Photo: Ian Howard · CC BY 2.54,721 homes sold in Boston in the last year, at a typical $839K
Most homes sold are condos. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Boston homes are listed.
Every place Boston homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Boston.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Two thirds of Boston’s sales are condos, at $109K less than a house
822 houses and 3051 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 822 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $522MA $368
- Days to sell
- 25
- Sold over asking
- 46%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
typical sale · 3051 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $821MA $562
- Days to sell
- 36
- Sold over asking
- 22%
- Listings with a price cut
- 21%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 523 sold, typical $1.2M
Townhouses: 325 sold, typical $940K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 1.5 times the 2016 price
4,721 sales in the last year, against 7,802 in 2021 and a low of 4,838 in 2025. The typical sale went from $570K in 2016 to $839K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $850K buys in Boston
Check a listing against what Boston homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Boston are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Boston’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 4,721 sales.
If you’re buying in Boston
- Shop in September. It brings about 941 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (33% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 22% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.9% of the list price on average; 29% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 40% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 33 days.
Fall brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
September has the most new listings (about 941 a month), but June is the most competitive: 48% of June sales close over asking. February has the least competition (24%) but only about 541 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and calmer than Massachusetts
| Boston now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 29% | 40% | 34% | 45% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 40% | 51% | 48% | 49% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 22% | 24% | 19% | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.9% | 100.3% | 99.9% | 100.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 33 | 16 | 28 | 27 |
1547 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.8 times the 2016 low (864), 43% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 2288.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
22% in the last year, against 24% in 2017–19 and 25% across Massachusetts.
Since 2019, houses are up 34%, condos 16%
A house typically sold for $855K in the last year (822 sales), a condo for $746K (3051).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Boston ranks 182nd of 206 busy Massachusetts markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Boston is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Boston home costs about $4,803 a month
Price: Boston’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Boston’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Boston is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in September
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 218.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $839K home, about $5,110 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Boston, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in BostonCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Winthrop Town, Chelsea, Quincy and Everett sell for less a square foot; Cambridge for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Boston, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 4,721 | $839K | $677 | 29% | 33 |
| Quincy | 745 | $675K | $464 | 46% | 23 |
| Cambridge | 670 | $1.2M | $903 | 41% | 28 |
| Somerville | 581 | $1M | $667 | 39% | 26 |
| Everett | 196 | $709K | $402 | 55% | 22 |
| Winthrop Town | 194 | $685K | $428 | 34% | 42 |
| Chelsea | 146 | $509K | $422 | 32% | 38 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Boston, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Boston. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Boston with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Boston
What do homes sell for in Boston, MA?
4,721 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $839K, $677 a square foot. Houses sold for about $855K, condos for about $746K.
Is Boston a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 2019 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 475 sold, about 4.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.9% of asking on average, and 22% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Boston?
September brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Boston?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $839K home that’s near $5,110.
Where can I see homes for sale in Boston?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Boston’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Boston.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).