Photo: Grk1011/Stephen · CC BY-SA 3.0272 homes sold in Melrose in the last year, at a typical $902K
About one sale in 4 is a condo. 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 Melrose homes are listed.
Every place Melrose 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 Melrose.
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.
19% of Melrose’s sales are condos, at $452K less than a house
183 houses and 52 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 183 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $490MA $368
- Days to sell
- 16
- Sold over asking
- 73%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
typical sale · 52 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $499MA $562
- Days to sell
- 21
- Sold over asking
- 44%
- Listings with a price cut
- 33%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 16 sold, typical $1M
Townhouses: 21 sold, typical $953K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
272 sales in the last year, against 407 in 2016 and a low of 260 in 2024. The typical sale went from $508K in 2016 to $902K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $900K buys in Melrose
Check a listing against what Melrose 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 Melrose are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Melrose’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, 272 sales.
If you’re buying in Melrose
- Shop in April. It brings about 43 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (73% over asking).
- Less room to haggle. Only 28% of listings cut their price, against 34% before the pandemic.
- Expect to bid over asking. Buyers paid 105.6% of the list price on average; 66% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Two thirds of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 50 a month), but July is the most competitive: 78% of July sales close over asking. January has the least competition (49%) but only about 17 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and hotter than Massachusetts
| Melrose now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 66% | 68% | 76% | 45% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 66% | 69% | 80% | 49% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 28% | 34% | 24% | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 105.6% | 104.1% | 106.2% | 100.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 17 | 11 | 16 | 27 |
27 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.3 times the 2024 low (20), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2012’s 104.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
28% in the last year, against 34% in 2017–19 and 25% across Massachusetts.
Since 2019, houses are up 52%, condos 40%
A house typically sold for $986K in the last year (183 sales), a condo for $535K (52).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Melrose ranks 2nd of 206 busy Massachusetts markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Melrose is one of the state’s hottest 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 Melrose home costs about $5,398 a month
Price: Melrose’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Melrose’s 0.9% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Melrose is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 10.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $902K home, about $8,310 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Melrose, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in MelroseCheck 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.
Malden, Stoneham, Saugus, Everett and Revere sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Melrose, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medford | 452 | $873K | $496 | 48% | 26 |
| Revere | 388 | $609K | $434 | 42% | 35 |
| Malden | 305 | $733K | $424 | 55% | 25 |
| Melrose | 272 | $902K | $478 | 66% | 17 |
| Stoneham | 223 | $717K | $440 | 61% | 20 |
| Everett | 196 | $709K | $402 | 55% | 22 |
| Saugus | 42 | $784K | $368 | 57% | 22 |
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 Melrose, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Melrose. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Melrose with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Melrose
What do homes sell for in Melrose, MA?
272 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $902K, $478 a square foot. Houses sold for about $986K, condos for about $535K.
Is Melrose a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 45 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 26 sold, about 1.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 105.6% of asking on average, and 28% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Melrose?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Melrose?
About 0.9% of a home’s value a year. On a $902K home that’s near $8,310.
Where can I see homes for sale in Melrose?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Melrose’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Melrose.
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).