 Cambridge Feb. 10 Citywide Upzoning: Price Increases and Neighborhood Impacts: Cambridge’s controversial multifamily upzoning ordinance, officially enacted on February 10, 2025, but anticipated as early as September 2024, has produced measurable shifts in housing prices across several neighborhoods. While the policy allowed multifamily development citywide, its real impact varied by area, reflecting differences in existing zoning, housing stock, investor appetite, and market conditions. Neighborhood Price Trends: West Cambridge and Avon Hill, both characterized by high-value single-family homes appear largely insulated from the upzoning’s effects. As of May 2025, West Cambridge’s median listing price remained elevated at $2.9 million, with a price-per-square-foot around $1,000.1 Avon Hill, although lacking specific May 2025 data, is similarly composed of large homes unlikely to be subdivided or redeveloped.2 These areas show little sign of price acceleration beyond normal market trends. In contrast, neighborhoods such as Cambridgeport, The Port, Inman Square, and East Cambridge show greater responsiveness to the policy. Cambridgeport, for instance, reached a median listing price of $1.3 million with strong interest in two- and three-family properties, aligning with increased investor activity since the ordinance was proposed. 3 The Port followed a similar trajectory, with its median listing price rising to $1.2 million, amid signs of emerging redevelopment interest.4 Inman Square exhibited a high price-per-square-foot of $1,100, despite a more modest $1 million median price, suggesting intense competition for smaller units and likely speculative pressure on conversion opportunities.5 East Cambridge, with a median listing price of $878,000 and substantial existing density, also saw signs of increased developer attention, particularly in properties suitable for infill or expansion.6 Mid-tier neighborhoods like Mid-Cambridge, Riverside, and North Cambridge have seen moderate effects. Mid-Cambridge ($899,000 median) and Riverside ($955,000 median) maintained price stability with modest appreciation, possibly reflecting their mixed housing stock and less aggressive redevelopment pressure.7 North Cambridge, where the median price reached $1.4 million, may have seen appreciation driven more by detached and duplex homes with upzoning potential than by widespread speculative activity.8 At the opposite end, Strawberry Hill remained relatively unaffected, with a median listing price of $1.1 million and a low price-per-square-foot of $810. The area’s low density and single-family character, coupled with limited transit access, likely made it less attractive to investors looking for quick conversion opportunities.9 Interpretation and TakeawaysIn neighborhoods with redevelopment potential—such as Cambridgeport, The Port, and Inman Square—the upzoning appears to have contributed to modest but visible increases in home values. The policy’s impact was greatest where multifamily housing was both feasible and market-viable. Meanwhile, high-value enclaves like West Cambridge and protected districts like Avon Hill remained largely impervious, and some single-family neighborhoods like Strawberry Hill showed little market reaction. The full effects of the February 2025 ordinance may take longer to materialize as developers test the permitting process and housing production timelines unfold. However, early data suggest that while the upzoning did not ignite dramatic citywide price spikes, it did shift market behavior in selected neighborhoods already poised for transformation. Notes
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