Can you afford a "starter home" in the Boston area? Housing report says only 15% of renters make enough.

A new report shows it's increasingly difficult for renters to make the leap to home ownership in the Boston area.

The Boston Foundation's 2025 Housing Report Card says that just 15% of renter households can afford a "starter home" in Greater Boston. The report defines a starter home as one that's in the bottom tier of home values because it's smaller or in a less expensive neighborhood.

The report says that in 2021, an income of about $98,000 was needed to afford a starter home in the Boston area. In 2025, the required household income is more than $162,000.

And if homebuyers are looking for something more "mid-tier," they need to make at least $245,000 a year.

The report estimates that a starter home now costs about $505,000 in Greater Boston, up from $399,000 in 2021. Factori