The Massachusetts housing market, by the numbers
Home values, trends, owner-occupancy, and housing age for every Massachusetts city and town — computed from Zillow and U.S. Census data and refreshed automatically each month. Quote it, link it, check your town against it.
As of July 2026, the median Massachusetts town has a typical home value of $614,136 — up 2.2% over the past year and up 27.5% over five years. This page tracks home values, trends, owner-occupancy, and housing age for 310 Massachusetts cities and towns across all 11 counties, computed from Zillow and U.S. Census data and refreshed monthly.
Massachusetts statewide snapshot
One number never describes 310 towns, so this page reports the median town — half of Massachusetts towns sit above each figure, half below. County-by-county numbers follow the same rule.
| Massachusetts (July 2026) | Median town |
|---|---|
| Typical home value | $614,136 |
| Change over 1 year | +2.2% |
| Change over 5 years | +27.5% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82% |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Towns tracked | 310 of 311 |
Home values by Massachusetts county
Each county figure is the median across that county's cities and towns. Every county name links to our local guide for selling a house there.
| County | Typical value | 1-yr | 5-yr | Owner-occ. | Median yr built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable | $792,753 | +1.7% | +29.8% | 82% | 1975 |
| Bristol | $593,825 | +3.6% | +28.7% | 82.5% | 1973 |
| Essex | $826,968 | +2.1% | +26.9% | 75.5% | 1964 |
| Franklin | $385,668 | +1.3% | +25.5% | 85% | 1968 |
| Hampden | $389,326 | +4% | +29.7% | 85% | 1966 |
| Hampshire | $429,694 | +2.1% | +25.5% | 85.5% | 1966 |
| Middlesex | $828,874 | +1.6% | +25.3% | 75.5% | 1970 |
| Norfolk | $760,461 | +2.1% | +23.6% | 80.5% | 1969 |
| Plymouth | $658,611 | +4.1% | +28.1% | 83% | 1974 |
| Suffolk | $661,687 | +0.4% | +16.2% | 41% | 1944 |
| Worcester | $491,519 | +1.8% | +28.9% | 82% | 1974 |
Where Massachusetts home values are rising fastest
The ten towns with the largest one-year change in typical home value as of July 2026. Fast appreciation cuts both ways for sellers: more equity, but also buyers stretched thinner at asking prices.
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|
| Hingham (Plymouth County) | $1,361,102 | +7.8% |
| Scituate (Plymouth County) | $1,035,098 | +6.6% |
| Tolland (Hampden County) | $433,278 | +6.5% |
| Cohasset (Norfolk County) | $1,481,569 | +6.4% |
| Conway (Franklin County) | $474,900 | +6.4% |
| Norwell (Plymouth County) | $1,080,423 | +6.3% |
| Brimfield (Hampden County) | $451,878 | +6.1% |
| Chatham (Barnstable County) | $1,339,665 | +6.1% |
| Westport (Bristol County) | $677,482 | +6% |
| Needham (Norfolk County) | $1,573,952 | +5.8% |
The most affordable Massachusetts towns
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|
| Heath (Franklin County) | $198,465 | +1.9% |
| Springfield (Hampden County) | $307,092 | +4% |
| Chester (Hampden County) | $310,100 | +2.8% |
| Wendell (Franklin County) | $316,784 | +4.5% |
| Chicopee (Hampden County) | $325,808 | +3.1% |
| Colrain (Franklin County) | $328,551 | +1.6% |
| Orange (Franklin County) | $328,766 | +0.9% |
| Plainfield (Hampshire County) | $333,207 | +3.9% |
| Holyoke (Hampden County) | $337,457 | +4.1% |
| Greenfield (Franklin County) | $341,688 | +0.7% |
Massachusetts has some of America's oldest housing — and it shapes how houses sell
The median Massachusetts town's homes were built around 1970 , and in 49% of towns the median home predates 1970. Older housing stock means more homes with dated systems, deferred maintenance, lead-paint disclosure obligations, and Title 5 septic considerations — the exact repairs that make a conventional listing expensive to prepare.
That's the honest reason cash buyers exist as an option here: a house that needs work you don't want to fund can sell as-is for cash in about a week, while a fully updated house in a hot town usually nets more on the open market. Our comparison guide lays out both paths without the sales pitch.
Methodology & sources
Home values and trends: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) (City-level, all homes (smoothed, seasonally adjusted), July 2026). Population, housing units, owner-occupancy, and year built: U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year (2024)). Statewide and county figures are the median across that area's towns — not household- or sales-weighted averages — so no single large city dominates the number. Towns without a published Zillow series (1 of 311) are excluded from value figures. The dataset refreshes automatically each month; town-level numbers appear on each of our 310 town pages.
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (July 2026) · U.S. Census ACS · Updated September 2026 · Refreshed monthly
Journalists and researchers: you're welcome to cite these figures with a link to this page. For town-level data or questions, email support@newenglandhomepartners.com or call (508) 286-7942.
Massachusetts housing data: common questions
What is the typical home value in Massachusetts in 2026?
Which Massachusetts towns are appreciating fastest?
Where does this data come from, and how often is it updated?
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