What is the rental yield in East Boston?

The gross yield in East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts is 5.7. Prices are about 33% below Boston but 73% above Massachusetts, and the Red Flag score is 56. Over the past year, prices rose 3.5%, which adds a recent upward trend to the yield profile.

How does East Boston compare with Boston overall?

East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts is about 33% below Boston on price and has a gross yield of 5.7. Walkability is 91, the Red Flag score is 56, and prices rose 3.5% over the past year. Compared with Boston overall, it is cheaper and highly walkable.

What are the walkability and education scores in East Boston?

East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts has walkability of 91 and education in the 40th percentile. That means the neighborhood scores very high on walkability, while the school-district test-score percentile is moderate. The Red Flag score is 56, and gross yield is 5.7.

Neighborhood

East Boston

Boston, Massachusetts US

East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts is a high-walkability rental market with a gross yield of 5.7 and a Red Flag score of 56. Prices are about 33% below Boston but 73% above Massachusetts, and values rose 3.5% over the past year. Walkability is 91, while education is in the 40th percentile, giving the neighborhood a mixed profile across market and school-score measures.

AI Summary•Updated May 2026

Area

4.77 mi²

ZIP Code

02128

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

$669,801

YoY+3.5%

Gross Rental Yield

5.7%

Listed rent · ZORI annualized

Red Flag Index

Moderate

56 / 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

Good

DistrictScore attractiveness · national model

East Boston Property Prices & Rental Yield

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

Unlock the East Boston 12-month price trend

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Market Economics Snapshot

May 2026

Metric	Value	YoY
Median Sale Price	$669,801	+3.5%
Price / Sq Ft (Verified)	$661/sqft	+7.9%
Asking Rent (Median)	$3,171/mo	+1.6%
Gross Rental Yield	5.7%	—
Liquidity Score	32 / 100	Low
Homes Sold (Period)	98	+24.1%

Is East Boston Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk

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

Red Flag Breakdown

56 / 100

Moderate Risk

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

Flood100Very High

Hurricane80Very High

Earthquake60High

Heat60High

Hail40Moderate

Wildfire20Low

Tornado20Low

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.

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Tract-level hazard heatmap & parcel detail with Pro

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What Stands Out AI Insight

Above-average gross rental yield at 5.7%

Appreciating market — +3.5% sale-price YoY

Highly walkable neighborhood — score 91/100

Active transaction volume — 98 homes sold last period

Flood risk is Very High (100/100)

Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)

Insights are generated from East Boston's live DistrictScore metrics.

East Boston 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; East Boston inherits the Massachusetts figures.

Radon Potential

EPA

Zone 3

Zone 3 — Lowest potential · East Boston

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 odor12 nearbyVery High

Aviation noise56 dBLow

Point-source screening near East Boston: 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 East Boston

Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.

Walkability & Amenities

OpenStreetMap POI

91

Walker's Paradise

Walkability Score

64

Grocery

116

Dining

20

Schools

0

Universities

2

Hospitals

3

Pharmacies

53

Parks

11

Rail Transit

0

Coworking

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

East Boston vs Boston vs Massachusetts

How East Boston benchmarks against its city and state medians.

Benchmark vs City & State

In East Boston, the median sale price sits about 33% below the median for Boston neighborhoods and about 78% above the statewide median. Gross rental yield is 5.7%, against 4.8% for Boston neighborhoods and 4.8% statewide. Over the past 12 months, prices rose 3.5%. Transaction liquidity sits above the median for Boston neighborhoods and above the statewide median.

Area	Median / Sq Ft	Gross Yield	Liquidity
East Boston	$661/sqft	5.7%	32
Boston	$992/sqft	4.8%	21
Massachusetts	$372/sqft	4.8%	20

Unlock the East Boston benchmark

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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

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Guaranteed Rate • Jun 18, 2026

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Eye On Housing • Jun 18, 2026

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

Altus Group • Jun 18, 2026

East Boston Real Estate FAQ

East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts shows a gross yield of 5.7, which is relatively strong in this set, with prices about 33% below Boston and 73% above Massachusetts. The Red Flag score is 56, and prices increased 3.5% over the past year, so the market combines income potential with elevated relative pricing versus the state.

Neighborhoods near East Boston

Compare East Boston with nearby neighborhoods in Boston.

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