-rate) large-scale multifamily properties (50+ units in size), via telephone survey. The data is compiled and reported by our sister company Yardi Matrix, a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self-storage sectors. Fully-affordable properties are not included in the survey and are not reported in rental rate averages. Local rent reports include only cities with a statistically-relevant stock of large-scale multifamily properties of 50+ units.