Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0670 homes sold in Cambridge in the last year, at a typical $1.2M
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 Cambridge homes are listed.
Every place Cambridge 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 Cambridge.
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.
60% of Cambridge’s sales are condos, at $1.7M less than a house
113 houses and 403 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 113 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $962MA $368
- Days to sell
- 20
- Sold over asking
- 54%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
typical sale · 403 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $921MA $562
- Days to sell
- 32
- Sold over asking
- 35%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 71 sold, typical $2M
Townhouses: 83 sold, typical $1.6M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
670 sales in the last year, against 1,057 in 2012 and a low of 643 in 2024. The typical sale went from $769K in 2016 to $1.2M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.2M buys in Cambridge
Check a listing against what Cambridge 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 Cambridge are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Cambridge’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, 670 sales.
If you’re buying in Cambridge
- Shop in September. It brings about 128 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (47% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 26% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 101% of the list price on average; 41% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Fall brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
September has the most new listings (about 128 a month), but May is the most competitive: 63% of May sales close over asking. December has the least competition (39%) but only about 19 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and about like Massachusetts as a whole
| Cambridge now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 41% | 59% | 50% | 45% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 47% | 65% | 59% | 49% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | 25% | 24% | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 101% | 104.3% | 102.3% | 100.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 28 | 12 | 21 | 27 |
172 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.5 times the 2016 low (68), 104% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 273.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against 25% in 2017–19 and 25% across Massachusetts.
Since 2019, houses are up 56%, condos 22%
A house typically sold for $2.6M in the last year (113 sales), a condo for $908K (403).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Cambridge ranks 146th of 206 busy Massachusetts markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Cambridge is in the middle of the pack.
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 Cambridge home costs about $6,807 a month
Price: Cambridge’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Cambridge’s 0.4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Cambridge 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 19.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $1.2M home, about $5,360 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Cambridge, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in CambridgeTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Cambridge.
Work & commuteCheck 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.
Somerville, Watertown, Medford, Belmont, Arlington and Brookline sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Cambridge, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 670 | $1.2M | $903 | 41% | 28 |
| Somerville | 581 | $1M | $667 | 39% | 26 |
| Brookline | 569 | $1.3M | $794 | 33% | 31 |
| Arlington | 461 | $1.1M | $610 | 53% | 16 |
| Medford | 452 | $873K | $496 | 48% | 26 |
| Watertown | 357 | $879K | $514 | 42% | 24 |
| Belmont | 202 | $1.4M | $632 | 44% | 23 |
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 Cambridge, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Cambridge. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Cambridge with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Cambridge
What do homes sell for in Cambridge, MA?
670 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.2M, $903 a square foot. Houses sold for about $2.6M, condos for about $908K.
Is Cambridge a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 198 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 85 sold, about 2.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 101% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Cambridge?
September brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Cambridge?
About 0.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $1.2M home that’s near $5,360.
Where can I see homes for sale in Cambridge?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Cambridge’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Cambridge.
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).