828 Apartments for rent in Medford, MA
📍Average Rent in Medford
Perhaps best known for the prestigious Tufts University, Medford is much more than just your typical college town. Now developing out of the shadow of Boston, Medford boasts a vibrant and diverse community full of history and with an eclectic character (not to mention more affordable than its Boston and Cambridge neighbors).
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Nestled along the Mystic River, Medford is chock-full of character, both new and old. Amelia Earhart, Fannie Farmer and Elizabeth Short all called Medford home, and the mythical “Grandmother’s House” of the immortal childhood ballad “Over The River and Through the Woods” can be found at 114 South Street.
You can find a plethora of cuisines from all over the world, but seafood and Italian are the names of the dining game. Downtown Medford recently received a revamp, and features great boutique shopping and dining. For those who like to get out into nature, the town is surrounded by many idyllic parks and ponds, and the world-renowned Cape Cod is a short day trip away. One of the highlights of East Coast living comes in the fall, when the foliage turns and you’re treated to a colorful masterpiece right outside your front door.
Many Medford residents commute to Boston, so public transit in the area is fairly well developed. Boston’s Orange Line of the T stops in Wellington, and Massachusetts Bay Area Transportation Authority has a well-established network of buses in the area. Medford is also in ongoing negotiations with MBTA to establish a Green Line station in Medford, a prospect that so far looks very promising.
The public school system is highly regarded, no doubt owing in part to its proximity to a prestigious university. There are also many private grade schools in the area (both religious and non secular). Medford has a lower crime rate than the state average, and is regarded as very family-friendly; although, like most cities and towns bordering Boston, the cost of living in Medford is certainly not cheap.
Being a typical Massachusetts town with roots going back to the colonial era, you’ll be sure to find a host of historical, quaint and beautiful housing options in Medford. But it's full of places to rent, how does one decide where they want to live? The area is typically split up into six main neighborhoods:
West Medford: Sometimes known as “the Ville,” West Medford is a historically African-American neighborhood with a rich cultural history. More recently, West Medford has seen a rapid influx of young families and new development. Demand for rental housing in the area is high. West Medford also has a train station, so is an excellent choice if you will be commuting. $$$$
Medford Hillside: Bordering Tufts University, Medford Hillside is densely populated with students. As such, it is vibrant and youthful. There are many affordable apartments in the area, however, if you’re looking for a low-key living situation, Medford Hillside may not be the best choice. $$$
Fulton Heights (North Medford): Fulton Heights borders Middlesex Fells Reservation to the Southeast, and is a great neighborhood if you like getting out into nature on the regular. Not as convenient for public transit as some of Medford’s other neighborhoods. $$$$
Wellington/Glenwood: Bordering the river on three sides, Wellington and Glenwood also provide ready access to the Boston T’s Orange Line, with connections to several bus routes. The waterfront is developing rapidly, with new luxury and premier apartments and businesses cropping up every day. Unfortunately, you’ll pay a premium price for an apartment in this area. $$$$$
South Medford: Closer to downtown Boston than some of the outskirts of Boston proper, this area is for people seeking a more urban vibe (and those who love great Italian food!). $$$$
Lawrence Estates: Lawrence Estates is known as one of the most desirable areas of Medford to live in, and for good reason. Quiet and dense with foliage, Lawrence Estates is the perfect choice for a family. The nearby Middlesex Fells Reservation offers ample opportunities to get out and commune with nature. Schools are great and rents are reasonable, but places for rent are limited. $$$
August 2019 Medford Rent Report
Welcome to the August 2019 Medford Rent Report. Medford rents increased over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Medford rental market, including comparisons to cities throughout the metro, state, and nation.
August 2019 Medford Rent Report
Welcome to the August 2019 Medford Rent Report. Medford rents increased over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Medford rental market, including comparisons to cities throughout the metro, state, and nation.
Medford rents increase sharply over the past month
Medford rents have increased 2.0% over the past month, and are up significantly by 4.5% in comparison to the same time last year. Currently, median rents in Medford stand at $1,808 for a one-bedroom apartment and $2,242 for a two-bedroom. This is the seventh straight month that the city has seen rent increases after a decline in December of last year. Medford's year-over-year rent growth leads the state average of 2.6%, as well as the national average of 1.6%.
Rents rising across the Boston Metro
Throughout the past year, rent increases have been occurring not just in the city of Medford, but across the entire metro. Of the largest 10 cities that we have data for in the Boston metro, all of them have seen prices rise. Here's a look at how rents compare across some of the largest cities in the metro.
- Newton has seen the fastest rent growth in the metro, with a year-over-year increase of 5.9%. The median two-bedroom there costs $2,279, while one-bedrooms go for $1,838.
- Cambridge has the most expensive rents of the largest cities in the Boston metro, with a two-bedroom median of $2,328; rents were up 0.3% over the past month and 3.2% over the past year.
- Lowell has the least expensive rents in the Boston metro, with a two-bedroom median of $1,547; rents increased 0.7% over the past month and 1.1% over the past year.
Many large cities nationwide show more affordable rents compared to Medford
As rents have increased significantly in Medford, a few large cities nationwide have seen rents grow more modestly. Compared to most large cities across the country, Medford is less affordable for renters.
- Rents increased moderately in other cities across the state, with Massachusetts as a whole logging rent growth of 2.6% over the past year. For example, rents have grown by 2.1% in Worcester.
- Medford's median two-bedroom rent of $2,242 is above the national average of $1,191. Nationwide, rents have grown by 1.6% over the past year compared to the 4.5% rise in Medford.
- While Medford's rents rose significantly over the past year, many cities nationwide also saw increases, including New York (+1.8%), DC (+1.7%), and Atlanta (+1.6%).
- Renters will generally find more expensive prices in Medford than most large cities. For example, Philadelphia has a median 2BR rent of $1,183, where Medford is more than one-and-a-half times that price.
For more information check out our national report. You can also access our full data for cities and counties across the U.S. at this link.
Methodology - Recent Updates:
Data from private listing sites, including our own, tends to skew toward luxury apartments, which introduces sample bias when estimates are calculated directly from these listings. To address these limitations, we’ve recently made major updates to our methodology, which we believe have greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of our estimates.
Read more about our new methodology below, or see a more detailed post here.
Methodology:
Apartment List is committed to making our rent estimates the best and most accurate available. To do this, we start with reliable median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, then extrapolate them forward to the current month using a growth rate calculated from our listing data. In doing so, we use a same-unit analysis similar to Case-Shiller’s approach, comparing only units that are available across both time periods to provide an accurate picture of rent growth in cities across the country.
Our approach corrects for the sample bias inherent in other private sources, producing results that are much closer to statistics published by the Census Bureau and HUD. Our methodology also allows us to construct a picture of rent growth over an extended period of time, with estimates that are updated each month.
Read more about our methodology here.
About Rent Reports:
Apartment List publishes monthly reports on rental trends for hundreds of cities across the U.S. We intend these reports to be a source of reliable information that help renters and policymakers make sound decisions, and we invest significant time and effort in gathering and analyzing rent data. Our work is covered regularly by journalists across the country.
We are continuously working to improve our methodology and data, with the goal of providing renters with the information that they need to make the best decisions.