🏠 Buying a house in Massachusetts | 🏘️ Selling a house in Massachusetts | 🚚 Moving to Massachusetts
❓ FAQ | 📊 Methodology
🏡 Home values in Massachusetts have risen 13.77% over the past year, indicating a seller's market.
📈 Housing inventory (the total number of homes for sale) stands at 12,061. That's about 3.82 months of inventory, indicating a neutral market.
📊 The sale-to-list price ratio (the percentage of listing price sellers are actually getting) is 100.90%, indicating a seller's market.
How does Massachusetts compare to the national average?
Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
Typical home value | $647,505[1] | #3 of 50 states | 72.3% higher |
Median listing price | $753,950[2] | #1 of 50 states | 70.1% higher |
Median sale price | $688,900[3] | #3 of 50 states | 57.5% higher |
30-year mortgage rate | 6.84%[4] | #3 of 50 states | 1.9% lower |
Median days on market | 40[5] | #2 of 50 states | 32% shorter |
Looking to buy or sell in Massachusetts?
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Buying a house in the Massachusetts real estate market
Massachusetts has an affordability score of 6.9, meaning it takes 6.9 years of the median household income ($99,858) to afford Massachusetts' median home sale price ($688,900). Because of this, we rank Massachusetts as the 8th least affordable state for buyers based strictly on prices compared to income.
Data Point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
Median sale price | $688,900[6] | #3 of 50 states | 57.5% higher |
30-year mortgage rate | 6.84%[7] | #3 of 50 states | 1.9% lower |
Median household income | $99,858[8] | #1 of 50 states | 29.7% higher |
Affordability ratio | 6.9 | #43 of 50 states | 23.7% higher |
Buyers agent commission | 2.45%[9] | #4 of 50 states | 10.8% lower |
Who pays for realtor commission in Massachusetts?
Real estate agents' commissions are technically the responsibility of their respective clients - buyers pay their agents, and sellers pay theirs. Each party signs a contract with their agent promising to pay. However, sellers usually offer to pay for the buyer's agent so they can more easily afford the home.
Who pays closing costs in Massachusetts?
Sellers are usually responsible for most closing costs, but some closing expenses fall to the buyer. As a buyer, you'll be expected to pay for the mortgage loan origination fee and other lender-related fees, private mortgage insurance, the down payment, an appraisal fee, and a home inspection fee.
Learn more about who pays closing costs in Massachusetts.
Resources for Massachusetts home buyers
Preparing to buy in Massachusetts
Selling a house in the Massachusetts real estate market
According to our detailed survey of Massachusetts real estate agents, listing agents (those representing the seller) charge an average commission in Massachusetts of 2.94%, which is the 7th highest in the United States. Buyers' agents charge an average commission of 2.45%, which is the 4th lowest in the United States.
Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
Median listing price | $753,950[10] | #1 of 50 states | 70.1% higher |
Median sale price | $688,900[11] | #3 of 50 states | 57.5% higher |
Median days on market | 40[12] | #2 of 50 states | 32% shorter |
Buyer's agent commission | 2.45%[13] | #4 of 50 states | 10.8% lower |
Listing agent commission | 2.94%[14] | #44 of 50 states | 3.5% higher |
Resources for Massachusetts home sellers
Preparing to sell in Massachusetts
- Selling a House in Massachusetts: 8 Simple Steps
- Average Time to Sell a House in Massachusetts
- When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in Massachusetts?
- Top Real Estate Agents in Massachusetts
Massachusetts home selling costs and requirements
Moving to Massachusetts
According to our recent moving trends survey[15], 6% of Americans indicated that they would choose to move to Massachusetts if money were no object. Likewise, 10% of survey respondents indicated that they would move to Boston among a choice of America's largest cities. Among medium-sized cities, 10% indicated that they would move to Worcester, and 10% indicated that they would move to Springfield.
Here's how Massachusetts cities rank in a number of our research studies.
Study | Best Massachusetts city | Rank |
Best Pizza Cities[16] | Boston | 3rd best |
Best Coffee Cities[17] | Boston | 8th best |
Best LGBTQ Cities[18] | Boston | 17th best |
Best Bike Cities[19] | Boston | 4th best |
Best Commuter Cities[20] | Boston | 38th best |
Where to shop for homes in Massachusetts
Frequently asked questions
As of October 10, 2025, the median days on market (DOM) in Massachusetts is 37. On average, it takes about 37 days to sell in Massachusetts.
Home values have risen in Massachusetts over the past year. The current median home value is $658,406 and it's projected to rise by 1.77% in the next year.
As of October 10, 2025, sellers in Massachusetts are typically getting 100% of the list price for their homes.
Methodology
Information on market conditions is based on Zillow data as of August 2025, Realtor.com data as of September 2025, and HouseCanary data as of October 10, 2025, unless specified otherwise.
We gathered our commission rate data from a September 2025 survey of 828 of agents nationwide. The survey asked about standard local rates for both listing and buying agents. These data points are averages based on responses we’ve received from 10 agents in Massachusetts.