Greater Boston Housing Demand Eases as Population Growth Slows
Boston Indicators and Harvard University report easing housing demand in Greater Boston due to slowed population growth and strict federal immigration policies.
The 2026 Greater Boston Housing Report Card, co-published by Boston Indicators and the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, finds that housing demand in the region is easing. Population growth slowed to its lowest level since 2011, excluding pandemic years, with the region adding only 9,000 residents in 2025. This decline occurred as international migration failed to offset domestic outflows, a trend the report attributes to immigration enforcement policies of the Trump administration.
While the population slowdown has plateaued home prices and rents, the region remains the third-most expensive rental market in the United States, with average rents reaching $3,074. Affordability remains a critical issue, as only six communities maintain median single-family home prices below $500,000. The report also identifies a sharp increase in severely cost-burdened low-income households that spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing.
Future supply faces significant risks despite a spike in completions during 2025. New housing permits reached a decade-low in the same year, driven by high material costs and interest rates. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities continues to track proposed housing units within MBTA Communities districts to monitor these supply trends.
