Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

One part of Chelmsford stayed tighter than the other

By Patrick & Alana Scanlon

Real estate, DOTW: Chelmsford

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings took a price cut in September, the highest share since October 2022. Chelmsford did not follow that pattern, but it was not one market either. It was two, and they behaved differently enough that a seller copying a neighbor in the other ZIP code could leave money on the table.

The two ZIPs, side by side

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 87 homes sold in ZIP 01824 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. The median sale price there was $722,000, up 1.7% from the same three months in 2025. Homes averaged 102.4% of list price. Nearly 68% went under contract within two weeks.

ZIP 01863 told a different story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 37 homes sold there in the same period. The median sale price was $480,000, down 16.2% from a year before. Homes averaged 100.8% of list. Only 46% went under contract within two weeks, down 40.5 points from the year before. That is a big shift in one year.

Both ZIPs still sold above list price on average. That is worth noting. But the gap between them is real, and it changes what a competitive offer looks like depending on where you are buying.

What changed in each ZIP

That inventory jump in 01863 stands out. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed homes for sale there up 141.7% from a year before. More supply, a lower median price, and fewer homes moving in the first two weeks. Those three things together explain why the sale-to-list ratio slipped and why the two-week contract rate fell so sharply.

In 01824, inventory grew too, up 3.3% according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator, but the pace of pending sales kept up. Pending sales rose 10.5% year over year there. Supply went up a little, demand went up more. That is why 01824 held tighter.

The bigger picture behind the numbers

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. That is real pressure on buyers everywhere. Realtor.com noted that rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. When rates rise, buyers get more selective. That tends to widen the gap between the listings priced well and the ones that are not.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices up 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026, with a 0.3% monthly gain in July on a seasonally adjusted basis. Chelmsford's 01824 is tracking close to that national pace. Chelmsford's 01863 is not, at least not this summer.

What this means if you are selling

In 01824, the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 67.8% of homes sold above list price. The average was 102.4% of list. Pricing at or just under market still draws competition there. But the sale-to-list ratio slipped 0.9 points from last year, so the room for aggressive pricing has narrowed a little.

In 01863, 59.5% of homes sold above list, down 11.1 points from a year before. The average was 100.8% of list. That is still above list, which is good. But with supply up sharply and the two-week contract rate down 40.5 points, pricing needs to be precise. A home that sits collects fewer offers.

Do not copy your neighbor if they are in a different ZIP. The data says the two parts of town are not moving at the same speed.

What this means if you are buying

In 01824, plan for competition. Nearly 68% of homes went under contract in two weeks. Offers at or above list are common. Waiting to see how a listing does usually means losing it.

In 01863, you have a little more time on some listings. Months of supply rose to 2.4, up 1.3 months from a year before. That does not mean every home waits. The Real Estate Data Aggregator still shows a median of 20 days on market, and 59.5% of homes sold above list. But there is more room to read a listing carefully before moving.

Rates at 7.40% (Freddie Mac, October 8, 2026) mean your budget is tighter than it was two years ago. That makes knowing which ZIP you are in, and what that ZIP is actually doing, more important, not less.

Chelmsford together: the headline numbers

Across both ZIPs, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 124 homes sold, up 4.2% from the same three months in 2025. Pending sales rose 7.1%. The town-wide story is steady. But the town-wide story hides the split, and the split is the part that changes what you should do.

One more thing. These are ZIP-code numbers. One street can read differently from the whole ZIP. A condo complex, a price range, a school zone, all of those can shift the picture. The numbers here are a starting point, not a final answer for your specific address.