Boston and several cities in the region have seen rents ease despite remaining some of the most expensive in the country, according to a new report from Zumper.

“After several years of significant rent growth coming out of the pandemic, many core Boston-area markets are now seeing flat to modestly declining year-over-year rents, reflecting more of a cooling phase right now,” said Crystal Chen, author of the 2025 Boston Metro Report. “A notable amount of new supply has come online across Greater Boston, with more scheduled to be completed at the end of this year, particularly in city centers and transit-adjacent areas. That additional inventory has eased competition in cities like Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, placing modest downward pressure on rents.”

The Boston Metro Report, using Zumper data from housing listings in the region in December 2025, found Boston rent prices for one-bedroom apartments fell 2.4% from 2024, reaching $2,880.

The city ranked third in most expensive median rents in the region, behind Brookline at $3,040 and Cambridge at $2,990. The most affordable cities in the area included Manchester, Brockton, Worcester and Lowell, all around $1,700 for a one-bedroom, according to the report.

Across the metro area, cities and towns continue to rank well above the national average of $1,500 for a one-bedroom in December 2025, “underscoring how expensive the region remains despite recent cooling,” Chen said.

Despite price declines in several cities, municipalities including Portsmouth, Medford and Brockton saw large rent hikes year-over-year, according to the report.

While increased inventory has eased prices in areas like Boston, Chen said, “household formation has slowed, as economic uncertainty and elevated living costs prompt many renters to stay put or look farther from urban centers.”

“By contrast, smaller, supply-constrained cities, especially those with strong lifestyle appeal or commuter access, tend to react more sharply to even small shifts in demand, which can drive rapid price increases,” said Chen.

Portsmouth “is a clear example of this dynamic,” Chen said, seeing the greatest price increase in the last year with one-bedroom rents coming up 18.5%. The researcher said the 16-square-mile city can see rents move quickly with “even modest in-migration.”

On the other side, Chen said, cities with large or consistent declining prices often have more listings to choose from and renters with more leverage.

Among cities with the largest rent decreases year-over-year, the report showed, Quincy fell 6.8%, Lowell fell 6.4%, and Somerville fell 6.2%.

“Cities posting the largest or most consistent rent declines tend to share a common profile: greater exposure to new multifamily construction, higher starting rent levels, and limited ability to absorb new supply without price adjustments,” Chen said. “Markets such as Somerville, Quincy, and parts of Boston proper fall into this category.”

Boston rent prices have fallen from a pandemic peak around 2022, according to the Zumper data, leveling off more around 2024.

Related Articles

Trump wants to ban large investors from buying houses

Homeless youth say they need more from schools, social services

Editorial: Lower housing prices, not loan standards

2026 Housing market: Stable rates, rising costs ahead

Massachusetts schools ‘mistakenly informed’ about funding loss amid MBTA zoning fights

Looking ahead in the region, Chen said, “continued softness or near-flat pricing appears likely in the near term,” as supply remains elevated in the coming year, demand modest and renters have “greater leverage than Boston renters are accustomed to.”

“That said, Boston remains a structurally supply-constrained market over the long run,” Chen said. “Once the current wave of new construction is absorbed, rents are more likely to stabilize and gradually resume growth rather than continue falling.”