A new report found that Boston saw the highest rent growth among large U.S cities. According to Rentometer, three-bedroom single-family rents grew 12.5% year over year during the first half of 2025, averaging $4,500.

To afford monthly rent, a household would need to bring in at least $180,000 annually.

Another Massachusetts city, Cambridge, ranked first among mid-sized markets. The median rent for three-bed single-family homes reached $6,000. That’s higher than any California city mentioned in the report. Renters would need to make $240,000 annually to stay within the 30% rent-to-income margin for this area.

Among suburbs, increases varied. Rents in Waltham reached $4,200 (+7.7%) while Newton rents hit $4,900 (+1.6%).

“This surge was partly driven by a greater share of larger, higher-priced homes being listed and a tight inventory of single-family rentals, making local data more susceptible to fluctuations,” said researchers. “While the average price per square foot has remained relatively stable, renters are facing higher total costs simply because the available homes are larger and come with a bigger price tag overall.”