The Context Report, Issue No. 1: June 2026
Single-family sales reported in this issue, by region and town. Archived as published. For current numbers, see the latest update.
1,744 single-family closings across 129 towns in seven regions.
| Region | Closings | Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Boston | 460 | 26 |
| Metro West | 294 | 21 |
| Northwest Suburbs | 138 | 11 |
| Southwest Suburbs | 155 | 13 |
| North Shore | 198 | 22 |
| South Shore | 264 | 21 |
| Merrimack Valley | 235 | 15 |
† jumbo rate used · * residential exemption available, not applied · ‡ fewer than 5 sales
Greater Boston
Brookline is a perennial leader when it comes to prices in the Greater Boston area. The story worth watching is that 50% of the municipalities had a median price over $1M. Most likely, that will only grow as we navigate the peak of the sales season.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookline †* | $3,261,000 | 13 | $19,617 | $2,750,000 | +11.7% |
| Cambridge †* | $2,300,000 | 11 | $13,152 | $2,503,000 | +16.1% |
| Newton † | $2,122,000 | 52 | $12,668 | $1,856,000 | -1.0% |
| Somerville †* | $1,699,000 | 5 | $10,325 | $1,400,000 | +7.7% |
| Winchester † | $1,755,000 | 22 | $10,680 | $1,650,500 | -12.0% |
| Lexington † | $1,738,250 | 28 | $10,756 | $1,850,000 | +4.1% |
| Belmont † | $1,665,000 | 9 | $10,192 | $1,750,000 | +6.8% |
| Winthrop ‡ | $1,122,500 | 2 | $6,777 | $726,500 | +2.0% |
| Arlington † | $1,228,555 | 19 | $7,434 | $1,237,000 | +2.2% |
| Milton | $1,186,250 | 14 | $7,228 | $1,107,500 | +10.9% |
| Reading | $1,050,000 | 25 | $6,324 | $933,000 | +6.0% |
| Watertown * | $1,005,000 | 6 | $6,157 | $995,000 | +3.1% |
| Melrose | $1,003,400 | 20 | $6,086 | $970,000 | +7.8% |
| Medford | $947,000 | 14 | $5,520 | $921,200 | +5.3% |
| Wakefield | $901,000 | 8 | $5,485 | $850,000 | +2.4% |
| Boston * | $886,000 | 80 | $5,442 | $865,000 | pending |
| Woburn | $880,000 | 19 | $5,167 | $780,000 | +0.6% |
| Stoneham | $877,500 | 14 | $5,219 | $799,950 | -2.4% |
| Waltham * | $810,000 | 19 | $4,835 | $894,500 | +7.0% |
| Malden * | $800,000 | 13 | $4,847 | $720,000 | pending |
| Dedham | $762,500 | 10 | $4,677 | $799,950 | +5.6% |
| Quincy | $770,000 | 20 | $4,690 | $745,000 | +2.8% |
| Saugus | $743,000 | 16 | $4,441 | $719,000 | +10.6% |
| Revere | $703,000 | 13 | $4,116 | $680,000 | +4.6% |
| Chelsea ‡* | $653,950 | 2 | $3,967 | $680,500 | +3.1% |
| Everett * | $635,000 | 6 | $3,912 | $669,375 | +3.0% |
Metro West
Weston, Wellesley, and Dover held the top tier firmly above $2M, with Dover posting the region's strongest year-over-year gain at 18.5%. The story worth watching sits at the other end: Framingham, Marlborough, and Hudson are all tracking up year-over-year while remaining the last sub-$750K markets with meaningful sales volume in the region. Nearly every community in Metro West is poised to jump above the statewide median, which sat at $702,000 in May.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weston † | $3,040,000 | 12 | $18,449 | $2,600,000 | +8.6% |
| Wellesley † | $2,730,500 | 22 | $16,410 | $2,240,000 | +5.8% |
| Dover † | $2,022,500 | 8 | $12,327 | $1,955,000 | +18.5% |
| Needham † | $1,630,000 | 26 | $9,886 | $1,810,000 | +2.8% |
| Wayland † | $1,425,000 | 15 | $9,117 | $1,231,500 | +13.0% |
| Southborough † | $1,311,000 | 6 | $8,337 | $937,000 | -9.0% |
| Sudbury † | $1,260,000 | 23 | $8,003 | $1,255,000 | +2.4% |
| Sherborn † | $1,225,000 | 5 | $7,922 | $1,194,500 | -14.7% |
| Westborough † | $1,105,000 | 11 | $7,171 | $772,750 | -3.4% |
| Stow | $885,000 | 9 | $5,840 | $855,500 | +4.1% |
| Littleton | $951,000 | 5 | $5,970 | $803,000 | -7.7% |
| Natick | $925,000 | 21 | $5,664 | $1,100,000 | +10.0% |
| Hopkinton | $825,000 | 17 | $5,185 | $1,045,000 | -1.4% |
| Bolton ‡ | $820,500 | 4 | $5,428 | $900,000 | -8.6% |
