Where can you rent for $1,500 a month or less in MetroWest?
Those searching for a rental unit in MetroWest or Greater Milford would not be surprised to learn that Massachusetts has the third-highest average apartment rent in the country, an average $1,608 for a one-bedroom apartment, according to data gathered by the National Low Income Housing Initiative.
The high costs in and around Boston — the average rental cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Boston is $1,980 — has pushed renters out toward MetroWest, driving up prices in those communities.
In Framingham, the average rent for an apartment increased 32% from 2010 to 2020, and that trend has only continued as the real estate market remains hot in the past two years.
So where can renters find something they can afford? The Daily News scoured recent listings and consulted with local agents to find places that are still considered (relatively) affordable — $1,500 or less per month.
Framingham
Not too surprisingly, Framingham — as the largest community in MetroWest — has the highest volume of multi-unit housing and thus has the most apartments available for under $1,500.
“You can live all over Framingham for $1,500, there are plenty of one-bedroom apartments and studios that can fit under that price,” said Shannon McCullough, broker/owner at Sloane Realty Group in Framingham.
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What makes Framingham affordable is the volume of multi-unit housing that exists throughout the city, something neighboring towns do not tend to have.
“If you look at a community like Ashland, the units they mostly have are high-end condos, such as the ones along Algonquin Trail," McCullough said. "Those units are not really going to be under that price point. Framingham has a lot of multifamily homes that are more affordable as studio or one-bedroom apartments."
Downtown Natick
While Natick doesn’t have the volume of multifamily housing that Framingham has, the downtown area does offer units for under $1,500 monthly. Downtown Natick, which is also close to public transportation hubs such as the MBTA railway, has a high concentration of two- and three-family houses that are more likely to be affordable to renters on a tight budget.
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Natick Village
Another neighborhood with affordable rents, Natick Village, in West Natick close to the Framingham line, regularly offers units for less than $1,500 per month. Like the downtown, Natick Village is close to an MBTA stop and near other forms of public transportation, as well as within walking distance to numerous commercial, office and industrial space for people working locally.
Route 20, Marlborough
Marlborough is well known as being one of the more affordable communities in the Greater Boston area, so it’s not surprising that the city has rentals available for under $1,500 a month. The most affordable section of the city tends to be along the spine of the city on and around Route 20, particularly in some of the larger multi-unit buildings.
“Along Route 20 near Home Depot, there are several high-rise apartment buildings and I regularly have clients that rent those out at a rate between $1,250 a month to $1,400 a month,” McCullough said.
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Downtown Franklin
Perhaps the most affordable community in the area to rent in is Franklin. According to data compiled by area realtor Barrie Naji of Coldwell Banker, there are some apartments for rent in Franklin well under $1,500, with some apartments available for less than $1,000 a month, particularly around the downtown area in Franklin and along Route 140.
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Franklin is one of the fastest-growing cities in Massachusetts, ranking seventh in the state in population growth between the 2010 census and 2020 census. Despite that demand, it remains affordable, with some two-bedroom apartments still clocking in at under $1,500 a month.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Where can renters in MetroWest live for $1,500 a month or less?
