What is the rental yield in Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts?

Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts has a gross yield of 2.6. That yield comes with prices about 39% above Boston and 261% above Massachusetts, so the income return is relatively low versus the neighborhood’s pricing level. Prices have still increased 4.5% over the past year.

How have home prices changed in Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts?

Home prices in Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts are up 4.5% over the past year. The neighborhood remains priced about 39% above Boston and 261% above Massachusetts, so it sits well above both the city and state benchmarks.

How does Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts compare with Boston overall?

Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts is priced about 39% above Boston, with gross yield of 2.6 and a Red Flag score of 57. It stands out for walkability of 99, while education is in the 40th percentile, giving it a mixed profile across the available metrics.

What do walkability and education look like in Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts?

Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts has walkability of 99 and education in the 40th percentile. That combination points to very strong walkability alongside a middle-range school-score percentile, while the neighborhood’s gross yield of 2.6 and 4.5% price growth over the past year frame the market context.

Neighborhood

Back Bay

Boston, Massachusetts US

Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts is a premium-priced, low-yield neighborhood with gross yield of 2.6 and prices about 39% above Boston and 261% above Massachusetts. Prices have risen 4.5% over the past year, while the Red Flag score of 57 indicates a moderate overall risk level. Walkability is 99 and education is in the 40th percentile, combining exceptional access with middling school-score positioning.

AI Summary•Updated May 2026

Area

0.78 mi²

ZIP Code

02116

County

Suffolk County

State

Massachusetts

Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesEPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024

Verified Price · Median Sale

$1,624,518

YoY+4.5%

Gross Rental Yield

2.6%

Listed rent · ZORI annualized

Red Flag Index

Moderate

57 / 100

Walkability Score

Walker's Paradise

OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile

Education Score

40 / 100

Fair · better than 40% of U.S. districts

Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy

AI Score

Fair

DistrictScore attractiveness · national model

Back Bay Property Prices & Rental Yield

Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Back Bay, Boston.

Unlock the Back Bay 12-month price trend

See the full Verified vs Listed price history — free with a DistrictScore account.

Market Economics Snapshot

May 2026

Metric	Value	YoY
Median Sale Price	$1,624,518	+4.5%
Price / Sq Ft (Verified)	$1,376/sqft	+10.9%
Asking Rent (Median)	$3,504/mo	+7.6%
Gross Rental Yield	2.6%	—
Liquidity Score	28 / 100	Low
Homes Sold (Period)	76	-27.6%

Is Back Bay Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk

FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Massachusetts crime context.

Red Flag Breakdown

57 / 100

Moderate Risk

Composite is weighted by expected impact — frequent low-damage hazards (hail, wind) weigh less than flood or wildfire.

Hurricane80Very High

Earthquake80Very High

Flood60High

Heat60High

Hail60High

Wildfire40Moderate

Tornado40Moderate

Strong Wind20Low

8/8 hazards scored · FEMA NRI v1.20

Crime (state-level): Massachusetts averaged 14.3 crimes and 3.1 violent per 1,000 residents (+0.1% YoY) in 2024(FBI UCR). Compare the state to the country, not states as a ranking — full Safety & Crime data lives on the state page.

Unlock the full risk report for Back Bay

Tract-level hazard heatmap & parcel detail with Pro

Unlock the Back Bay hazard breakdown

See all eight FEMA hazard scores — free with a DistrictScore account.

What Stands Out AI Insight

Appreciating market — +4.5% sale-price YoY

Highly walkable neighborhood — score 99/100

Active transaction volume — 76 homes sold last period

Dense amenities — 214 dining & 18 grocery options nearby

Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)

Earthquake risk is Very High (80/100)

Insights are generated from Back Bay's live DistrictScore metrics.

Back Bay Environment & Safety

Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Massachusetts-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.

