The recent Boston Housing Report Card suggests that a growing number of Boston residents, in particular in areas such as the South End and the Fenway, are paying out upwards of 80% of their income for rent.

Rubbish, John says. The report assumes that everybody lives in a two-bedroom apartment, while obviously many people live in less expensive stuidos or one-bedroom apartments. It's based on the 2000 federal census, which included our zillions of college students, most of whom report below-poverty-level wages (the census does not take into account parental subsidies). And it fails to take into account the fact that people living in subsidized housing do not pay the full cost of their rents.

BuffaloPundit used to live in Brighton. Housing prices drove him to Buffalo. But now he wouldn't dream of leaving:

... [W]hat's really amazing to me is that I feel more at home here than I ever did in Boston. I just wasn't "of" Boston. It's a great town, I loved the convenience and amenities of living there, and I miss our friends in Boston, but I never felt like I really belonged there. I feel like I belong here. ...

Based on the comments to his post, he's not the only ex-Bostonian in Buffalo.

John Ford of Ford Realty has started a real-estate blog. Unlike some of his colleagues, Ford not only thinks we're in the midst of a housing bubble, he thinks it's about to burst:

... I think it has the potential to be worse then in the late 80's early 90's for the Boston area. Contrary to what my esteem Boston realtors believe that this will only be a minor air leak, I believe you should cover your ears because balloons will be popping with a BANG. ...

Blame Greenspan, he says.

The Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2004 (just out, in PDF):

... Led by its high cost of housing, the Boston metropolitan area had by 2004 the highest cost of living of any metro region in the entire nation, outpacing San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D.C., not to mention Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Chicago, Austin, and Miami where living costs were only two-thirds as high. It is not surprising, therefore, that Massachusetts was the only state in the nation to lose population in 2004. Of particular concern was the loss of young people. Between 2001 and 2003, the number of 20–24 year olds declined by 11.5 percent while the number of 25–34 year olds fell by 7.2 percent. By contrast, the number of 20–24 year olds nationally grew by 5.6 percent while 25–34 year olds increased by 0.7 percent during the same period. ...

John, a real-estate agent, compiles the list, which tops off at a scosh under $14 MILLON (and it's not even in EaBo, although it does come with a washer/dryer).