The Context Report, Issue No. 4: September 2026
Single-family sales closed in August 2026, by region and town. Archived as published. For current numbers, see the latest update.
2,062 single-family closings across 129 towns in seven regions.
| Region | Closings | Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Boston | 467 | 26 |
| Metro West | 318 | 21 |
| Northwest Suburbs | 167 | 11 |
| Southwest Suburbs | 203 | 13 |
| North Shore | 242 | 22 |
| South Shore | 415 | 21 |
| Merrimack Valley | 250 | 15 |
† jumbo rate used · * residential exemption available, not applied · ‡ fewer than 5 sales
Greater Boston
Brookline had the highest median in Greater Boston this month at $2,394,900. Cambridge dropped from $2.48M in July to $1.764M in August, while sales volume fell from 22 closings to 11. Boston moved the other way, with a $1.15M median and 70 sales, compared with an $875,000 trailing-12 median. Overall, the region had 467 closings in August, down from 656 in July. There are some big month-to-month moves here, but several of them came with much lower sales volume, so the trailing-12 numbers are still important context.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookline †* | $2,394,900 | 7 | $14,758 | $2,545,000 | -2.1% |
| Winchester † | $1,950,000 | 12 | $12,153 | $1,730,000 | -8.3% |
| Lexington † | $1,937,500 | 33 | $12,274 | $1,750,000 | -5.4% |
| Newton † | $1,825,000 | 45 | $11,163 | $1,830,000 | -6.2% |
| Cambridge †* | $1,764,000 | 11 | $10,346 | $2,475,000 | +7.6% |
| Belmont † | $1,449,000 | 9 | $9,083 | $1,640,000 | -3.1% |
| Arlington † | $1,235,000 | 24 | $7,655 | $1,275,000 | +4.0% |
| Milton | $1,150,000 | 23 | $7,176 | $1,100,000 | +7.1% |
| Boston * | $1,150,000 | 70 | $7,232 | $875,000 | -1.1% |
| Winthrop ‡ | $1,100,000 | 3 | $6,802 | $735,000 | +2.8% |
| Somerville ‡* | $1,082,500 | 4 | $6,679 | $1,300,000 | -4.6% |
| Medford | $1,037,500 | 24 | $6,199 | $900,000 | -1.0% |
| Watertown ‡* | $1,035,000 | 2 | $6,492 | $1,060,000 | +9.8% |
| Reading | $953,500 | 12 | $5,882 | $965,000 | +7.2% |
| Melrose | $915,000 | 15 | $5,683 | $970,000 | pending |
| Wakefield | $865,000 | 18 | $5,392 | $842,500 | +1.1% |
| Stoneham | $855,000 | 11 | $5,210 | $850,000 | +0.6% |
| Waltham * | $838,000 | 23 | $5,125 | $850,000 | -3.1% |
| Quincy | $787,500 | 30 | $4,912 | $742,500 | +1.0% |
| Woburn | $780,000 | 23 | $4,694 | $785,000 | +1.0% |
| Malden * | $710,000 | 9 | $4,406 | $710,000 | -0.7% |
| Dedham | $690,000 | 26 | $4,333 | $768,000 | -2.0% |
| Saugus | $657,000 | 18 | $4,023 | $700,000 | +3.7% |
| Revere | $655,000 | 11 | $3,930 | $656,000 | -1.4% |
| Everett ‡* | $650,000 | 3 | $4,100 | $670,000 | +0.2% |
| Chelsea ‡* | $590,000 | 1 | $3,665 | $696,000 | +5.9% |
Metro West
Metro West had 318 single-family closings in August, down from 434 in July. Wellesley and Weston remained the two highest-priced towns, but both monthly medians moved lower, to $2.275M and $2.35M. Sherborn moved up, from $1.54M to $2.061M, while its trailing-12 median is $1.27M. Framingham was busy with 37 sales and a $740,000 median. Most of the trailing-12 medians changed only modestly, despite much larger moves in some of the monthly numbers.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weston † | $2,350,000 | 7 | $14,607 | $2,600,000 | pending |
