How long do people stay in their homes in Boston, MA?

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

33.7% (±0.8 points) of households in Boston, MA moved into their current home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

14.0% have lived in it since before 2000.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Moved in 2020 or later: 33.7% (±0.8 points)
Since before 2000: 14.0%

When households in Boston moved in

Occupied housing units by year the householder moved in, 2020–2024
Moved in	Boston	Suffolk County	Massachusetts	United States
2023 or later	6.6% (±0.4 points)	6.4%	4.0%	4.6%
2020 to 2022	27.1% (±0.7 points)	26.3%	18.5%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	39.7% (±0.8 points)	40.4%	38.6%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	12.7% (±0.6 points)	12.9%	16.1%	16.4%
1990 to 1999	7.4% (±0.4 points)	7.2%	10.9%	9.6%
1989 or earlier	6.6% (±0.4 points)	6.9%	12.0%	9.5%

A high share of recent movers usually means more renting households and more turnover; a high share of long-time residents usually means more owners who have stayed.

In Boston, the share of households that moved in since 2020 is not measurably different from Suffolk County (32.7%).

It is also higher than in Massachusetts (22.5%).

It is higher than the national figure (24.8%).

Households that moved in since 2020 in places near Boston

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Boston
Place	Distance	Households that moved in since 2020	Compared with this place
Boston	—	33.7% (±0.8 points)	—
Winthrop Town	3.5 mi	22.5% (±3.6 points)	Lower
Chelsea	4.1 mi	29.6% (±3.4 points)	Lower
Everett	5.0 mi	24.1% (±2.7 points)	Lower
Quincy	5.4 mi	30.0% (±2.1 points)	Lower
Somerville	5.5 mi	40.7% (±1.7 points)	Higher
Cambridge	5.7 mi	40.5% (±1.5 points)	Higher
Revere	5.9 mi	25.6% (±2.7 points)	Lower
Brookline (community)	6.4 mi	34.4% (±2.4 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Winthrop Town, MA (22.5%), Chelsea, MA (29.6%), Everett, MA (24.1%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Somerville, MA (40.7%), Cambridge, MA (40.5%).

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

Households that moved in since 2020 across Suffolk County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that moved in since 2020
1	Boston	33.7% (±0.8 points)
2	Chelsea	29.6% (±3.4 points)
3	Revere	25.6% (±2.7 points)
4	Winthrop Town	22.5% (±3.6 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 often do people move in Boston?

33.7% of households in Boston, MA moved into their home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many long-time residents does Boston have?

14.0% of households in Boston have lived in their home since 1999 or earlier.

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_0051PE, DP04_0051PM, DP04_0052PE, DP04_0052PM, DP04_0053PE, DP04_0053PM, DP04_0054PE, DP04_0054PM, DP04_0055PE, DP04_0055PM, DP04_0056PE, DP04_0056PM

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.