Published October 16, 2026 in Market Update

Boston - North has more listings, but not every part is moving slower

By Patrick & Alana Scanlon

Real estate, Boston - North

The one fact that changes what you should do right now: more homes are sitting longer, but that is not true everywhere. Realtor.com counted days on market in Boston up 6 year over year. That is the headline. The ZIP code under your feet may tell a different story.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 824 homes for sale and 798 new listings across Boston - North in the three months ending August 31, 2026. More supply means buyers have more to look at. It also means sellers have more competition. Pricing and prep matter more when the person down the street is also on the market.

Some ZIP codes are still moving fast

Not every corner of Boston - North is softening. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 02129 (Charlestown) at a median of 19 days on market, with 45.7% of homes going under contract within two weeks. That is still a quick market. The median sale price there rose 11% year over year to $1,165,000.

ZIP 02109 (North End and Waterfront) is another one. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 50% of homes going under contract within two weeks, up 25 points from a year before. Days on market dropped 11 days year over year to 29 days. The median sale price was $930,000, though that was down 30.2% from the same period in 2025. (Small ZIP codes with few sales can swing hard on price. Fifteen homes sold there. One unusual sale moves the number.)

Where buyers have more room

Then there is 02111 (Chinatown and Tufts Medical area). The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 57 days on market there. New listings jumped 40% year over year. Months of supply hit 6.3. Zero percent of homes sold above list price. That is a different conversation than Charlestown.

ZIP 02210 (Seaport) also had 6.8 months of supply, though it improved: down 1.7 months from last year. New listings there were up 74.3% year over year. More supply, but homes are moving 31 days faster than they were a year ago. The median sale price was $1,659,400.

ZIP 02114 (West End, Beacon Hill adjacent) had median days on market of 53, up 25 days from a year before. The share of homes going under contract within two weeks fell 27.9 points to 11.6%. Prices dipped 4.3% year over year to $751,000. Buyers there have more time and more leverage than they did a year ago.

Prices: mostly up, a few exceptions

Most ZIP codes in Boston - North saw prices rise year over year. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 02108 (Beacon Hill) at a median of $3,615,000, up 98.1% from the same period in 2025. (Twenty-two homes sold. A few large sales can move the median sharply. Read that number with that in mind.)

ZIP 02116 (Back Bay) hit a median of $1,450,000, up 5.1%. ZIP 02110 (Financial District and waterfront) reached $1,660,000, up 24.8%. ZIP 02129 (Charlestown) was up 11% to $1,165,000.

Not everything went up. ZIP 02113 (North End) dipped 6.3% to $627,500. ZIP 02109 dropped 30.2% to $930,000, though that reflects a thin market with only 15 sales. ZIP 02114 fell 4.3% to $751,000. ZIP 02210 (Seaport) slipped 5.2% to $1,659,400.

What the national picture adds

Realtor.com reported the median list price in the Northeast region fell 3.8% year over year to $505,000 as of September 30, 2026. That is the regional backdrop. Boston - North sits well above that, and its price trends have been mostly positive.

Nationally, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026, and 0.3% from June to July 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Boston - North has outpaced that in most ZIP codes.

Mortgage rates are a real factor. CNBC reported Fannie Mae's forecast for the average 30-year fixed rate throughout 2027 at 7.5%. Buyers are doing the math on that. It slows decisions and gives some sellers more competition from homes that have been sitting.

South Boston: the busiest ZIP in the market

ZIP 02127 (South Boston) had the most sales of any ZIP in Boston - North. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 197 homes sold, up 5.9% from a year before. Median price was $885,000, up 1.4%. Days on market were 28, down 7 days from last year. Inventory rose 34.9%, so buyers have more to choose from, but it is still a competitive ZIP.

The South End (02118) was also busy. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 97 homes sold at a median of $1,110,000, up 6% year over year. Days on market rose 12 days to 39. More homes are available, and they are taking a little longer. But 97 sales in three months is a real market.

Back Bay: prices up, fewer sales

ZIP 02116 (Back Bay) had 88 homes sold, down 16.2% year over year. But prices rose 5.1% to $1,450,000. The sale-to-list ratio improved 1.8 points to 99.2%. Days on market held flat at 26. Fewer homes sold, but the ones that did sold well. New listings were up 15.3%, so more is coming to market.

All of these numbers cover the three months ending August 31, 2026. They are a snapshot, not a forecast. One street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it. A building's condition, its floor, its parking and its price point all shape how fast it moves and what it sells for.