| Wellesley † | $2,275,000 | 36 | $14,006 | $2,325,000 | +6.7% |
| Dover †‡ | $2,150,000 | 3 | $13,419 | $2,100,000 | +23.3% |
| Sherborn † | $2,061,320 | 8 | $13,634 | $1,270,000 | -6.4% |
| Needham † | $1,625,000 | 32 | $10,094 | $1,775,000 | +0.9% |
| Hopkinton † | $1,287,444 | 20 | $8,348 | $1,161,000 | +13.3% |
| Stow †‡ | $1,275,000 | 2 | $8,668 | $905,000 | +7.7% |
| Sudbury † | $1,237,000 | 25 | $8,038 | $1,207,500 | -1.4% |
| Wayland † | $1,180,000 | 13 | $7,723 | $1,275,000 | +12.4% |
| Natick | $1,075,000 | 21 | $6,740 | $1,075,000 | pending |
| Southborough | $968,000 | 14 | $6,246 | $937,000 | -7.2% |
| Ashland ‡ | $941,500 | 4 | $5,945 | $735,000 | -2.0% |
| Bolton | $930,000 | 7 | $6,288 | $910,000 | -13.3% |
| Littleton | $880,000 | 11 | $5,653 | $783,000 | -10.0% |
| Westborough | $860,000 | 13 | $5,661 | $791,500 | -1.1% |
| Northborough | $812,500 | 20 | $5,273 | $755,000 | +3.8% |
| Maynard | $780,000 | 5 | $5,180 | $655,000 | +3.8% |
| Framingham | $740,000 | 37 | $4,619 | $700,000 | -1.9% |
| Holliston | $730,000 | 15 | $4,706 | $735,000 | -1.0% |
| Hudson | $672,500 | 6 | $4,327 | $680,000 | +9.7% |
| Marlborough | $585,000 | 19 | $3,588 | $615,000 | -2.1% |
Northwest Suburbs
Sales slowed in the Northwest Suburbs, with 167 closings in August compared with 203 in July. Concord had the highest monthly median at $1,779,619 and 21 sales, up from 11 sales the month before. North Reading stands out for a different reason: its monthly median jumped from $905,000 to $1.426M, with 19 sales. Billerica was still the busiest town with 29 closings. The trailing-12 medians are much steadier than some of the monthly changes, which is useful context in a smaller region.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord †* | $1,779,619 | 21 | $11,383 | $1,750,000 | pending |
| North Reading † | $1,426,000 | 19 | $9,118 | $925,000 | +4.9% |
| Lincoln †‡ | $1,385,875 | 2 | $8,779 | $1,590,000 | -11.7% |
| Carlisle †‡ | $1,312,000 | 4 | $8,367 | $1,294,000 | -10.2% |
| Bedford | $1,050,000 | 21 | $6,611 | $1,063,000 | -0.8% |
| Boxborough ‡ | $1,025,000 | 4 | $6,701 | $1,080,000 | +16.1% |
| Westford | $900,000 | 27 | $5,713 | $900,000 | -7.7% |
| Acton | $880,000 | 14 | $5,815 | $997,000 | +16.8% |
| Wilmington | $830,000 | 16 | $5,151 | $790,000 | +6.4% |
| Burlington | $777,500 | 10 | $4,649 | $850,000 | -1.2% |
| Billerica | $760,000 | 29 | $4,729 | $713,500 | +0.5% |
Southwest Suburbs
The Southwest Suburbs had 203 closings in August, down from 233 in July. Medfield stayed near the top at $1.235M, while Westwood moved down from $1.2M in July to $900,000 in August as the number of sales more than doubled to 19. Millis posted the region’s highest monthly median at $1.2925M, but only four homes closed there in August. Its trailing-12 median is $775,000. Most of the regionʼs trailing-12 medians barely changed month to month, even where the monthly figures moved dramatically.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millis †‡ | $1,292,500 | 4 | $8,511 | $775,000 | +7.3% |
