How many renters live in Massachusetts?
The State of Massachusetts has 766,381 people living in 330,101 households.
There are 434,679 renters living in 210,982 renter households in this State. Renters make up 56.72 percent of the population living in Massachusetts.
What is the rental market like in Massachusetts?
There are an estimated 357,351 housing units in the Massachusetts area. Of these, 222,668 units are rental homes, making up 62 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Massachusetts, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Massachusetts?
The rental vacancy rate in Massachusetts is 4 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Massachusetts for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Massachusetts
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21,143 | 64,332 | 71,615 | 40,990 | 10,213 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Massachusetts
A large number of apartments in Massachusetts have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Massachusetts are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 51 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 25 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Massachusetts?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 7,479 | 35 percent |
| One BR | 23,014 | 36 percent |
| Two BR | 24,854 | 35 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Massachusetts
How many affordable rental units are in Massachusetts?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Massachusetts including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 21,312 |
| Public Housing | 8,654 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 21,937 |
| Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance | 453 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 1,438 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 223 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Massachusetts
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Massachusetts
Massachusetts features 102,738 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Massachusetts
There are 39,537 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Massachusetts.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Massachusetts
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Massachusetts landlords $1,000 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Massachusetts.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Massachusetts for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,544 and $3,110.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.