The story of this market
The typical home in Essex County, Massachusetts sells for about $690,000, or $415 per square foot.
Prices are down 1.1% from a year ago, which gives buyers more room to negotiate. Homes take about 32 days to sell. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 159% since 2000. Last year 125 of 159 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $2,850 a month.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Low.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+2.8%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2000 (+18.2%). Worst: 2009 (-5.8%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+2.5%
MA · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
+2.8%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 159 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
31
Relatively Low
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $198,805,979.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
77.3%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 40043 | 22118 | 77.3% | 6.7% | $420,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Essex County, Massachusetts
The Essex County housing market remains highly competitive due to a persistent shortage of inventory, which continues to support elevated price levels despite broader economic headwinds. While sales volume has moderated, the region's strong employment base in life sciences and technology keeps demand resilient. Buyers are increasingly selective, favoring well-priced properties as the market shifts toward a more balanced, albeit still supply-constrained, environment.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: median price corroborated by the prior refresh cycle (within 12.5%).
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 34 cities · 51 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 2.0% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 43 days on market with 0.1 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 34.22% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 3.1% · poverty 7.8% — a stable, low-distress profile.
Owned and leased federal assets with active or excess status, per the General Services Administration's Real Estate Across the United States inventory (read 2026-09-25). A federal footprint read on this county — not a market valuation, and never an attribute of any individual property or tenant.
Deterministic aggregate of 51 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Essex County, Massachusetts — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 6.5%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
Each property observation weighs one in its ZIP's deterministic roll-up — property-level records (taxes, scores, permits) never roll individually. Latest property research run Oct 6, 2026.
researched Oct 8
researched Sep 28
researched Oct 1
researched Oct 9
researched Sep 18
researched Sep 18
researched Oct 3
researched Oct 8
researched Sep 19
researched Sep 28
| 01810 | Andover | $1,385,000 | $435 | +4.2% | 38 | 101.5% | 15% | 2.1 | 51 | $2,627 | researched Oct 8 |
| 01812 | Andover | $930,000 | $302 | +4.1% | 43 | — | — | — | 36 | $3,008 | researched Sep 28 |
| 01830 | Haverhill | $508,000 | $297 | +2.1% | 21 | 101.7% | — | — | 41 | $1,644 | researched Oct 1 |
| 01831 | Haverhill | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | researched Oct 9 |
| 01832 | Haverhill | $500,000 | $316 | +2.9% | 12 | — | — | — | 65 | $1,648 | researched Sep 18 |
| 01833 | Georgetown | $809,500 | $349 | 0% | 73 | — | — | — | 32 | $2,223 | researched Sep 18 |
| 01834 | Groveland | $699,000 | $255 | +4.2% | 45 | 99.2% | 15% | 2.1 | 12 | $1,825 | researched Oct 3 |
| 01835 | Haverhill | $428,950 | $245 | -1.2% | 57 | 98.5% | 22% | 3.7 | 142 | $2,150 | researched Oct 8 |
| 01840 | Lawrence | $479,000 | $311 | +5.9% | 44 | — | — | — | 132 | $1,413 | researched Sep 19 |
| 01841 | Lawrence | $548,000 | $250 | +2.5% | 45 | 98.5% | 15% | 2.1 | 17 | $1,672 | researched Sep 28 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Essex County generally experiences lower crime rates compared to the national average, with localized variations between urban centers like Lawrence or Lynn and more suburban coastal communities.
The county is served by highly regarded public school systems, with many districts consistently ranking among the top in Massachusetts for academic performance and college readiness.
Coastal areas face significant flood and storm surge risks, while inland regions are subject to standard New England winter weather hazards; property insurance premiums are rising due to climate-related exposure.
The economy is anchored by the life sciences, technology, and education sectors, with significant development momentum in the Route 128 corridor and urban revitalization projects in waterfront cities.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. State (Massachusetts) — Massachusetts Local Property Tax: Ad valorem tax calculated as (Municipal Budget / Total Assessed Value of all taxable property) = Tax Rate per $1,000 of assessed value. Assessments must be at 100% of full and fair cash (market) value.
The county features a diverse economy driven by the Greater Boston biotech hub, manufacturing, and a robust tourism industry along the North Shore.
The area is served by the MBTA Commuter Rail, providing critical transit links to Boston, alongside major highway corridors including I-95 and Route 128.
The county is served by various regional school districts and municipal utility providers, with specific flood control districts managing coastal infrastructure.
Property insurance markets are tightening due to increased climate risk, particularly for coastal properties exposed to storm surges.
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum4.625.5 mi
- Canobie Lake Park4.518.3 mi
- F1 Arcade Boston4.525.5 mi
- Water Country Water Park4.123.7 mi
- Museum of Illusions Boston4.525 mi
- Fenway Park4.826.6 mi
- TD Garden4.624.7 mi
- Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center4.525.9 mi
- Canobie Lake Park4.518.3 mi
- MGM Music Hall at Fenway4.426.5 mi
- Canobie Lake Park4.518.3 mi
- Salem Witch Museum3.812.6 mi
- Stone Zoo4.319.2 mi
- Hammond Castle Museum4.613.7 mi
- Salisbury Beach State Reservation4.610 mi
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston4.827 mi
- Boston Public Library4.826.1 mi
- Museum of Science4.724.8 mi
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum4.727.2 mi
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum4.625.5 mi
- Salisbury Beach State Reservation4.610 mi
- Halibut Point State Park4.813.9 mi
- Middlesex Fells Reservation4.719.6 mi
- Salem Witch Trials Memorial4.612.8 mi
- Hampton Beach State Park4.614.2 mi
- Jubilee Yacht Club Inc4.611.5 mi
- Crescent Yacht Club4.49.6 mi
- Salem Willows Yacht Club4.611.8 mi
- Northshore Mall4.411.5 mi
- The Mall at Rockingham Park4.417 mi
- Square One Mall4.118 mi
- Tuscan Village4.416.8 mi
- Cider Hill Farm4.711.8 mi
- Boston Logan International Airport4.124 mi
- Manchester-Boston Regional Airport4.630.9 mi
- Portsmouth International Airport4.626.5 mi
- Park Shuttle & Fly4.522.4 mi
- The Lounge3.423.9 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Preserves the maritime history of the region with historic wharves and buildings.
A premier coastal destination in Ipswich offering extensive dunes and shoreline access.
A unique historic landmark in Gloucester overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Retrieved from data.census.gov
applies when — Parcels classified as forest production land under M.G.L. c. 61
Imposes a conveyance tax upon sale for non-forest use and potential roll-back taxes if disqualified; grants the municipality a right of first refusal upon conversion to residential, industrial, or commercial use.
Governed by M.G.L. Chapter 61.
Ad valorem tax calculated as (Municipal Budget / Total Assessed Value of all taxable property) = Tax Rate per $1,000 of assessed value. Assessments must be at 100% of full and fair cash (market) value.
Governed by M.G.L. Chapter 59; assessed annually by local boards of assessors.
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.