| Medfield † | $1,235,000 | 11 | $7,948 | $1,162,500 | +6.2% |
| Foxboro | $999,999 | 11 | $6,339 | $745,000 | +3.5% |
| Sharon | $952,000 | 19 | $6,364 | $850,000 | +0.6% |
| Wrentham | $937,000 | 9 | $5,836 | $781,250 | +5.6% |
| Westwood | $900,000 | 19 | $5,695 | $1,300,000 | +8.3% |
| Mansfield | $862,500 | 14 | $5,474 | $712,525 | -2.1% |
| Medway | $845,000 | 17 | $5,427 | $745,000 | -0.3% |
| Walpole | $827,380 | 17 | $5,207 | $850,000 | +8.3% |
| Franklin | $822,500 | 26 | $5,105 | $762,500 | +7.4% |
| Norwood | $815,000 | 15 | $4,950 | $760,000 | pending |
| Canton | $760,000 | 23 | $4,612 | $845,000 | +4.5% |
| Stoughton | $642,500 | 18 | $4,009 | $628,500 | -3.3% |
North Shore
North Shore sales were down from 298 in July to 242 in August. Manchester-by-the-Sea had the highest monthly median at $3.535M, but only two sales closed. Newbury also jumped to $1.485M with two sales, and Essex reached $1.525M with what we would call a staggering five sales for the town. Those are eye- catching numbers, but with so few sales, I wouldn’t wouldnʼt read too much into them.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester-by-the-Sea †‡ | $3,535,000 | 2 | $21,330 | $1,570,000 | +15.4% |
| Essex † | $1,525,000 | 5 | $9,753 | $875,000 | -15.8% |
| Newbury †‡ | $1,485,000 | 2 | $9,380 | $915,000 | -3.7% |
| Topsfield | $1,200,000 | 7 | $7,873 | $971,000 | -3.4% |
| Newburyport | $1,100,000 | 13 | $6,630 | $1,050,000 | -12.5% |
| Lynnfield | $1,096,250 | 8 | $6,808 | $1,100,000 | +10.0% |
| Wenham ‡ | $1,068,000 | 4 | $7,036 | $1,200,000 | +22.8% |
| Marblehead | $998,000 | 13 | $5,957 | $1,128,000 | +8.5% |
| Nahant ‡ | $945,000 | 4 | $5,674 | $925,000 | +5.7% |
| Ipswich | $890,000 | 8 | $5,477 | $897,500 | -5.6% |
| Rockport | $875,000 | 5 | $5,215 | $1,000,000 | +18.8% |
| Hamilton | $840,000 | 7 | $5,467 | $837,000 | -8.0% |
| Rowley | $801,000 | 7 | $5,017 | $869,500 | -1.8% |
| Beverly | $795,000 | 27 | $4,894 | $805,000 | +10.3% |
| Middleton | $770,000 | 7 | $4,855 | $962,500 | +0.4% |
| Swampscott | $767,500 | 12 | $4,801 | $853,500 | -9.2% |
| Danvers | $767,500 | 10 | $4,715 | $728,000 | +0.4% |
| Salisbury | $740,000 | 7 | $4,501 | $667,500 | -11.0% |
| Salem | $720,000 | 11 | $4,431 | $705,000 | pending |
| Peabody | $710,000 | 33 | $4,292 | $710,000 | +2.9% |
| Lynn | $600,000 | 41 | $3,668 | $585,000 | -2.5% |
| Gloucester | $549,000 | 9 | $3,311 | $752,500 | +1.3% |
South Shore
The South Shore was the most stable region in terms of sales volume. There were nearly the same number of sales in August (415) as in July (422). Plymouth again had the most sales with 90 and a $685,000 median price. Hingham moved from $1.4275M to $1.5M, while Cohasset moved from $1.735M to $1.575M. Most of the trailing-12 medians changed very little from July, and overall activity held up much better here than it did in most of the other regions.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohasset † | $1,575,000 | 29 | $9,851 | $1,600,000 | +10.3% |
| Hingham † | $1,500,000 | 29 | $9,272 | $1,435,000 | +4.9% |
| Norwell † | $1,320,000 | 17 | $8,419 | $1,100,000 | -6.8% |
| Scituate † | $1,250,000 | 20 | $7,660 | $1,103,073 | +9.5% |