Massachusetts Crime Trend

FBI UCR

20132024

All crimes / 1k

Violent / 1k

Year	Crimes / 1k	Violent / 1k	YoY
2024	14.3	3.1	+0.1%
2023	14.4	3.2	+4.2%
2022	14.0	3.2	+7.4%
2021	13.0	3.0	-3.1%
2020	13.6	3.1	-9.8%
2019	15.1	3.3	—

Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Back Bay inherits the Massachusetts figures.

Radon Potential

EPA

Zone 3

Zone 3 — Lowest potential · Back Bay

EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.

Environmental Hazards

EPA / BTS

Industrial odor21 nearbyVery High

Point-source screening near Back Bay: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.

Walkability & Amenities in Back Bay

Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.

Walkability & Amenities

OpenStreetMap POI

99

Walker's Paradise

Walkability Score

18

Grocery

214

Dining

16

Schools

12

Universities

13

Hospitals

4

Pharmacies

35

Parks

8

Rail Transit

5

Coworking

POI counts are amenities within Back Bay's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.

Back Bay vs Boston vs Massachusetts

How Back Bay benchmarks against its city and state medians.

Benchmark vs City & State

Across Back Bay, the median sale price sits about 39% above the median for Boston neighborhoods and about 270% above the statewide median. Gross rental yield is 2.6%, against 4.8% for Boston neighborhoods and 4.8% statewide. Over the past 12 months, prices rose 4.5%. Transaction liquidity sits above the median for Boston neighborhoods and above the statewide median.

Area	Median / Sq Ft	Gross Yield	Liquidity
Back Bay	$1,376/sqft	2.6%	28
Boston	$992/sqft	4.8%	21
Massachusetts	$372/sqft	4.8%	20

Unlock the Back Bay benchmark

Compare Back Bay against Boston and Massachusetts medians — free with a DistrictScore account.

Buying Property in the US as a Foreigner

Federal & Massachusetts tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.

Buying as a Foreigner

US Tax & Ownership

Applies to everyone7

Capital Gains (Federal)

Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).

Property Tax

Property tax: ~0.95% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).

State Income Tax

State income tax up to 5% (+4% surtax over $1M); rental income is taxed at these rates.

State Capital Gains

Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income at state rates.

Transfer Tax

Real estate transfer tax: $4.56 per $1,000.

Assessment Cap

No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.

Mansion Tax / Rent Control

No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.

US citizens & tax residents7

Primary-Home Exclusion

Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.

1031 Like-Kind Exchange

A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.

Depreciation Recapture

Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).

Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.

Rental Income (Resident)

Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.

1031 State Conformity

Conforms to 1031 but tracks deferred in-state gain after an out-of-state exchange.

Foreign buyers (non-residents)5

FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)

FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.

Non-Resident Capital Gains

Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.

Non-Resident Rental Tax

Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).

Estate Tax (Non-Resident)

Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.

ITIN Requirement

Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.

Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor

FIRPTA, ITIN & Massachusetts property-tax guidance for foreign buyers

Latest Boston Real-Estate News

New Fed chairman may leave mortgage rates mostly unchanged

Guaranteed Rate • Jun 18, 2026

Household real estate wealth hits record $48.7 trillion

Eye On Housing • Jun 18, 2026

U.S. commercial property prices hit record as deal patterns shift

Altus Group • Jun 18, 2026

Back Bay Real Estate FAQ

Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts is more of a lower-yield, higher-price market, with gross yield of 2.6 and prices about 39% above Boston. The Red Flag score of 57 suggests moderate overall risk, while walkability of 99 is a clear strength for location-driven demand.

Neighborhoods near Back Bay

Compare Back Bay with nearby neighborhoods in Boston.

Unlock deeper insights on Back Bay

Deeper data. Smarter decisions. Stronger returns.

Full Risk Reports

Tract-level hazards

Investment Score

AI-driven analysis

Export & Reports

PDF & Excel

Priority Support

Fast-track help

Get Pro Access7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.