The Boston-Cambridge market right now
Sales figures: Redfin Data Center, market tracker (Redfin, a national real estate brokerage), Boston, MA metro area, May 2026, all residential property types. Redfin reports this metro in divisions. Figures shown are for the Boston, MA division, the largest. Typical value: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026, mid-tier homes, seasonally adjusted. These are area-wide figures, not a value for any one home.
With about 2.6 months of supply, this is a market that leans toward sellers by the usual rule of thumb, and homes sold at or above their list price on average.
Show the numbers
| Month | Median sale price |
|---|---|
| May 2026 | $780,000 |
| Apr 2026 | $765,000 |
| Mar 2026 | $745,000 |
| Feb 2026 | $690,000 |
| Jan 2026 | $730,000 |
| Dec 2025 | $725,000 |
| Nov 2025 | $740,000 |
| Oct 2025 | $735,000 |
| Sep 2025 | $720,000 |
| Aug 2025 | $760,000 |
| Jul 2025 | $775,000 |
| Jun 2025 | $799,000 |
| May 2025 | $775,000 |
| Apr 2025 | $750,000 |
| Mar 2025 | $725,000 |
| Feb 2025 | $705,000 |
| Jan 2025 | $719,050 |
| Dec 2024 | $720,000 |
| Nov 2024 | $710,000 |
| Oct 2024 | $710,000 |
| Sep 2024 | $705,000 |
| Aug 2024 | $730,000 |
| Jul 2024 | $750,000 |
| Jun 2024 | $771,500 |
| May 2024 | $735,250 |
Source: Redfin Data Center, Boston, MA metro area. Monthly figures, not seasonally adjusted, so some ups and downs are just the time of year.
What the metro area covers
The Census Bureau counts about 5,025,517 people in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, across 7 counties. Property taxes, recording fees and some transfer taxes are set county by county, so check the county your home is in.
| County | Population (2024 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA, MA | 1,668,956 |
| Essex County, MA, MA | 823,938 |
| Suffolk County, MA, MA | 793,144 |
| Norfolk County, MA, MA | 740,754 |
| Plymouth County, MA, MA | 542,090 |
| Rockingham County, NH, NH | 322,433 |
| Strafford County, NH, NH | 134,202 |
Towns with the most ZIP codes in the area: Boston (MA), Lynn (MA), Cambridge (MA), Andover (MA), Framingham (MA), Lowell (MA), Brockton (MA), Haverhill (MA), Lawrence (MA), Woburn (MA), Waltham (MA), Quincy (MA).
Population and counties: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates and 2023 metro delineations.
Massachusetts rules that affect sellers
Transfer tax
Massachusetts charges a deeds excise, often called tax stamps, of $2.28 per $500 of the sale price ($4.56 per $1,000, or 0.456%) in most of the state; the statute sets $2 per $500 and a 14% surtax brings it to $2.28. The seller customarily pays it at closing. Barnstable County (Cape Cod) has its own rate, and Dukes County (Martha's Vineyard) and Nantucket add a 2% land bank fee. This rate comes from a Massachusetts real estate attorney's published guide, since the official state pages could not be loaded.
Local add-ons: Barnstable County uses a different rate under the same statute. Dukes County and Nantucket charge an additional 2% land bank fee.
Source: Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog (Richard Vetstein, Esq.), deed stamps
Seller disclosure
No. Massachusetts does not require sellers to complete a disclosure form, and caveat emptor (buyer beware) largely applies to private sellers, apart from lead paint disclosure and Title 5 septic inspection results. A seller still may not lie in answer to a direct question, and real estate agents have broader disclosure duties under the state consumer protection law (Chapter 93A).
Source: Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog (Richard Vetstein, Esq.), Is Buyer Beware Alive and Well?
Who handles the closing
Massachusetts is an attorney-closing state. In 2011 the Supreme Judicial Court held (Real Estate Bar Association v. National Real Estate Information Services) that closings require the substantive participation of an attorney, not just a lawyer's presence.
Source: ABA Journal, Mass. High Court Upholds Role of Lawyers Before, During and After Real Estate Closings
Also worth knowing
Homes on a private septic system generally need a Title 5 inspection within two years before the sale (or within six months after, if weather delays it). The seller must tell the buyer about the requirement in writing and give the buyer a copy of the full inspection report.
Source: 310 CMR 15.301 (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
Also worth knowing
Sales on Martha's Vineyard (Dukes County) and Nantucket carry an additional 2% land bank fee on top of the state deeds excise.
Source: Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog (Richard Vetstein, Esq.), deed stamps
Checking an agent's license
Real estate agents in Massachusetts are licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (Division of Occupational Licensure). You can look up any agent before you work with them.
Rules checked 2026-09-30. They change, and local practice varies: confirm with your title company, closing attorney or agent before relying on them. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
This metro area crosses state lines. If your home is in New Hampshire, that state's rules apply instead.