Neighborhood
Banks Square
Waltham, Massachusetts US
Banks Square, Waltham, Massachusetts has a balanced but softer investment profile, with a gross yield of 4.1, prices about 13% below the city median and 13% above the state median. Prices are down 10.8 over the past year, which points to recent weakness. The neighborhood has a Red Flag score of 55, walkability of 92, and education in the 79th percentile. The main strength is the very high walkability and strong school-district percentile; the main risk is the price decline and a Red Flag score of 55.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
0.67 mi²
ZIP Code
02451
County
Middlesex 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
$970,149
YoY-10.8%
Gross Rental Yield
4.1%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
Moderate
55 / 100
Walkability Score
92
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
79 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
42
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
Banks Square Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Banks Square, Waltham.
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Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $970,149 | -10.8% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $431/sqft | -1.5% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $3,286/mo | -1.4% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 4.1% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 17 / 100 | Low |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 27 | -25.0% |
Is Banks Square Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Massachusetts crime context.
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Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Highly walkable neighborhood — score 92/100
Flood risk is Very High (80/100)
Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from Banks Square's live DistrictScore metrics.
Banks Square 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 UCR20132024
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; Banks Square inherits the Massachusetts figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 1
Zone 1 — Highest potential · Banks Square
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSIndustrial odor5 nearbyVery High
Point-source screening near Banks Square: 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 Banks Square
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI92
Walker's Paradise
Walkability Score
16
Grocery
29
Dining
3
Schools
0
Universities
1
Hospitals
4
Pharmacies
6
Parks
1
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within Banks Square's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
Banks Square vs Waltham vs Massachusetts
How Banks Square benchmarks against its city and state medians.
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Compare Banks Square against Waltham and Massachusetts medians — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeBuying 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 & OwnershipApplies 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
Banks Square Real Estate FAQ
Banks Square, Waltham, Massachusetts has a mixed profile. It offers a gross yield of 4.1, prices about 13% below the city median and 13% above the state median, and prices down 10.8 over the past year. The Red Flag score is 55, with walkability of 92 and education in the 79th percentile.
Neighborhoods near Banks Square
Compare Banks Square with nearby neighborhoods in Waltham.
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