Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0472 homes sold in Salem in the last year, at a typical $591K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. 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 Salem homes are listed.
Every place Salem 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 Salem.
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.
A third of Salem’s sales are condos, at $166K less than a house
172 houses and 149 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 172 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $384MA $368
- Days to sell
- 25
- Sold over asking
- 55%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
typical sale · 149 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $476MA $562
- Days to sell
- 32
- Sold over asking
- 36%
- Listings with a price cut
- 30%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 42 sold, typical $888K
Townhouses: 109 sold, typical $566K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2021, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
472 sales in the last year, against 788 in 2020 and a low of 461 in 2023. The typical sale went from $312K in 2016 to $591K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $600K buys in Salem
Check a listing against what Salem 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 Salem are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 21% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Salem’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, 472 sales.
If you’re buying in Salem
- Shop in April. It brings about 80 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (49% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 28% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100.4% of the list price on average; 46% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 88 a month), but June is the most competitive: 60% of June sales close over asking. April offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (49%). January has the least competition (40%) but only about 42 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Massachusetts as a whole
| Salem now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 46% | 47% | 66% | 45% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 54% | 55% | 71% | 49% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 28% | 26% | 17% | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100.4% | 100.6% | 104% | 100.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 27 | 15 | 20 | 27 |
70 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.7 times the 2023 low (40), 21% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 276.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
28% in the last year, against 26% in 2017–19 and 25% across Massachusetts.
Since 2019, houses are up 54%, condos 50%
A house typically sold for $653K in the last year (172 sales), a condo for $486K (149).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Salem ranks 115th of 206 busy Massachusetts markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Salem 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 Salem home costs about $3,638 a month
Price: Salem’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Salem’s 1.1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Salem 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 25.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $591K home, about $6,650 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Salem, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in SalemCheck 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.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Marblehead and Nahant for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Salem, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn | 602 | $583K | $385 | 52% | 27 |
| Salem | 472 | $591K | $394 | 46% | 27 |
| Peabody | 357 | $656K | $395 | 59% | 23 |
| Beverly | 309 | $747K | $451 | 59% | 20 |
| Swampscott | 162 | $814K | $416 | 48% | 28 |
| Marblehead | 38 | $1.2M | $531 | 34% | 34 |
| Nahant | 21 | $1.1M | $522 | 29% | 76 |
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 Salem, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Salem. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Salem with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Salem
What do homes sell for in Salem, MA?
472 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $591K, $394 a square foot. Houses sold for about $653K, condos for about $486K.
Is Salem a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 83 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 39 sold, about 2.1 months of supply. Buyers paid 100.4% of asking on average, and 28% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Salem?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Salem?
About 1.1% of a home’s value a year. On a $591K home that’s near $6,650.
Where can I see homes for sale in Salem?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Salem’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Salem.
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).