Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

North Chelmsford cooled more than the rest of Chelmsford

By Patrick & Alana Scanlon

Real estate, DOTW: Chelmsford

The one fact that matters most: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted a 16.2% drop in median sale price in ZIP 01863, North Chelmsford, for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is a big move. Meanwhile, ZIP 01824, the rest of Chelmsford, saw prices rise 1.7% over the same stretch. Same town, same period, opposite directions.

Why the gap is so wide

Inventory tells a lot of the story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 29 homes for sale in 01863, up 141.7% from a year ago. That is a lot more competition for sellers. In 01824, homes for sale rose only 3.3%, to 31. More supply in North Chelmsford means buyers have more choices, and that pulls prices down.

Speed is another signal. In 01824, the Real Estate Data Aggregator found 67.9% of homes went under contract within two weeks. In 01863, that share was 46%, and it fell 40.5 points from a year ago. Homes in North Chelmsford are still selling. They are just taking longer to find a buyer.

Sellers are still getting over asking in both ZIPs

This is worth saying plainly. In 01824, the Real Estate Data Aggregator put the average sale-to-list ratio at 102.4%. In 01863, it was 100.8%. Both are over 100%. Most homes in both ZIPs are closing above their list price. The cooling in North Chelmsford shows up in the median price and the speed of sales, not in sellers giving money back at the table.

The national picture adds pressure

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings had price cuts in September, the highest share since October 2022. Mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025, also per Realtor.com. Fannie Mae, as reported by CNBC, forecast the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.4% for the fourth quarter of 2026. Those rates slow buyers down everywhere. North Chelmsford, with more supply and softer demand, feels that pressure more than 01824 does right now.

The town-wide numbers look fine. That can mislead you.

Across both ZIPs together, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 124 homes sold, up 4.2% from a year ago. Pending sales across both ZIPs rose 7.1%, to 121. Those are solid numbers. But they blend two markets that are moving differently. A seller in 01863 who prices like 01824 may wait longer than they planned.

One more thing worth knowing: North Chelmsford has its own village identity inside Chelmsford. The housing mix, the commute patterns and the buyer pool can differ from the rest of town. That is part of why the two ZIPs read so differently, and why one street can look very different from the ZIP code around it.