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Boston & New England  + Metro Boston  + Apartments  | 

Boston Multifamily Fundamentals Hold Strong in 2026

The Boston metro area is projected to add 6,000 jobs in 2026, the largest annual increase since 2023, Marcus & Millichap reported. At the same time, deliveries of new apartments are expected to total 5,000 units this year, marking Boston’s slowest inventory growth rate since 2013, while the average effective rent of $3,170 per month wil be among the highest in the U.S.

“Despite a slower pace of rent growth, Boston’s fundamentals remain strong, with housing demand supported by affordability constraints and historically limited new supply,” said Thomas Shihadeh, managing director, market leader, New England. 

Buyer interest remains focused on core urban assets and commuter rail corridors, according to Marcus & Millichap. Activity is expected in submarkets like Lynn, Salem, and Beverly, where vacancy is low and pricing remains competitive. 

“Commuter rail submarkets like Lynn and Salem continue to draw attention, fueled by infrastructure access and competitive pricing,” said Shihadeh. “Policy changes like the MBTA Communities Act are also opening up new development channels in select first-ring suburbs.” 

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Marcus & Millichap's Shihadeh

About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

  • ◦Sale/Acquisition
  • ◦Development
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