Boston, MA Commercial Real Estate Market Trends & Data

What Are Current Commercial Real Estate Benchmarks in Boston?

Boston commercial properties are averaging $629 per square foot to buy and $445 per square foot to lease, with cap rates near 6.10% across asset types. The data below covers sale prices, lease rates, cap rates, and building sizes by property type to support early-stage market evaluation.

Explore Commercial Properties in Boston

Browse properties currently for sale or lease to see how local market pricing and building sizes translate into real opportunities.

 

Boston's Demographic Profile

Boston has 264,078 households and a median income of $84,197, providing context for rent absorption and tenant demand across retail and multifamily assets. A -5% five-year population trend is a key signal for evaluating long-term demand in this market.

Key Demographic Metrics Value
Population 639,172
# Households 264,078
Median age 35
Median household income $84,197
Avg household size 2
Renter-occupied housing units 182,169
5-year population change -5%

Commercial Real Estate Market Snapshot in Boston

Use the benchmarks below to set initial underwriting baselines for Boston, typical deal size, entry costs, and cap rate ranges by asset type before evaluating individual listings.

Key Market Metrics Value
Avg asking sale price $629 per SF
Avg asking lease rate $445 per SF
Avg unit size for lease 34,040 SF
Avg building size for sale 11,775 SF
Average cap rate 6.10%

The 6.10% average cap rate reflects current return expectations relative to Boston pricing and deal scale. Use this alongside asking prices and lease rates to establish initial underwriting assumptions.

 

Commercial Properties For Sale In Boston

The listings below reflect how current market pricing and building scale translate into active opportunities available today.
For Sale

744 E Squantum St

Quincy, MA 02171

  • 2,875 SF Office Building
  • $1,900,000
For Sale

6 Baldwin Place, Boston, MA 02113

Boston, MA 02113

  • 2,400 SF Multifamily
  • 4.79% Cap Rate
  • $2,525,000
For Sale

113 Belmont St

Belmont, MA 02478

  • 1,840 SF Office Building
  • $995,000
For Sale

550 E 3rd St

Boston, MA 02127

  • 3,752 SF Multifamily
  • 6.06% Cap Rate
  • $1,750,000
For Sale

1-4 Schrepel Place

Boston, MA 02127

  • 14,760 SF Multifamily
  • 6.09% Cap Rate
  • $5,900,000
For Sale

745 E Squantum St

Quincy, MA 02171

  • 2,400 SF Office Building
  • $995,000
For Sale

197 Green St

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

  • 20,480 SF Multifamily
  • 6.00% Cap Rate
  • $11,500,000
For Sale

47 and 49 Dighton Street, Brighton, MA 02135

Boston, MA 02135

  • 0.58 AC Lot
  • 1 Residential Income Lot
  • $4,999,900

 

Commercial Market Metrics by Property Type


 

Retail Property Market Metrics Near Boston

Retail pricing varies widely across nearby markets, making this comparison useful for identifying where cost per square foot and deal size diverge most.

Nearby Retail Markets Avg Cost/SF Typical Size
Boston $729 6,521 SF
Cambridge $637 3,680 SF
Malden $417 17,791 SF
Newton $740 4,686 SF
Weymouth $422 6,918 SF

 

How Investors Evaluate Commercial Real Estate Markets in Boston

Use these tools to move from market-level signals to deal-level math. Each calculator helps translate Boston pricing, rents, and building size into concrete metrics like value, income, and space requirements, so you can validate assumptions before spending time on individual listings.

 

Nearby Commercial Markets

Comparing nearby markets helps investors see whether Boston pricing and building scale sit above, below, or in line with surrounding areas.


Multifamily For Sale In Boston

Multifamily listings shown here connect market pricing and cap rate patterns with income-producing opportunities currently available.
For Sale

197 Green St

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

  • 20,480 SF Multifamily
  • 6.00% Cap Rate
  • $11,500,000
For Sale

The Vendome

Boston, MA 02116

  • 139,017 SF Multifamily
  • $3,200,000
For Sale

42 Chauncy St

Boston, MA 02111

  • 32,000 SF Multifamily
  • $696,800
For Sale

3-Family in Desirable South Boston Location

Boston, MA 02127

  • 2,736 SF Multifamily
  • $1,150,000
For Sale

138-140 Huron Ave

Cambridge, MA 02138

  • 7,507 SF Multifamily
  • $10,500,000
For Sale

454-464 Hanover St

Boston, MA 02113

  • 26,190 SF Multifamily
  • $1,600,000
For Sale

46 High St

Charlestown, MA 02129

  • 18,000 SF Multifamily
  • $5,999,900
For Sale

262-264 W Broadway

South Boston, MA 02127

  • 6,774 SF Multifamily
  • $3,995,000

Regional Demographic Comparison

This comparison places Boston alongside nearby cities to show how population size, household counts, and income levels differ across the region. Viewing these markets side by side helps investors understand whether local demand and income characteristics are concentrated in Boston or distributed across surrounding areas.

FAQs About Commercial Investing in Boston

View All Commercial Real Estate For Sale in Boston
Is Boston a good market for a first-time commercial real estate investor?

Boston offers commercial properties across a wide range of sizes and price points. By reviewing the market data and benchmarks on this page, first-time investors can better understand what a typical commercial property looks like before committing capital and narrowing in on specific listings.

How can this market data help me decide whether to buy commercial property for my business in Boston?

The pricing and size metrics on this page help business owners compare the cost of ownership against leasing in Boston. Typical building sizes and asking prices provide a starting point for evaluating space needs, budget fit, and long term occupancy costs before engaging lenders or brokers.

What should conservative investors focus on when evaluating commercial properties in Boston?

Conservative investors often prioritize manageable deal sizes, stable pricing ranges, and cap rate benchmarks shown for Boston. These metrics help assess whether current market conditions support steady income potential without relying on aggressive assumptions.

How does Boston compare to nearby commercial real estate markets?

Nearby market comparisons highlight differences in pricing, building scale, and cap rate ranges relative to Boston. Reviewing these side by side helps experienced investors identify relative value, pricing premiums, or alternative markets that may better align with return targets.

How can this page support early-stage deal screening for Boston acquisitions?

This page provides high-level benchmarks for pricing, deal size, and observed cap rates in Boston, which are useful for initial market filtering. Institutional and data-driven investors often use these signals to prioritize listings that meet size, pricing, and return thresholds before deeper underwriting.