Commercial Real Estate Market in Cambridge, MA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
306 active listings and 1,524 off-market properties in Cambridge, MA. Commercial property asks $928/SF to buy and $42.57/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Cambridge, MA spans 6.6 square miles in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Cambridge, MA runs 19.9% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 13.1% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Cambridge, MA runs 6% across the Northeast region in 2025, little changed from 6% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 7.1%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Cambridge, MA runs 7.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 5.4% in 2019. Nearly 2.4x the 2021 low of 3.2%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Cambridge, MA asks $318/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 4% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 54.4%
- Open space 23.9%
- Commercial 11.2%
- Planned_development 5.3%
- Industrial 4.3%
- Mixed use 0.9%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Residence 1
Open Space
Residence 3
Residence 2
Business A
Cambridge, MA zones 4,564 acres across 78 districts. Commercial zoning covers 11.2% of zoned land, residential 54.4%, open space 23.9% and industrial 4.3%. The largest single district is Residence 1 at 39.6%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 15.5% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Residence 1 (C-1)
The purpose of the C-1 district is to promote multi family dwellings
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Cambridge, MA has 119,974 residents in 55,299 households. Density runs 18,304 people per square mile. Median household income here is $126,470 and median gross rent $2,727 a month.
119,974
Population
55,299
Households
2.2
Avg Household Size
31
Median Age
81%
College-Educated
96%
High-School Grad
6.6 sq mi
ZIP Area
18,304
Density / Sq Mi
$126,470
Median Household Income
$61,106
Median Earnings
$2,727
Median Rent
$1,077,047
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $42.57/SF/Yr lease vs $928/SF buy → buying wins if held > 13.6 years.
At a 4.6% gross asking yield the payback reads short relative to leasing. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Somerville | — | $37.03 |
| Medford | — | $22.82 |
| Belmont | — | $39.89 |
| Brookline | — | $60.54 |
Commercial property in Cambridge, MA asks $928/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Cambridge?
Commercial property in Cambridge, MA asks an average of $928 per square foot. The 5 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $718/SF, so asking sits 29% above the achieved median. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $318/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Cambridge?
Asking lease rates in Cambridge, MA average $42.57 per square foot per year.
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Cambridge?
Buying beats leasing in Cambridge, MA if the property is held longer than 13.6 years, comparing $42.57/SF/Yr asking rent with $928/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Cambridge?
Cambridge, MA zones 4,564 acres across 78 districts, of which 11.2% is commercial and 4.3% industrial. The largest single district is Residence 1 at 39.6% of zoned land. The purpose of the C-1 district is to promote multi family dwellings Residential zoning covers 54.4% and open space 23.9%.
Where does Realmo's Cambridge market data come from?
Realmo compiles Cambridge, MA figures from 8 recent recorded sales, 101 active sale listings, 205 active lease listings, 1,524 tracked off-market properties, the current Cambridge zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 101 active for-sale and 205 active for-lease listings in Cambridge, MA. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 4,564 zoned acres across 78 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at Northeast region level, retail vacancy is reported at Northeast region level and industrial vacancy is reported at Northeast region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
