Rents are 4% below what Waltham's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,930 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Waltham usually run 1.8% below trend in December and 2% above it in July, about $111 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Waltham is 0.1% below its high of $2,933 in June 2026, at $2,930 as of September 2026.
Rent in Waltham changed +2.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 89 Massachusetts cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.8%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Waltham rose 28.7% while median household income rose 25.3% ($95,964 to $120,216). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Waltham is 28.6% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($120,216) is $3,005 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,603); a 2-bedroom is $3,087.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Waltham, 02451 ($3,271/mo), costs 18% more than the cheapest, 02452 ($2,781/mo).
Chelsea, 10 miles away, rents for 10% less ($2,632/mo), about $3,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Waltham. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Waltham, MA is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 57.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Waltham, MA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Waltham, MA has climbed by $695 per month, settling near $2,930 after starting the period at $2,235. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $103,498 in 2021 to $120,216 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 14.9 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Waltham, MA market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Waltham on your salary?
At $2,930/mo, how Waltham rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Waltham rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Waltham. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Waltham
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Waltham is $2,930/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,463/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,087/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,603/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,720/mo.
At 29% of local median household income ($120,216/yr), Waltham ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Waltham rent compare to other cities in Massachusetts?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Waltham?
At $2,930/mo, rent takes ~29% of Waltham's median household income ($120,216/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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