Photo: Daderot at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0162 homes sold in Swampscott in the last year, at a typical $814K
About one sale in 3 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 Swampscott homes are listed.
Every place Swampscott 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 Swampscott.
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 quarter of Swampscott’s sales are condos, at $374K less than a house
104 houses and 40 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 104 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $428MA $368
- Days to sell
- 31
- Sold over asking
- 50%
- Listings with a price cut
- 32%
typical sale · 40 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $444MA $562
- Days to sell
- 37
- Sold over asking
- 40%
- Listings with a price cut
- 34%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 9 sold, typical $939K
Townhouses: 9 sold, typical $673K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
162 sales in the last year, against 268 in 2015 and a low of 131 in 2023. The typical sale went from $436K in 2016 to $814K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $800K buys in Swampscott
Check a listing against what Swampscott 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 Swampscott are more common than before the pandemic, but a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Swampscott’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, 162 sales.
If you’re buying in Swampscott
- Shop in April. It brings about 27 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (48% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 28% of listings have cut their price, against 23% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 101.2% of the list price on average; 48% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 32 a month), but May is the most competitive: 50% of May sales close over asking. April and May offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (48%). February has the least competition (25%) but only about 15 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Massachusetts as a whole
| Swampscott now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 48% | 38% | 62% | 45% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 50% | 49% | 65% | 49% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 28% | 23% | 21% | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 101.2% | 99.4% | 103.8% | 100.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 28 | 19 | 23 | 27 |
27 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2023 low (17), 34% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 128.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
28% in the last year, against 23% in 2017–19 and 25% across Massachusetts. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 54%, condos 59%
A house typically sold for $912K in the last year (104 sales), a condo for $538K (40).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Swampscott ranks 108th of 206 busy Massachusetts markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Swampscott 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 Swampscott home costs about $4,945 a month
Price: Swampscott’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Swampscott’s 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 Swampscott is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 6.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $814K home, about $8,380 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Swampscott, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in SwampscottTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Swampscott.
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.
Salem, Lynn and Peabody sell for less a square foot; Marblehead and Nahant for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Swampscott, 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 |
| Revere | 388 | $609K | $434 | 42% | 35 |
| Peabody | 357 | $656K | $395 | 59% | 23 |
| 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 Swampscott, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Swampscott. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Swampscott with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Swampscott
What do homes sell for in Swampscott, MA?
162 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $814K, $416 a square foot. Houses sold for about $912K, condos for about $538K.
Is Swampscott a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 29 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 13 sold, about 2.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 101.2% of asking on average, and 28% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Swampscott?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Swampscott?
About 1% of a home’s value a year. On a $814K home that’s near $8,380.
Where can I see homes for sale in Swampscott?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Swampscott’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Swampscott.
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).