Boston-Cambridge-Newton vs Denver-Aurora-Lakewood: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of May 2026

Boston-Cambridge-Newton vs Denver-Aurora-Lakewood side by side

Metric Boston-Cambridge-Newton Denver-Aurora-Lakewood
Alpha Score2628
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health22
Affordability98
Economic Strength3648
Rental Yield4239
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income5.45.6
Payment-to-Income33.3%34.2%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield3.8%3.8%
Overvaluation Index4040

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Denver-Aurora-Lakewood compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Boston-Cambridge-Newton leads — Boston-Cambridge-Newton 9/100 vs Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 8/100.
  • Price Momentum: Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Denver-Aurora-Lakewood score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Denver-Aurora-Lakewood score the same (2/100).
  • Economic Strength: Denver-Aurora-Lakewood leads — Boston-Cambridge-Newton 36/100 vs Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 48/100.
  • Rental Yield: Boston-Cambridge-Newton leads — Boston-Cambridge-Newton 42/100 vs Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 39/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Boston-Cambridge-Newton or Denver-Aurora-Lakewood?

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood scores higher — 28 vs 26 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Boston-Cambridge-Newton or Denver-Aurora-Lakewood more affordable?

Boston-Cambridge-Newton is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 5.4 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton and 5.6 in Denver-Aurora-Lakewood.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Boston-Cambridge-Newton or Denver-Aurora-Lakewood?

Both markets show similar price momentum (about 50/100).

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Boston-Cambridge-Newton market brief and the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood brief.