Commercial Real Estate Market in Dorchester, MA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: September 30
2,063 active listings and 19,548 off-market properties in Dorchester, MA. Commercial property asks $516/SF to buy and $57.18/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Dorchester, MA spans 8.7 square miles in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 30 September 2026.
Office
Office space in Dorchester, MA asks $43.84/SF/Yr to lease. Vacancy runs 19.9% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 13.1% in 2019.
Average Lease Price $/SF/Yr
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Retail
Retail space in Dorchester, MA asks $68.94/SF/Yr to lease. Vacancy runs 6% across the Northeast region in 2025, little changed from 6% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 7.1%.
Average Lease Price $/SF/Yr
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Dorchester, 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 Dorchester, MA asks $448/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
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Dorchester, MA has 139,049 residents in 57,686 households. Density runs 15,948 people per square mile. Median household income here is $69,582 and median gross rent $1,762 a month.
139,049
Population
57,686
Households
2.4
Avg Household Size
34
Median Age
33%
College-Educated
83%
High-School Grad
8.7 sq mi
ZIP Area
15,948
Density / Sq Mi
$69,582
Median Household Income
$45,451
Median Earnings
$1,762
Median Rent
$613,197
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $57.18/SF/Yr lease vs $516/SF buy → buying wins if held > 1.2 years.
At a 11.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Milton | — | — |
| Brookline | — | $63.90 |
| Boston | — | $57.18 |
| Cambridge | — | $41.87 |
Commercial property in Dorchester, MA asks $516/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Dorchester?
Commercial property in Dorchester, MA asks an average of $516 per square foot. The 7 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $279/SF, so asking sits 85% above the achieved median. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $448/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Dorchester?
Asking lease rates in Dorchester, MA average $57.18 per square foot per year. Office asks $43.84/SF/Yr as of Q2 26, up from $33.88/SF/Yr in Q1 26.
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Dorchester?
Buying beats leasing in Dorchester, MA if the property is held longer than 1.2 years, comparing $57.18/SF/Yr asking rent with $516/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.
Where does Realmo's Dorchester market data come from?
Realmo compiles Dorchester, MA figures from 7 recent recorded sales, 1,039 active sale listings, 1,024 active lease listings, 19,548 tracked off-market properties. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 30 September 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 1,039 active for-sale and 1,024 active for-lease listings in Dorchester, 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.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 30 September 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 30 September 2026 · report a data issue
