What is the average Class A rent in Boston?

Around 78 USD/sqft/yr ($78 USD) across the broader Class A index. Trophy submarkets like Financial District command 20–40% above that.

How many months of rent-free are normal in Boston?

18 months on a 10-year deal is the standard benchmark. Lease-up product or tenants with strong covenant strength can push higher.

Are rents rising or falling in Boston?

The Boston Class A market is currently flat. Vacancy is 19.5%, which sets the negotiating context.

Headline Class A rent in Boston is around 78 USD/sqft/yr ($78 USD), with 18 months of typical rent-free on a 10-year term.

Headline Class A rent: 78 USD/sqft/yr ($78 USD).
Trophy submarket rents (Financial District) push to roughly $80/sqft/yr.
Typical concessions on a 10-year deal: 18 months free rent.
Vacancy stands at 19.5% — market trend is flat.
Use effective rent (face minus PV of concessions), not headline, to compare deals.

Boston Class A office rents and incentives

Headline Class A rent in Boston is around 78 USD/sqft/yr ($78 USD), with 18 months of typical rent-free on a 10-year term.

TL;DR

Headline Class A rent: 78 USD/sqft/yr ($78 USD).
Trophy submarket rents (Financial District) push to roughly $80/sqft/yr.
Typical concessions on a 10-year deal: 18 months free rent.
Vacancy stands at 19.5% — market trend is flat.
Use effective rent (face minus PV of concessions), not headline, to compare deals.

Headline rent vs. effective rent

Asking rents in Boston are quoted in USD per sqft per year. Across the broad Class A index the figure is 78, but the trophy tier in Financial District reaches roughly $80/sqft/yr. Always discount headline rent by the present value of free rent and fit-out-capex">tenant improvement allowance to land on effective rent — the only number that compares cleanly across deals.

Rent-free and TI

Standard Boston concessions on a 10-year Class A lease run to 18 months of base-rent abatement. Trophy lease-ups can push rent-free 25–40% above that benchmark. Local cost-of-occupancy is also shaped by tax — Combined federal + Massachusetts corporate tax 28%.

Where rents land by submarket

Financial District sits at the top end (~$80/sqft/yr). Back Bay clears around $85/sqft/yr as the prime tier. The full submarket map is on the Boston city page.

Key facts

city	Boston
country	United States
region	Americas
classARentLocal	78 USD/sqft/yr
classARentUsd	$78/sqft/yr
vacancy	19.5%
typicalLeaseYears	10
typicalRentFreeMonths	18
submarkets	6
primeYieldPct	6.2%
trophyRent	$80/sqft/yr
primeRent	$85/sqft/yr

Frequently asked questions

What is the average Class A rent in Boston?: Around 78 USD/sqft/yr ($78 USD) across the broader Class A index. Trophy submarkets like Financial District command 20–40% above that.
How many months of rent-free are normal in Boston?: 18 months on a 10-year deal is the standard benchmark. Lease-up product or tenants with strong covenant strength can push higher.
Are rents rising or falling in Boston?: The Boston Class A market is currently flat. Vacancy is 19.5%, which sets the negotiating context.

Editorial provenance

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

Primary sources for this page

CBRE Marketview reports — CBRE
JLL Office Insight — JLL
Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat — Cushman & Wakefield
Savills World Research — Savills
Colliers Global Office Outlook — Colliers

Full sources index · Submit a correction