Best Neighborhoods in South Boston To Rent An Apartment
South Boston is one of the city’s most renowned neighborhoods, known from films and pop culture as the soul of Boston. It’s steep culture and working class roots embody the toughness and grit that is Boston, and the area has boomed in the past decade as more residents seek to call Southie home. As a result, South Boston’s apartment rental market has some of the highest demand and tightest supply in the city.
The current vacancy rate for South Boston apartments 0.31%, which is tied with Symphony as second lowest vacancy rate in Boston behind South End (0.30%). The current apartment availability rate in South Boston is 0.35%, the lowest in Boston by a large margin. To put that in context, Boston’s current vacancy rate 1.57%, over 5 times higher than that of Southie.
These numbers may look bleak if you plan on renting an apartment in South Boston, but don’t lose hope just yet. With some planning and a small bit of local knowledge, you too can find an apartment in South Boston.
When To Look For Apartments in South Boston
Boston’s rental market is highly cyclical and driven by demand for off campus housing. Apartments typically rent fast and turnover faster, and most leases begin and end on 9/1. While there isn’t as much apartment turnover in South Boston, there is still a large number of apartments that become vacated every September as students move out.
The key is knowing when to look. Most of these September rentals become available months before as students notify their landlords of their plans to vacate. As a result, apartments start to become available in early Spring, and availability typically peaks in April and May. So if you plan it out a few months in advance, you can grab a great apartment in South Boston if you look towards the end of the second semester.
What South Boston Neighborhoods Have the Most Apartments?
While all neighborhoods in South Boston have a large number of apartment units for rent, some areas have significantly more than others. East Side and West Side have the two largest apartment supplies in South Boston, with 1,202 units and 921 units respectively. Third is Andrew Square, which has 337 apartments in its supply, and last is Thomas Park with just 147 rentable units in its inventory.
Apartment Prices in South Boston By Neighborhood
Due to high demand and lower turnover, average rent for South Boston apartments ($2,861) is almost $300 higher than that of the City ($2,568). Still, rent can vary considerably depending on which neighborhood in South Boston you call home.
Thomas Park has the highest average rent price at $4,159. The West Side and East Side are priced similarly at $3,029 and $2,969 respectively. Andrew Square is the most affordable neighborhood to rent an apartment in South Boston, with an average rent price of $2,533.
Despite the overwhelming demand for apartment rentals in South Boston, finding a great apartment for a decent price isn’t too far out of reach. As long as you know when to look, you’ll be able to find plenty of available apartment rentals that you can get in on.