Boston-Cambridge-Newton vs Detroit-Warren-Dearborn: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

Boston-Cambridge-Newton vs Detroit-Warren-Dearborn side by side

Metric Boston-Cambridge-Newton Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Alpha Score2639
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health22
Affordability946
Economic Strength3660
Rental Yield4251
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income5.43.2
Payment-to-Income33.3%19.4%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield3.8%5.9%
Overvaluation Index400

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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn leads — Boston-Cambridge-Newton 9/100 vs Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 46/100.
  • Price Momentum: Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn score the same (2/100).
  • Economic Strength: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn leads — Boston-Cambridge-Newton 36/100 vs Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 60/100.
  • Rental Yield: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn leads — Boston-Cambridge-Newton 42/100 vs Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 51/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Boston-Cambridge-Newton or Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn scores higher — 39 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn more affordable?

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 5.4 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton and 3.2 in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Boston-Cambridge-Newton or Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?

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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn brief.