Listen up, Bostonians and prospective Greater Boston residents. It’s that time of year again. Whether you’ve been dreading it or counting down the days, one thing is for certain: It’s rental season, and to help you lock down your new digs, we’re rolling out our ultimate moving guide.

Moving to and renting in Boston is a fickle situation. Nearly all of the city’s neighborhoods are in high demand; space is limited and prices are seemingly always on the rise. The demographics moving to the city, and those already deeply rooted, are constantly evolving and subsequently so too is the rental scene.

So what exactly makes one neighborhood more favorable to you than another? It all depends on your own personal likes and dislikes. But some common themes include price, transportation access, proximity to work and vibrant cultural centers.

For someone like me, a recent graduate and young professional – not quite penniless but still living paycheck-to-paycheck – cost of living carries a lot of weight when whittling down the choices. BostInno turned to rental giants Zillow and Jumpshell to get the inside scoop on comparing rental prices between units in Boston’s various communities. Zillow, of course, is a national online database for real estate, while Jumpshell is a local startup aiming to provide the most detailed and engaging rental information at the local level.

The Zillow Rent Index provides estimated monthly rent price computed using a proprietary formula. Though not 100 percent accurate (Zillow notes there are a number of aspects that its algorithms may fail to incorporate), the ZRI provides a solid idea for average rental property values for Boston’s neighborhoods. Zillow’s data is accurate up to March 31, 2014. Raleigh Werner, co-founder of Jumpshell, assured BostInno in an email that his startup’s data is accurate up to Tuesday, May 13 of this year.

According to the ZRI, the average monthly rent throughout the entire city of Boston is $2,458. Jumpshell breaks it down even further, calculating the average by number of bedrooms. In Boston, the average one bedroom apartment goes for $1,979. Depending on the specific neighborhood, though, those numbers change drastically.

Keep in mind that the following MBTA subway stations do not include bus routes, ferries or alternate means of public transportation.

Northerly Neighborhoods:

The neighborhoods at the northern tip of Boston include East Boston, Charlestown, Beacon Hill and the North End. Each possesses its own unique characteristics, are serviced by public transportation and see vastly different rental prices.

  • East Boston
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,185
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,625 – or $2.30 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Suffolk Downs, Orient Heights, Wood Island, Airport, Maverick (Blue Line)
    • More coverage about East Boston here
  • Charlestown
    • Average rental price from Zilow: $2,792
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $2,291 – or $3.17 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Community College (Orange Line)
    • More coverage about Charlestown here.
  • Beacon Hill 
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,969
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $2,379 – or $3.96 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Bowdoin (Blue Line), Charles/MGH (Red Line)
    • More coverage about Beacon Hill here.
  • North End
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,756
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,968 – or $3.46 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: North Station, Haymarket (Green & Orange Lines), Aquarium (Blue Line)
    • More coverage about the North End here.

Easterly Neighborhoods

This area includes South Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan and Hyde Park.

  • South Boston
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,681
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,778 – or $2.84 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: South Station, Broadway, Andrew, JFK/UMass (Red Line), Silver Line Way, World Trade Center, Courthouse, South Station (Silver Line)
    • More coverage about South Boston here & coverage specific to the Seaport here.
  • Dorchester
    • Average rental price from Zillow: North Dorchester, $2,235; South Dorchetser, $2,152
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,308 – or $1.86 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: JFK/UMass, Fields Corner, Shawmut, Ashmont (Red Line)
    • More coverage about Dorchester here.
  • Roxbury
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,339
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,364 – or $1.87 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Ruggles, Roxbury Crossing, Jackson Square (Orange Line), Dudley Square (Silver Line)
    • More coverage about Roxbury here
  • Mattapan
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,159
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,092 – or $1.41 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line (Red Line)
    • More coverage about Mattapan here.
  • Hyde Park
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,236
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom:  $1,154 – or $2.00 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Hyde Park (Commuter Rail)
    • More coverage about Hyde Park here.

Southerwesterly Neighborhoods

This area includes Roslindale, West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and Mission Hill.

  • Roslindale
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,297
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom:  $1,279 – or $1.87 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Forest Hills (Orange Line), Roslindale Village (Commuter Rail)
    • More coverage about Roslindale here.
  • West Roxbury
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,393
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,592 – or $2.08 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: West Roxbury, Highland (Commuter Rail)
    • More coverage about West Roxbury here.
  • Jamaica Plain
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,524
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom:  $1,482 – or $2.25 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Jackson Square, Stony Brook, Green Street, Forest Hills (Orange Line)
    • More coverage on Jamaica Plain here.
  • Mission Hill
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,652
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,850 – or $2.50 per sq. ft. (Jumpshell estimate based on available data)
    • MBTA subway stations: Ruggles, Roxbury Crossing (Orange Line), Museum of Fine Arts, Longwood Medical Center, Brigham Circle, Fenwood Rd., Mission Park, Riverway, Back of the Hill, Heath St. (Green Line, E-Branch)
    • More coverage about Mission Hill here.

Westerly Neighborhoods

This area includes Allston, Brighton, Fenway/Kenmore, and Back Bay.

  • Allston
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,323
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,559 – or $2.42 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: St. Paul St., Pleasant St., Babcock St., Packards Corner, Harvard Ave., Griggs St., Allston St., Warren St. (Green Line, B-Branch)
    • More coverage about Allston here.
  • Brighton
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,075
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $1,433 – or $2.35 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Washington St., Sutherland St., Chiswick Rd., Chestnut Hill Ave., South St., Boston College (Green Line, B-Branch), Tappan St., Dean Rd., Englewood Ave., Cleveland Circle (Green Line, C-Branch), Reservoir (Green Line, D-Branch)
    • More coverage about Brighton here.
  • Fenway/Kenmore
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $2,505 (Fenway), $2,288 (Kenmore)
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $2,198 – or $3.40 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Hynes Convention Center, Kenmore, Fenway, Longwood (Green Line, D-Branch), Prudential, Symphony, Northeastern University, Museum of Fine Arts, Longwood Medical Area, Brigham Circle (Green Line, E-Branch)
    • More coverage about Fenway/Kenmore here.
  • Back Bay
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $3,257
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $2,821 – or $3.94 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Arlington, Copley, Hynes, Kenmore, Prudential (Green Line), Back Bay, Massachusetts Ave. (Orange Line)
    • More coverage about Back Bay here.

Centrally Located Neighborhoods

This area includes Bay Village, Chinatown and the South End.

  • Bay Village
    • Average rental price from Zillow: N/A
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom:  $2,779 – or $4.23 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations:  Tufts Medical Center, Back Bay (Orange Line)
    • More coverage about Bay Village here.
  • Chinatown
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $3,472
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell, 1-bedroom: $2,850 – or $3.90 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: South Station (Red Line) Chinatown, Tufts Medical Center (Orange Line)
    • More coverage about Chinatown here.
  • South End
    • Average rental price from Zillow: $3,019
    • Average rental price from Jumpshell 1-bedroom: $2,533 – or $3.72 per sq. ft.
    • MBTA subway stations: Back Bay, Massachusetts Ave., Ruggles (Orange Line), Broadway, Andrew (Red Line)
    • More coverage about the South End here.

Images via Shutterstock & Zillow

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