Neighborhood
Downtown
Boston, Massachusetts US
Downtown, Boston, Massachusetts has a premium-priced profile with prices about 30% above the city median and 239% above the state median. Over the past year, prices fell 7.9%, while the gross yield is 3.3. The Red Flag score of 59 indicates a moderate-to-elevated risk profile. Walkability is 100, and education is in the 40th percentile, combining exceptional pedestrian access with midrange school-district test-score performance.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
0.65 mi²
ZIP Code
02110
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
$1,849,451
YoY-7.9%
Gross Rental Yield
3.3%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
Moderate
59 / 100
Walkability Score
100
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
40 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
38
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
Downtown Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Downtown, Boston.
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Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $1,849,451 | -7.9% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $1,293/sqft | -2.1% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $5,104/mo | — |
| Gross Rental Yield | 3.3% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 16 / 100 | Low |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 25 | +0.0% |
Is Downtown 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 100/100
Dense amenities — 353 dining & 29 grocery options nearby
Flood risk is Very High (80/100)
Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from Downtown's live DistrictScore metrics.
Downtown 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; Downtown inherits the Massachusetts figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 3
Zone 3 — Lowest potential · Downtown
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 odor15 nearbyVery High
Aviation noise48 dBVery Low
Point-source screening near Downtown: 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 Downtown
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI100
Walker's Paradise
Walkability Score
29
Grocery
353
Dining
11
Schools
15
Universities
12
Hospitals
11
Pharmacies
66
Parks
24
Rail Transit
5
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within Downtown's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
Downtown vs Boston vs Massachusetts
How Downtown benchmarks against its city and state medians.
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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
Downtown Real Estate FAQ
Downtown, Boston, Massachusetts has a premium-priced profile, with prices about 30% above the city median and 239% above the state median. The gross yield is 3.3, prices fell 7.9% over the past year, and the Red Flag score is 59, so the data point to a mixed return profile.
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