What kinds of homes are in Boston, MA?

Name: Types of homes in Boston, MA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Boston, MA has 310,625 (±875) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 6,426 homes per square mile of land.

11.9% are detached single-family houses.

35.1% are in buildings of two to four units.

46.4% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 310,625 (±875)
Detached houses: 11.9%
2–4 unit buildings: 35.1%
5+ unit buildings: 46.4%

Homes in Boston by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Boston	Suffolk County	Massachusetts	United States
Single-family, detached	11.9% (±0.5 points)	13.1%	51.1%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	6.4% (±0.4 points)	6.4%	5.9%	6.2%
2 units	11.6% (±0.5 points)	12.9%	9.3%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	23.5% (±0.6 points)	22.6%	10.7%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	11.0% (±0.4 points)	10.3%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	7.6% (±0.4 points)	7.2%	4.2%	4.3%
20 or more units	27.8% (±0.7 points)	27.3%	12.3%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.2% (±0.1 points)	0.2%	0.8%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.0%	0.0%	0.1%

In Boston, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Suffolk County (44.8%).

It is also higher than in Massachusetts (22.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Boston

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Boston
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Boston	—	46.4% (±0.9 points)	—
Winthrop Town	3.5 mi	27.9% (±4.0 points)	Lower
Chelsea	4.1 mi	43.6% (±3.6 points)	Not measurably different
Everett	5.0 mi	21.8% (±3.0 points)	Lower
Quincy	5.4 mi	40.4% (±2.2 points)	Lower
Somerville	5.5 mi	29.9% (±2.0 points)	Lower
Cambridge	5.7 mi	54.6% (±1.8 points)	Higher
Revere	5.9 mi	30.8% (±3.0 points)	Lower
Brookline (community)	6.4 mi	50.8% (±3.0 points)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Winthrop Town, MA (27.9%), Everett, MA (21.8%), Quincy, MA (40.4%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Cambridge, MA (54.6%), Brookline (community), MA (50.8%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Suffolk County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Boston	46.4% (±0.9 points)
2	Chelsea	43.6% (±3.6 points)
3	Revere	30.8% (±3.0 points)
4	Winthrop Town	27.9% (±4.0 points)

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Boston

How many homes are in Boston?

Boston, MA has an estimated 310,625 (±875) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Boston houses or apartments?

11.9% are detached houses and 6.4% attached houses, while 81.5% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Boston?

35.1% of homes in Boston are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Boston city, Massachusetts

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Boston city, Massachusetts (place:07000, in state:25).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.