Back Bay (prime, ~$85/sqft/yr) is one of 6 Boston Class A submarkets we track.

  • Back Bay sits at prime tier.
  • Average rent $85/sqft/yr vs city average 78.
  • Compared submarkets: Financial District (trophy), Cambridge & Kendall Square (trophy), Seaport (trophy).

Back Bay vs other Boston submarkets

Back Bay (prime, ~$85/sqft/yr) is one of 6 Boston Class A submarkets we track.

TL;DR

  • Back Bay sits at prime tier.
  • Average rent $85/sqft/yr vs city average 78.
  • Compared submarkets: Financial District (trophy), Cambridge & Kendall Square (trophy), Seaport (trophy).

Side-by-side with peers

**Financial District** (trophy, $80/sqft/yr) — Boston's traditional CBD. **Cambridge & Kendall Square** (trophy, $110/sqft/yr) — Life sciences capital of the world. **Seaport** (trophy, $85/sqft/yr) — Boston's newest trophy quarter. **Kendall Square** (trophy, $105/sqft/yr) — The world's densest biotech cluster. **Post Office Square** (trophy, $82/sqft/yr) — Boutique trophy core within the Financial District.

Key facts

cityBoston
submarketBack Bay
tierprime
averageRentLocal$85/sqft/yr
cityClassARentUsd$78/sqft/yr
cityVacancyPct19.5%

Frequently asked questions

What other submarkets compete with Back Bay in Boston?
Financial District, Cambridge & Kendall Square, Seaport

Related

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Miriam Hollander — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

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