Published October 13, 2026 in Market Update

Higher rates did not stop Chelmsford buyers

By Patrick & Alana Scanlon

Real estate, DOTW: Chelmsford

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. That is a real number, and it makes monthly payments hurt. But the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 124 homes sold across Chelmsford in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 4.2% from the same months of 2025. Buyers are still showing up.

Pending sales tell you what is coming, not what already closed. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 121 pending sales in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 7.1% from the same period in 2025. That is a lot of buyers who looked at a 7.40% rate and still signed a contract.

The two ZIP codes tell different stories

Chelmsford covers two ZIP codes: 01824 and 01863, which includes North Chelmsford. They moved differently this period, and that matters if you own a home in one of them.

ZIP 01824: prices up, still moving fast

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in 01824 at $722,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 1.7% from the same period in 2025. Homes sold in a median of 21 days, which is 3 days longer than a year before. Not a big change. The sale-to-list ratio held at 102.4%, meaning the average home sold above its asking price. That ratio slipped 0.9 points from 2025, so the edge is a little softer, but sellers are still coming out ahead.

Nearly 68 in 100 homes in 01824 sold above list price, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That share slipped 4 points from 2025, so a few more sellers are landing at or below asking. But two-thirds still going over is not a soft market.

ZIP 01863: more homes, more time, a big price shift

The story in 01863, which covers North Chelmsford, is more complicated. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price at $480,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026, down 16.2% from the same period in 2025. That is a large drop. It likely reflects a mix of what sold, not a collapse in what homes are worth. Fewer high-priced sales in a small sample can move the median a long way.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator also counted 29 homes for sale in 01863, up 141.7% from a year before. That is a real jump. Months of supply rose to 2.4, up 1.3 months from 2025. Buyers in 01863 have more to choose from. That gives them a little more room to negotiate.

The share of 01863 homes going under contract within two weeks fell to 46%, down 40.5 points from 2025, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. A year ago, nearly every home in this ZIP went fast. Now it is closer to half. That is a meaningful shift for sellers to know before they price.

The wider picture: rates are up, but so is demand

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. That is the highest since early 2025, according to Realtor.com. Nationally, Realtor.com reported that price cuts hit 20.8% of listings in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. That tells you some sellers overpriced and had to adjust.

Chelmsford is not immune to that pressure. The data from the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows sale-to-list ratios slipping a little in both ZIP codes, and days on market ticking up. But 1.1 months of supply in 01824 is still very tight. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Chelmsford's 01824 median is up 1.7% over the same stretch, roughly in line.

More listings is generally good news for buyers. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 129 new listings across Chelmsford in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 11.2% from the same period in 2025. More supply gives buyers options. It also means sellers have more competition than they did a year ago.