Back Bay, Boston, MA—02116
Real Estate Data & Market Trends
Key Metrics at a Glance
Home Price Trends — Back Bay, Boston, MA
As of Aug '25, the median home price in Back Bay, Boston, MA is $1,272,000, with a year-over-year change of 0.9%. This indicates that home prices in Back Bay, Boston, MA are flat. According to Zillow, the 1-year price projection is 0.7%, suggesting a relatively flat housing market in the next year.
Cost per Home Size
| Home Size | Median Home Value | YoY % Change |
|---|---|---|
1 Bed | $815,000 | 0.2% |
2 Bed | $1,612,000 | 1.1% |
3 Bed | $3,116,000 | -0.1% |
4 Bed | $4,550,000 | -0.1% |
| 5 Bed | $5,620,000 | 0.3% |
Rental Trends — Back Bay, Boston, MA
As of Jul '25, the average rent in Back Bay, Boston, MA is $3,960, with a year-over-year rent change of -9.0%. 1-bedroom units average $3,710 (6.0%); 2-bedroom units average $5,480 (2.2%); 3-bedroom units average $6,490 (4.2%); 4-bedroom units average $8,650 (12.2%)
| Type | Median Rent | Average Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Average Rent | $3,500 | $3,960 |
| Studio Rent | $2,600 | $2,920 |
| 1 Bed Rent | $3,500 | $3,710 |
| 2 Bed Rent | $5,200 | $5,480 |
| 3 Bed Rent | $6,500 | $6,490 |
| 4 Bed Rent | $8,500 | $8,650 |
Property Listings — Back Bay, Boston, MA
As of Aug '25 and according to Realtor.com, the median days on market for a home in Back Bay, Boston, MA is NA. This is an insufficient data of NA from last year. This indicates that homes are sitting on the market insufficient data to determine a trend than last year. The percentage of listed homes with a reduced price is NA. This is an unknown percentage of inventory, suggesting unknown supply pressure on home prices.
| Metric | Zip Code Average | Year over Year % Change |
|---|---|---|
Median Listing Price | N/A | N/A |
Listing Count | N/A | N/A |
| Listings as % of Homes | 0.6% | N/A |
Days on Market | N/A | N/A |
Demographics — Back Bay, Boston, MA
| Metric | Latest Census | YoY % Change |
|---|---|---|
Population | 22,000 | -4.7% |
% Under 18 | 7.7% | 16.7% |
| % Under 5 | N/A | N/A |
% Seniors | 16.6% | -0.6% |
% WFH | 26.4% | 594.7% |
% w/ College Degree | 76.9% | 1.5% |
Race and Ethnicity
| Metric | Latest Census | 5-Year % Change |
|---|---|---|
% White | 65.2% | -5.5% |
% Black | 5.2% | -11.9% |
% Hispanic | 8.4% | 10.5% |
% Asian | 15.5% | 7.6% |
% Foreign Born | 22.1% | 2.8% |
Mortgage and Risk — Back Bay, Boston, MA
According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as of 2023, the number of mortgages originated in Back Bay, Boston, MA in that year was 235. 100.0% of all primary home loans were conventional, the remainder were government-backed loans, such as FHA loans. The average loan-to-value for all loans was 58.0%. Of those, 1.0% were >90% loan to value. This is considered normal, suggesting that mortgage risk is small in Back Bay, Boston, MA. Investor activity in Back Bay, Boston, MA is low, as 3.0% of all loans are originated by investors. In 2023, 4.0% of all loans were cash-out refinances, suggesting few homeowners are actively tapping their home's equity.
Mortgages
| Metric | Zip Code Average | Metro Average | State Average |
|---|---|---|---|
Total Loan Originations | 235 | N/A | N/A |
% Conventional Loans | 100.0% | N/A | N/A |
% Government Loans | 0.0% | N/A | N/A |
% Investor Loans | 3.0% | N/A | N/A |
% Second Loans | 10.0% | N/A | N/A |
% Cash Out Refinance | 4.0% | N/A | N/A |
Rentals and Section 8 — Back Bay, Boston, MA
As of 2024, the percent of homes in Back Bay, Boston, MA under the Section 8 program is 18.7%. This is considered high, suggesting that the neighborhood is heavily composed of Section 8 homes. Section 8 opportunity is good when HUD pays homeowners more than the average rental market rate for various home sizes. For each bedroom size, the average difference between HUD payments and market rents is shown in the table below.
Section 8 Market Size
Total Units under HUD | 1,656 |
Total Units Section 8 | 1,423 |
% Rentals under Section 8 | 18.7% |
% Occupied Section 8 | 92.4% |
Section 8 Opportunity
| Home Size | HUD Premium | Market Rent | Max HUD Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom | $0 | $3,500 | $3,500 |
| 2 Bedroom | -$1,050 | $5,200 | $4,150 |
| 3 Bedroom | -$1,500 | $6,500 | $5,000 |
| 4 Bedroom | -$3,000 | $8,500 | $5,500 |
Affordability — Back Bay, Boston, MA
Home Price to Income Ratio
| Metric | Zip Code Average | Metro Average | State Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Price to Income Ratio | 10 | N/A | N/A |
| Median Home Price | $1,272,000 | N/A | N/A |
| Median Household Income | $127,000 | N/A | N/A |