--- title: "Boston vs Philadelphia: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Boston and Philadelphia — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/boston-vs-philadelphia pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Boston ($78/sqft, 19.5% vacancy) and Philadelphia ($38/sqft, 21.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Boston on talent depth and Philadelphia on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Boston $78/sqft vs Philadelphia $38/sqft. - Vacancy: Boston 19.5% vs Philadelphia 21.6%. - Talent index: Boston 95 vs Philadelphia 85. - Corporate tax: Boston 28% vs Philadelphia 26%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Boston $1,140 vs Philadelphia $700. # Boston vs Philadelphia: Class A office comparison **Boston ($78/sqft, 19.5% vacancy) and Philadelphia ($38/sqft, 21.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Boston on talent depth and Philadelphia on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Boston $78/sqft vs Philadelphia $38/sqft. - Vacancy: Boston 19.5% vs Philadelphia 21.6%. - Talent index: Boston 95 vs Philadelphia 85. - Corporate tax: Boston 28% vs Philadelphia 26%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Boston $1,140 vs Philadelphia $700. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Boston | Philadelphia| | Region | Americas | Americas| | Country | United States | United States| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $78 | $38| | Class A rent (local) | 78 USD | 38 USD| | Vacancy | 19.5% | 21.6%| | Trend | flat | flat| | Prime yield | 6.2% | 6.9%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,140 | $700| | Submarkets covered | 6 | 5| | Corporate tax | 28% | 26%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Boston | Philadelphia| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 18 mos | 14 mos| | Lease norms | Modified-gross with op-ex escalations. Rent-free 18-24 months on 10-year term standard. Lab leases carry distinct economics — base rent plus operating expenses plus utilities pass-through. | Modified-gross structures with opex pass-throughs. 10-year terms standard. Free rent of 12-16 months and TI of $90-$130/sqft typical.| | Tax note | Combined federal + Massachusetts corporate tax 28%. | 21% federal plus 9.99% Pennsylvania corporate net income tax (declining over time) for an effective rate near 26%. Philadelphia Business Income & Receipts Tax (BIRT) applies.| ## Talent | Metric | Boston | Philadelphia| | Talent index (0–100) | 95 | 85| | Talent note | Deepest STEM and life-sciences talent pool in the US — anchored by MIT, Harvard, BU. Average all-in compensation indexes 95. | Deep healthcare, life sciences, legal, and academic talent — anchored by Penn, Temple, Drexel, and a deep network of hospital systems. Strong financial services concentration in asset management and insurance.| ## Transit & commute **Boston:** MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. **Philadelphia:** SEPTA regional rail (13 lines), broad-street and Market-Frankford subway, multiple bus and trolley routes. PATCO connects Camden and South Jersey. Center City is highly walkable. ## Top submarkets — Boston - [**Cambridge & Kendall Square**](/cities/boston/cambridge-kendall) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · $110/sqft/yr - [**Kendall Square**](/cities/boston/kendall-square) — trophy tier · $105/sqft/yr - [**Seaport**](/cities/boston/seaport) — trophy tier · $85/sqft/yr ## Top submarkets — Philadelphia - [**Center City West**](/cities/philadelphia/center-city-west) — trophy tier · $54/sqft/yr - [**University City / Schuylkill Yards**](/cities/philadelphia/university-city) — trophy tier · $50/sqft/yr - [**Center City East**](/cities/philadelphia/center-city-east) — prime tier · $46/sqft/yr ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Philadelphia is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Boston has the deeper talent index (95/100 vs 85/100). ### Pick by tax Philadelphia has the lower headline corporate tax (26% vs 28%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Boston typical term is 10 years with 18 months free; Philadelphia runs 10 years with 14 months free. ### Pick by transit Boston: MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. Philadelphia: SEPTA regional rail (13 lines), broad-street and Market-Frankford subway, multiple bus and trolley routes. PATCO connects Camden and South Jersey. Center City is highly walkable. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Boston, Philadelphia and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Boston or Philadelphia?**** : Philadelphia is cheaper on a USD basis: $38/sqft vs $78/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Boston or Philadelphia?**** : Boston indexes higher on talent depth (95 vs 85). ****Which has more sublease availability, Boston or Philadelphia?**** : Philadelphia carries higher vacancy (21.6% vs 19.5%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Boston vs Philadelphia?**** : Boston typical term is 10 years with 18 months rent-free; Philadelphia typical term is 10 years with 14 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Boston: MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. Philadelphia: SEPTA regional rail (13 lines), broad-street and Market-Frankford subway, multiple bus and trolley routes. PATCO connects Camden and South Jersey. Center City is highly walkable. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Miriam Hollander**](/about/authors/miriam-hollander) — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/boston-vs-philadelphia), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.