| Ashland | $811,750 | 10 | $5,007 | $740,500 | +3.6% |
| Holliston | $730,000 | 13 | $4,599 | $743,800 | +1.4% |
| Northborough | $730,000 | 11 | $4,631 | $755,000 | +4.9% |
| Framingham | $711,500 | 38 | $4,337 | $710,000 | +1.4% |
| Hudson | $680,000 | 8 | $4,276 | $665,000 | +10.8% |
| Marlborough | $612,000 | 23 | $3,664 | $616,000 | +0.9% |
| Maynard | $593,000 | 7 | $3,851 | $638,000 | +5.5% |
Northwest Suburbs
Concord ran away with the strongest price. Carlisle had the biggest YOY gain on just six sales. That is a small-sample size worth watching rather than acting on. Bedford, Acton, and Boxborough all came in near or above their T12 medians, suggesting the $1M - $1.1M price point has some real demand.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord †* | $1,825,000 | 22 | $11,406 | $1,745,000 | +3.6% |
| Carlisle † | $1,581,215 | 6 | $9,852 | $1,440,000 | +10.8% |
| Boxborough ‡ | $1,100,000 | 4 | $7,031 | $1,020,000 | +7.9% |
| Acton | $1,065,000 | 20 | $6,882 | $950,000 | -4.0% |
| Bedford | $1,058,000 | 12 | $6,507 | $1,078,000 | +2.7% |
| Lincoln ‡ | $1,075,630 | 2 | $6,599 | $1,497,500 | -13.2% |
| Burlington | $895,000 | 18 | $5,221 | $850,000 | -1.1% |
| North Reading | $830,250 | 5 | $5,143 | $870,000 | -0.1% |
| Westford | $820,000 | 9 | $5,085 | $925,000 | -3.6% |
| Wilmington | $760,000 | 14 | $4,606 | $762,500 | +1.7% |
| Billerica | $717,000 | 26 | $4,357 | $705,000 | +0.6% |
Southwest Suburbs
Westwood and Medfield were the only towns hitting $1M. Millis posted the strongest YOY gain in the region - notable on eight sales, but curious if that pace keeps up. Canton's carrying cost on a $927,500 median is probably the clearest value proposition in the region relative to its commute to Boston.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westwood | $1,150,000 | 13 | $7,109 | $1,235,000 | +10.8% |
| Medfield | $1,030,000 | 9 | $6,423 | $1,107,500 | -3.7% |
| Millis | $914,500 | 8 | $5,839 | $764,900 | +15.9% |
| Franklin | $910,000 | 17 | $5,515 | $723,000 | -3.6% |
| Canton | $927,500 | 8 | $5,492 | $845,000 | +5.6% |
| Walpole | $945,000 | 16 | $5,809 | $830,000 | +7.8% |
| Wrentham | $900,000 | 7 | $5,474 | $769,000 | +5.6% |
| Medway | $880,000 | 11 | $5,523 | $740,000 | -4.5% |
| Norwood | $815,000 | 15 | $4,831 | $760,000 | +1.3% |
| Foxboro | $745,000 | 17 | $4,613 | $735,000 | +2.8% |
| Sharon | $725,000 | 13 | $4,740 | $807,000 | -5.1% |
| Stoughton | $684,500 | 14 | $4,171 | $632,500 | +2.0% |
| Mansfield | $621,000 | 7 | $3,850 | $700,000 | -6.4% |
North Shore
Wenham looks far in front of the pack at $1,690,000, but it was three sales; not really reflective of the entire market. Beverly and Peabody both closed 20+ sales (meaningful volume) with medians holding near or above their T12 figures, confirming steady demand at more accessible price points for the North Shore.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenham †‡ | $1,690,000 | 3 | $10,976 | $1,165,000 | +19.2% |
| Rockport †‡ | $1,300,000 | 4 | $7,627 | $990,000 | +14.9% |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea † | $1,282,500 | 6 | $7,550 | $1,525,000 | +24.5% |
| Middleton † | $1,274,000 | 7 | $7,913 | $1,032,500 | +6.6% |
| Ipswich † | $1,220,000 | 10 | $7,394 | $900,000 | -5.3% |
| Lynnfield | $1,160,000 | 9 | $7,035 | $1,087,000 | +9.8% |
| Newburyport | $1,155,000 | 10 | $6,792 | $910,000 | pending |
| Hamilton ‡ | $1,106,750 | 4 | $7,042 | $875,000 | +0.6% |
| Rowley ‡ | $1,025,000 | 3 | $6,270 | $971,000 | +21.5% |
| Marblehead | $952,500 | 14 | $5,546 | $1,010,000 | -3.8% |
| Topsfield | $890,000 | 5 | $5,709 | $975,500 | +1.1% |
| Newbury | $882,450 | 11 | $5,061 | $910,000 | -8.3% |
| Swampscott | $871,875 | 6 | $5,327 | $873,500 | +3.1% |
| Beverly | $812,500 | 20 | $4,883 | $787,000 | +7.4% |
| Peabody | $710,000 | 23 | $4,188 | $700,000 | +1.4% |
