Boston area population growth slowed dramatically while homes remain "extremely expensive," report finds
Fewer people are moving to the Boston area while homes in the region remain "extremely expensive," a report released this week finds.
The Greater Boston Housing Report Card for 2026 said that population growth "slowed dramatically" last year and is likely declining even further this year. It said the region added 9,000 residents in 2025, compared to 49,000 in 2024.
International migration to Boston down
"The high regional cost of living and federal immigration policies slow population growth, and the regional economy has lost steam," Luc Schuster with the Boston Foundation said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the slowdown in housing construction has left us short of needed progress on the region's housing gap."
The report says federal policies have cut international migration to the region by half. Additionally, nearly 32,000 people left Greater Boston for other U.S. destinations last year, according to the report.
Home prices in Boston area
The report also found that families need to make at least $180,000 a year just to afford a home in "a low-priced town," where the median sale price is $600,000.
The median price for a single-family home in Greater Boston overall is $772,000, the report said. In Cambridge, Wellesley, Weston and Brookline, it's more than $2 million. Only six towns had median prices below $500,000: Ashby, Avon, Brockton, Shirley, Townsend and Wareham.
A study by SmartAsset this summer found that it cost more for families to live comfortably in Massachusetts than in any other state.
The Bouston Foundation report says that while homebuilding increased in 2024 and 2025, it appears fewer houses are being built this year, which won't help prices come down. Still, the report does see some "hopeful signs" on the housing front.
"While current supply has slowed, prices and cost burdens remain high, the impact of new policies addressing zoning, accessory dwelling units and more can help clear a path for new housing that can move the needle in the longer-term on housing," the Boston Foundation's Keith Mahoney said.