Boston Residents Voice Discontent About Housing Costs

Jun 26, 2017

Twenty-six percent of prospective homebuyers were scoping out other metro areas beyond their home base during the third quarter, according to new data from Redfin

There is a growing level of discontent among Boston residents regarding the cost of living.

According to a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll that ranked the cost of housing on a scale of 1 to 5, 49.2 percent of respondents rated housing costs with a 1, or “Very Dissatisfied,” while 21.6 percent rated it a 2. In comparison, 5.2 percent of voters rated the cost of housing a 5, or “Very Satisfied,” while six percent gave it a 4.

Furthermore, 34.2 percent of respondents said they were very dissatisfied with the overall cost of living, and 24.4 percent said they were somewhat dissatisfied. But only 17.4 percent of respondents selected the cost of housing as the top issue among seven socioeconomic concerns impacting their lives.

“We didn’t know going into the poll where these numbers were going to fall,” said David Paleologos, Director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. “That’s an overwhelming poll number.”
Paleologos added that he hoped the survey could be used by policymakers as “a tool, a compass to try to figure out how to make the quality of life better for Boston residents.” The survey polled 500 residents by telephone between June 19 and June 21.

About the author

Phil Hall

Link copied

Published

Jun 26, 2017

Opinion

Seller Impersonation Fraud Is Evolving. Is the Mortgage Industry Evolving Fast Enough?

AI and increasingly sophisticated wire fraud are raising the stakes at the closing table, forcing lenders to rethink how they verify identities, counterparties, and payment instructions

For years, the mortgage industry has spent a lot of money on spotting borrower fraud at the start of the loan process. But one of the growing fraud threats today may show up later — when the loan is approved, the closing is set, and hundreds of thousands of dollars are about...

Analysis and Data

Price Cuts Hit Four-Year High As Mortgage Rates Top 7%

More than one in five listings took a price cut in September, but pending sales still posted their sharpest annual decline since March 2025

Home sellers are finally giving buyers some ground. The problem is mortgage rates are taking it right back.More than one in five homes listed for sale — 20.8% — had a price reduction in September, the highest share in nearly four years, according to Realtor.com's latest Mont...

Nov

Pasadena, CA

More from

Industry News

Garg Claims Majority In Better Fight, Board Poised To Honor Vote

Founder says he secured more than 51% of voting power to remove five directors, pending confirmation by a third-party inspector

C-Suite Strategies

Oct 01, 2026

Rocket Makes VantageScore Its Default After Testing Finds Borrower Savings

After four months of testing, Rocket will make VantageScore 4.0 its preferred model for eligible retail loans while keeping both scoring options available to brokers

Industry News

Sep 29, 2026

CHLA: More Freddie Mac MBS Buying Could Narrow Mortgage Spreads

Trade group estimates greater Freddie participation could compress spreads another 10 to 12 basis points as Fannie has taken the lead in GSE mortgage-bond buying

Industry News

Sep 23, 2026

Early Loan-Limit Race Splits Into Three Tiers

Lenders are now offering $845,000, $847,440, or $850,000 before FHFA sets the official 2027 limits

Industry News

Sep 23, 2026

Better, Garg Clash Over Claimed 46% Shareholder Support

Better disputes its former CEO’s preliminary consent count as the two sides trade accusations and an Oct. 2 target date approaches

C-Suite Strategies

Sep 23, 2026