| Essex ‡ | $682,775 | 4 | $4,230 | $817,500 | -11.6% |
| Gloucester | $675,000 | 9 | $3,972 | $782,500 | +9.2% |
| Danvers | $658,500 | 8 | $3,949 | $725,000 | +1.4% |
| Salisbury | $630,000 | 5 | $3,740 | $660,000 | -11.6% |
| Nahant ‡ | $615,000 | 1 | $3,603 | $845,000 | -9.1% |
| Lynn | $603,700 | 24 | $3,603 | $590,000 | -0.6% |
| Salem | $602,500 | 12 | $3,620 | $690,000 | -0.7% |
South Shore
Cohasset edged Hingham for the region's highest median this month at $1,650,000, though Hingham's 22-sale volume makes its $1,507,500 the better read on where the high end activity is. Plymouth is a quietly expanding market with 49 closed sales and up 5.7% year-over-year. That volume figure rivals some suburbs much closer to Boston. Kingston's YOY is worth noting; with nine sales a handful of outliers COULD shift the median enough to obscure what the market is truly doing.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohasset † | $1,650,000 | 7 | $10,078 | $1,475,750 | -1.6% |
| Hingham † | $1,507,500 | 22 | $9,097 | $1,450,000 | +7.8% |
| Duxbury † | $1,325,000 | 15 | $7,940 | $1,260,000 | +5.0% |
| Scituate † | $1,300,000 | 19 | $7,776 | $860,000 | -7.0% |
| Hanover | $1,150,000 | 5 | $7,071 | $860,000 | +13.2% |
| Norwell | $1,100,000 | 9 | $6,796 | $1,150,000 | +2.2% |
| Pembroke | $865,000 | 8 | $5,269 | $675,000 | +6.8% |
| Kingston | $730,000 | 9 | $4,510 | $729,000 | -11.4% |
| Marshfield | $725,000 | 14 | $4,285 | $850,000 | +9.7% |
| Weymouth | $717,500 | 24 | $4,271 | $665,000 | +3.9% |
| Hanson | $710,000 | 4 | $4,400 | $621,000 | +3.2% |
| Hull | $710,000 | 8 | $4,267 | $708,750 | +1.0% |
| Plympton | $700,000 | 4 | $4,467 | $695,000 | +1.8% |
| Plymouth | $675,000 | 49 | $4,155 | $708,000 | +5.7% |
| Randolph | $612,000 | 19 | $3,717 | $603,000 | +5.9% |
| Carver | $600,000 | 9 | $3,746 | $572,000 | -8.5% |
| Whitman | $571,000 | 9 | $3,550 | $540,500 | +3.6% |
| Rockland | $560,000 | 9 | $3,508 | $610,000 | +11.9% |
| Holbrook | $553,500 | 8 | $3,387 | $565,000 | +9.2% |
| Halifax ‡ | $527,500 | 4 | $3,314 | $575,000 | +11.2% |
| Abington | $519,500 | 9 | $3,209 | $610,000 | +3.4% |
Merrimack Valley
Andover and Boxford held above $1.25M with strong sales counts (30 and 9 respectively), making those medians among the more reliable reads in the region. West Newbury's $1,810,000 on eleven sales is the region's headline number and its strongest YOY at 4.2%, reflecting continued demand for land and privacy at the Essex County edge. The I-93 corridor (Methuen, Dracut, Haverhill, Lowell, Lawrence) remains where priced-out buyers from the inner ring are landing, with all five towns posting carrying costs under $4,000 and combined volume of 97 closed sales.
| Town | Median | Sales | Est. carrying cost / mo | 12-mo median | 12-mo change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Newbury † | $1,810,000 | 11 | $10,875 | $975,000 | +4.2% |
| Andover † | $1,280,000 | 30 | $7,921 | $1,100,008 | +6.8% |
| Boxford † | $1,250,000 | 9 | $7,863 | $1,087,500 | +8.7% |
| North Andover | $1,023,000 | 30 | $6,185 | $947,000 | +5.8% |
| Merrimac ‡ | $905,000 | 2 | $5,619 | $700,000 | +2.6% |
| Groveland ‡ | $842,500 | 2 | $5,216 | $735,000 | +4.6% |
| Georgetown | $800,000 | 7 | $5,005 | $765,000 | +6.3% |
| Tewksbury | $766,000 | 22 | $4,715 | $735,000 | +4.3% |
| Chelmsford | $749,500 | 15 | $4,658 | $723,000 | -0.3% |
| Amesbury | $667,000 | 10 | $4,244 | $710,000 | +4.6% |
| Methuen | $650,000 | 21 | $3,884 | $615,750 | +2.6% |
| Haverhill | $646,500 | 21 | $3,875 | $600,000 | +3.4% |
| Dracut | $622,500 | 16 | $3,682 | $590,000 | +1.3% |
| Lowell | $540,000 | 28 | $3,270 | $526,250 | +0.2% |
| Lawrence | $530,000 | 11 | $3,090 | $530,000 | -0.3% |
Sources
- The Context Report, Issue No. 1, June 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. 1 (June 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.