Boston renters are paying higher rents for smaller units
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The average new apartment has shrunk in Boston during the past decade, according to a new survey from RentCafe.
Why it matters: Even though square footage shrunk, renters of all apartments in Boston are paying more — even accounting for a 39% increase in inflation.
The big picture: Boston is bucking the national trend. The typical new apartment in the 100 cities RentCafe looked at grew 13 square feet, or a little over 1%, between 2016 and 2025.
- Floor plans grew the most in the South where Tallahassee, Florida, has the nation's highest average: 1,156 square feet.
- Seattle is the smallest with a 645 average.
Zoom in: Boston's new apartments slimmed down 90 square feet to 747, while Zillow finds the average apartment rents for $3,165 per month.
- That's $987 more — up 4.7% adjusted for inflation — than 10 years ago.
Context: The nation's average apartment sizes have been on the upswing since 2022.
What we're watching: The Wu administration is teeing up a plan with tax breaks and zoning changes to spur more affordable housing production, the Boston Globe reported.