Massachusetts home prices by town, September 2026: is the market really correcting in Somerville and Cambridge?
Massachusetts home prices map for September 2026: median sale price by town, Somerville and Cambridge numbers, 7% mortgage rates and what it all means.
Mateus MagnoLicensed Construction Supervisor · November 2, 2026 · 4 min read
In September 2026 the Massachusetts single-family median sale price was $670,000, up 2.4% from a year earlier, and sales rose 4.8%, so the state as a whole is not in a correction. Condos are softer: the median was flat at $525,000 and sales fell 6.4%. Somerville is weaker than the state, with single-family and condo medians both down 5.0% for the year to date.
A map of Massachusetts home prices has been going around TikTok, from the account statsma_. Its caption says prices are slipping, rates are up, buyers are scarce, and asks if this is the start of a correction. I build and renovate houses in Somerville, Cambridge and Greater Boston, and people ask me this, so I checked it against the official numbers.
Short answer: rates are up for sure, but statewide prices and sales were still rising in September. The softness is real in some places, including Somerville, and I'll show you where. I made my own maps below from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors town table.
Massachusetts home prices in September 2026
Here is the statewide picture, as reported from Massachusetts Association of Realtors data:
| Median sale price | Closed sales | New listings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $670,000 (up 2.4%) | Up 4.8% | Up 7.6% |
| Condo | $525,000 (flat) | Down 6.4% | Up 6.0% |
All changes are compared with September 2025. Town by town, I counted 323 cities and towns with a single-family sale in the month. The median rose in 173, fell in 131 and held flat in 19. Another 28 had no sales at all.
Be careful with a one-month town map
Maps like this are fun, and I like them, but one month in one town can mislead you. Of those 323 towns, 82 had fewer than 5 single-family sales. Chilmark's $5,875,000 median comes from 2 sales. Edgartown's median jumped 235% on 4 sales. The Realtors' own reports warn that one month can look extreme because of small sample sizes.
Somerville is the local example. Its single-family median was $1,282,500, up 16.3%, but that is only 6 sales. For the first nine months of the year, it is down 5.0%.
The better view: Somerville, Cambridge and nearby towns, year to date
Nine months of sales tell you more than one. These are January through September medians from each town's Local Market Update (Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, Boston):
| Town | Single-family, 2026 YTD | Change | Condo, 2026 YTD | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerville | $1,325,000 | -5.0% | $860,000 | -5.0% |
| Cambridge | $2,460,000 | +0.4% | $951,250 | -3.4% |
| Medford | $899,500 | -1.2% | $682,450 | +4.2% |
| Arlington | $1,347,500 | +7.8% | $910,000 | +10.0% |
| Malden | $710,000 | 0.0% | $420,000 | -1.9% |
| Everett | $680,000 | 0.0% | $465,000 | +2.2% |
| Boston | $871,250 | -3.7% | $785,000 | +3.0% |
| Brookline | $2,525,000 | -8.2% | $1,037,500 | +6.5% |
| Newton | $1,880,000 | -3.8% | $1,090,000 | -9.1% |
So the picture is mixed, even between neighbors. Somerville is down, Arlington is up, and Malden and Everett have not moved. A median also shifts with what happens to sell, so a few big houses can change it without any single home losing value. For the long view, see 20 years of Somerville home prices.
Are homes sitting longer? In many Greater Boston markets, yes
This part of the TikTok caption holds up locally. Here is September 2026 against September 2025:
- Somerville condos: 53 days on market, up from 38. Sellers got 96.1% of their original list price, down from 99.4%. Condos for sale rose to 150 from 123.
- Medford condos: 70 days, up from 55, and 96.2% of original list price, down from 98.5%.
- Boston single-family: 50 days, up from 34, and 97.1% of original list price, down from 98.3%.
- Boston condos: 63 days, up from 55, and 95.2% of original list price, down from 96.1%.
When sellers get less than their original price, the first asking price was often too high, or it came down along the way. These figures also don't count seller concessions.
Mortgage rates are the real change
The rate jump is not in doubt. Freddie Mac's weekly 30-year average was 7.24% on October 29, 2026, against 6.17% a year earlier. It was 6.76% in mid-September and hit 7.40% in October.
By my math, a $536,000 loan (a $670,000 home with 20% down) costs about $3,653 a month in principal and interest at 7.24%, against about $3,272 at 6.17%. That is roughly $380 more every month for the same house.
Timing matters too. A September closing usually went under contract weeks earlier, before most of that rate increase. So the September numbers may not show its full effect yet. I'd watch the October and November reports before calling this a correction. Nobody knows yet, me included.
What this means if you own or want to buy
I'm a builder, not a real estate agent or lender, so talk to one about your own numbers. Here is what I tell my clients:
- Buying: where homes sit longer, you may have more room to negotiate. Budget the repairs before you offer. My guide to buying an old house in Somerville covers what to check.
- Selling: pricing matters more now. Fix what a buyer will notice, like leaks, peeling paint and worn floors, and skip the big remodel you may not get back.
- Staying: if a move means giving up a lower rate, improving the house you have may make more sense. Start with a real budget, like my gut renovation cost guide.
On the supply side, the state is also funding lower-cost construction. See Move-In Mass explained.
Everett is flat so far despite the plans on its waterfront. See where its four big projects stand.
Need a hand?
If you're weighing a move against a renovation in Somerville, Cambridge or Greater Boston, book a free walkthrough. I'll look at the house and send a written line-item budget, usually within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median home price in Massachusetts right now?
In September 2026 the median sale price was $670,000 for a single-family home, up 2.4% from a year earlier, and $525,000 for a condo, flat from a year earlier, according to Massachusetts Association of Realtors data.
Are home prices dropping in Massachusetts?
Not statewide as of September 2026. Single-family prices and sales both rose from a year earlier. Some towns are softer, though: Somerville's single-family and condo medians are each down 5.0% for the year to date.
What is the median home price in Somerville, MA?
For January through September 2026, the median was $1,325,000 for a single-family home and $860,000 for a condo, each down 5.0% from the same period in 2025. In September alone, the single-family median was $1,282,500 on just 6 sales, and the condo median was $764,000.
Is the Massachusetts housing market heading for a correction?
It's too early to say. Mortgage rates rose to 7.24% by late October 2026, but September closings mostly reflect deals signed earlier, before most of that increase. The October and November reports will tell more.
Planning work near Somerville? See the towns I work in, with local permit notes, and how I price work.
Mateus Magno founded Magno & Co in 2020. He is a licensed Massachusetts Construction Supervisor (CS-123658), registered Home Improvement Contractor (HIC #220484) and certified Lead-Safe Renovator Supervisor who has renovated and managed over $5 million in projects across Greater Boston.
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