Oliver Wendell Holmes House · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Beverly costs more to live in than 89% of U.S. towns
It ranks #187 of 282 in Massachusetts for affordability. Up 3.4% in a year, 15% above the Massachusetts typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area ($116K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Beverly’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($116K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 26% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 56% of renters.
In dollars
- $756Ktypical home, 15% above the Massachusetts typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $2,680a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 108prices across the Boston metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 148)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 5.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$116K, Boston-area income
- 18%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 56%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Massachusetts: 52%Census 2020–24
- 26%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Beverly
Homes haven’t kept up with new residents
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Beverly gained 3,168 residents while 329 new homes were permitted: about 9.6 new residents per new home, against 3.4 across Massachusetts. New homes ↓
2026 has already passed 2025
Through August, Beverly had permitted 87 new homes in 2026, more than the 6 in all of 2025. New homes ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $2,680 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Beverly pay a median of $1,771. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Beverly’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Beverly is more affordable than 11% of U.S. towns, #187 of 282 in Massachusetts. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Massachusetts: up 25.7% in five years, against 25.7% statewide (Zillow).
Up 3.4% in a year
About the same pace as Massachusetts (2.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Beverly | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $424,000 | $378,000 |
| 2018 | $457,000 | $402,000 |
| 2019 | $478,000 | $421,000 |
| 2020 | $497,000 | $433,000 |
| 2021 | $560,000 | $479,000 |
| 2022 | $605,000 | $529,000 |
| 2023 | $635,000 | $565,000 |
| 2024 | $689,000 | $609,000 |
| 2025 | $725,000 | $640,000 |
| 2026 | $745,000 | $650,000 |
| September 2026 | $756,000 | $655,000 |
A typical Beverly home worth $414K in October 2016 is worth about $756K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, September 2026.
A typical home costs 5.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Beverly’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $313K short of a typical Beverly home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,680 a month here, $1,940 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Beverly’s typical property tax (1.05% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,680
Renters already here pay a median of $1,771, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
6 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 6 new homes in Beverly in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $4.5 million to build. That's 0.1 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Massachusetts (1.8). Over the past 10 years, Beverly has permitted 406 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Beverly gained 3,168 residents while 329 new homes were permitted: about 9.6 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Massachusetts: 3.4 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 87 | 2 | 85 | $27.9 million |
| 2025 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $4.5 million |
| 2024 | 74 | 15 | 59 | $23.6 million |
| 2023 | 114 | 10 | 104 | $46.3 million |
| 2022 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2021 | 25 | 17 | 8 | $7.7 million |
| 2020 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $11.8 million |
| 2019 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $4.7 million |
| 2018 | 20 | 17 | 3 | $7.8 million |
| 2017 | 98 | 27 | 71 | $21.6 million |
| 2016 | 29 | 29 | 0 | $12.7 million |
| 2015 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2014 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2013 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $6.2 million |
| 2012 | 86 | 12 | 74 | $12.8 million |
| 2011 | 37 | 6 | 31 | $5.4 million |
| 2010 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2009 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $5.5 million |
| 2008 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| 2007 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2006 | 38 | 38 | 0 | $8.2 million |
| 2005 | 48 | 48 | 0 | $10.4 million |
| 2004 | 48 | 48 | 0 | $10.4 million |
| 2003 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $10 million |
| 2002 | 53 | 53 | 0 | $11.5 million |
| 2001 | 52 | 52 | 0 | $11.3 million |
| 2000 | 56 | 56 | 0 | $12.1 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
High tax bills, but a low tax rate
The median bill is $6,836 (Massachusetts: $5,992), because homes cost more. As a share of value it’s 1.05% a year, against 1.07% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Beverly
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, or Massachusetts. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 108 | MA 106 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 100 | MA 99 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 149 | MA 152 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 104 | MA 103 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Beverly vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Beverly has the 3rd-lowest. Manchester-by-the-Sea has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly | D | $756K | $650K | 1.05% | $2,680 |
| Salem | D | $604K | $543K | 1.13% | $2,560 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | C− | — | $942K | 0.99% | $2,660 |
| Danvers | D | $727K | $644K | 1.03% | $2,690 |
| Wenham | – | $1.1M | $885K | 1.13%+ | $2,560 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “+”: the Census reports the tax bill only as $10,000 or more, so the rate is at least that.
Questions about the cost of living in Beverly
Is Beverly expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Beverly costs more than 89% of U.S. towns: a D for cost of living, #187 of 282 in Massachusetts. The typical home costs 5.6 years of the median household income of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area ($116K).
How much does a house cost in Beverly?
About $756K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.4% in a year. The Massachusetts typical home is $655K.
What salary do you need to live in Beverly?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $198,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $4,620 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $107,000.
How much is rent in Beverly?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $2,680 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,771 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Beverly?
The median bill is $6,836 a year, 1.05% of the median home value (Massachusetts: $5,992, 1.07%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Beverly going up?
Yes: up 3.4% in the past year and 25.7% in five years, against 25.7% across Massachusetts (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Beverly buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.