| Duxbury | $1,202,500 | 14 | $7,318 | $1,253,000 | +5.3% |
| Hanover | $1,192,500 | 18 | $7,506 | $900,000 | +12.5% |
| Hull | $1,093,750 | 6 | $6,733 | $745,000 | +9.7% |
| Marshfield | $905,000 | 31 | $5,481 | $835,000 | +1.2% |
| Kingston | $825,000 | 13 | $5,217 | $730,000 | -3.3% |
| Plympton ‡ | $717,500 | 4 | $4,683 | $715,000 | pending |
| Plymouth | $685,000 | 90 | $4,316 | $715,000 | +5.9% |
| Weymouth | $674,125 | 38 | $4,111 | $675,000 | +3.8% |
| Halifax | $670,000 | 15 | $4,307 | $579,000 | +8.8% |
| Abington | $650,000 | 6 | $4,110 | $622,500 | +1.2% |
| Hanson | $636,900 | 11 | $4,040 | $630,950 | +4.5% |
| Holbrook | $617,000 | 9 | $3,865 | $575,000 | +9.5% |
| Randolph | $615,500 | 18 | $3,829 | $610,000 | +5.2% |
| Pembroke | $590,000 | 15 | $3,680 | $675,000 | +3.1% |
| Rockland | $583,000 | 15 | $3,738 | $612,000 | +10.8% |
| Whitman | $574,500 | 6 | $3,656 | $560,000 | +6.7% |
| Carver | $550,000 | 11 | $3,514 | $572,000 | -2.4% |
Merrimack Valley
The Merrimack Valley had 250 closings in August, down from 321 in July. Boxford had the highest monthly median at $1.1975M, while Andover was close behind at $1.1306M. Andover also saw sales volume drop from 41 closings in July to 20 in August. Haverhill fell from 47 sales to 33, while Methuen moved the other way, from 30 to 34. Most of the trailing-12 medians changed very little, even with the drop in overall sales.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxford | $1,197,500 | 8 | $7,645 | $1,088,000 | +3.1% |
| Andover | $1,130,566 | 20 | $7,101 | $1,168,500 | +14.6% |
| West Newbury ‡ | $1,000,000 | 4 | $6,101 | $1,015,000 | -2.2% |
| North Andover | $967,500 | 18 | $5,991 | $957,500 | +3.5% |
| Tewksbury | $825,000 | 22 | $5,199 | $737,500 | +1.7% |
| Groveland | $765,000 | 7 | $4,848 | $710,000 | -7.8% |
| Amesbury | $717,500 | 10 | $4,671 | $700,000 | pending |
| Georgetown | $692,500 | 10 | $4,433 | $757,500 | +2.7% |
| Merrimac ‡ | $685,000 | 4 | $4,353 | $685,000 | -5.0% |
| Chelmsford | $675,000 | 26 | $4,294 | $725,000 | +0.7% |
| Haverhill | $600,000 | 33 | $3,684 | $610,000 | +4.3% |
| Dracut | $599,900 | 17 | $3,636 | $590,000 | +1.9% |
| Methuen | $577,500 | 34 | $3,536 | $600,000 | -1.6% |
| Lawrence | $535,000 | 9 | $3,197 | $525,000 | -2.3% |
| Lowell | $511,000 | 28 | $3,169 | $530,000 | +0.9% |
Sources
- The Context Report, Issue No. 4, September 2026 (Team Brusil). MLS PIN closed single-family sales.
Questions this page answers
Is this the latest market report?
No. This is the archived Issue No. 4 (September 2026), kept as published for reference. For the most recent numbers, see the current Massachusetts housing market update.
What does the carrying cost include?
Estimated monthly principal, interest and property tax on the town median, with 20% down on a 30-year fixed loan at the trailing 30-day average rate, and the town's residential tax rate. It excludes insurance, PMI, HOA fees, maintenance and closing costs.
Why are some 12-month changes shown as pending?
A few figures in the original issue are being double-checked against the source data. We show them as pending rather than publish a number we have not confirmed.