Average Rent in Dorchester (2026)
The median asking rent for a 1-bedroom in Dorchester is $2,500 as of July 2026, based on verified active listings across Spot Easy — $250 less than the Greater Boston median of $2,750.
↻ Updated monthly · data as of July 2026
How much is rent in Dorchester?
Spot Easy's July 2026 index for Dorchester, against the Greater Boston median for each size: 1-bedrooms $2,500 (−$250), 2-bedrooms $2,850 (−$545), 3-bedrooms $3,300 (−$600), 4+ bedrooms $3,800 (−$1,200).
| Apartment size | Median rent | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom | $2,500 | $2,323 – $2,995 |
| 2 Bedroom | $2,850 | $2,600 – $3,231 |
| 3 Bedroom | $3,300 | $3,000 – $3,500 |
| 4+ Bedroom | $3,800 | $3,600 – $4,250 |
Typical range = where the middle 50% of listings fall — a quarter rent for less, a quarter for more.
Is rent going up or down in Dorchester?
| Month | Median rent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | $2,313 | — |
| Jul 2025 | $2,375 | ↑ +$62 |
| Aug 2025 | $2,400 | ↑ +$25 |
| Sep 2025 | $2,330 | ↓ −$70 |
| Oct 2025 | $2,313 | ↓ −$17 |
| Nov 2025 | $2,400 | ↑ +$87 |
| Dec 2025 | $2,400 | even |
| Jan 2026 | $2,448 | ↑ +$48 |
| Feb 2026 | $2,375 | ↓ −$73 |
| Mar 2026 | $2,375 | even |
| Apr 2026 | $2,400 | ↑ +$25 |
| May 2026 | $2,450 | ↑ +$50 |
| Jun 2026 | $2,503 | ↑ +$53 |
| Jul 2026 | $2,500 | ↓ −$3 |
How Dorchester rent compares to Greater Boston
A 1-bedroom in Dorchester runs $250 less than the Greater Boston median of $2,750 — about 9% below the metro average. Among the 18 Greater Boston areas we publish, that ranks Dorchester 15th most expensive for 1-bedrooms.
| Apartment size | Dorchester | Greater Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom | $2,500 | $2,750 | −$250 |
| 2 Bedroom | $2,850 | $3,395 | −$545 |
| 3 Bedroom | $3,300 | $3,900 | −$600 |
| 4+ Bedroom | $3,800 | $5,000 | −$1,200 |
Half of 1-bedroom listings in Dorchester fall between $2,323 and $2,995 — budget-end units start near the lower figure, while larger or renovated units push toward the upper end and beyond.
How many Dorchester apartments have no broker fee?
81.4% of Dorchester listings with a stated fee have no broker fee. That's above the Greater Boston average of 79.4% — renters here tend to have more no-fee options than most neighborhoods.
Browse no-fee listings in DorchesterWhen to start your Dorchester apartment search
Most Greater Boston leases turn over on September 1, and Dorchester is no exception. Inventory builds through late spring and early summer for fall move-ins, then tightens sharply in August as students and young professionals lock in leases. If you're targeting a September 1 start, the strongest selection is usually six to eight weeks out; for other move-in dates, listings refresh year-round but the best ones move within days. Spot Easy refreshes these Dorchester numbers every month so you can time your search to the live market.
A 1-bedroom in Dorchester runs $50 less than neighboring Roxbury and about the same as neighboring Jamaica Plain.
Nearby neighborhoods: Roxbury · Jamaica Plain · South Boston
Dorchester rent — frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Greater Boston neighborhood for a 1-bedroom?
Of the 18 Greater Boston areas Spot Easy publishes, Allston has the lowest median asking rent for a 1-bedroom at $2,380 as of July 2026. Dorchester ranks 4th cheapest, at $2,500.
What are these Dorchester rent figures based on?
Every Dorchester listing active on Spot Easy during July 2026 — not a sample, an estimate or a modelled figure. We take the median of advertised asking rents after removing duplicate postings of the same unit and excluding anything below $500 or above $20,000 a month. A bedroom size is published only where it has at least 20 active listings in the month, so a size with thin inventory is left blank rather than shown as a number we would not stand behind.
How does Spot Easy calculate Dorchester rent figures?
Median asking rent is the middle advertised price — half of listings ask more, half ask less. Spot Easy takes every listing active in Dorchester during July 2026, removes drafts, admin-removed listings and asking rents below $500 or above $20,000, de-duplicates by address and unit, and reports the median for each bedroom size with at least 20 listings. These are asking rents, not signed-lease prices.
How we calculate this
Each month Spot Easy snapshots every active listing across Greater Boston, excludes drafts, admin-removed listings, and asking rents below $500 or above $20,000, dedupes by address + unit, and normalizes bedroom counts into Studio / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4+. We require at least 20 active listings in a cell before publishing its median; thinner cells are suppressed. Figures are median asking rents, not signed-lease prices.
Sample sizes for July 2026 (N): 1BR 56 · 2BR 132 · 3BR 163 · 4+BR 91.
Press or custom data pulls: [email protected].
These figures are free to republish with attribution to Spot Easy, under a CC BY 4.0 license.