Highland Avenue
Pockets of residential areas behind a commercial corridor
Clusters of single-family homes, condos, townhouses and apartments are tucked behind shopping plazas along Highland Avenue. Most properties in the neighborhood were built in the 1980s and ‘90s, though new construction has sprung up all along the Highland Avenue corridor. Popular home styles include split-levels, cottages and Colonial Revivals. Single-family home prices generally range from $500,000 to $800,000, depending on the home’s size and condition. “Highland Avenue is a main street, but there are some really beautiful residential areas off of that,” Schenkel says. She says condos and townhouses in the area have become a popular option for first-time homebuyers as prices in Salem have increased significantly over the last few years.
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Major retailers along Highland Avenue and haunted happenings downtown
Shopping centers with major retailers line Highland Avenue. Hawthorne Square has a T.J. Maxx, Target and Home Depot, and Walmart is just down the road. Schenkel notes that many residents in the surrounding townhouse developments and subdivisions can walk to the Hawthorne Square plaza. Salem’s downtown area is also less than 3 miles away. Leaning into its deep history as the site of the Salem witch trials and some of the earliest English settlements in North America, downtown Salem has several sites and museums, including The Witch House and Salem Witch Museum. Also downtown, the Peabody Essex Museum has over 850,000 pieces of art in its collection. “There’s a lot going on as a resident of Salem,” Schenkel says. “The Peabody Essex Museum is free, there’s a trolley to take you around, and there’s a ton of places to eat and shop and walk.” Downtown’s themed restaurants include the Dire Wolf Tavern, a dimly lit venue with exposed brick and craft cocktails. Halloween time draws crowds of locals and tourists to the downtown’s spooky events and attractions. The Haunted Happenings festival has events daily throughout October, including the Haunted Happenings Marketplace, the Salem Psychic Fair and Witches’ Market, and more haunted tours and happenings.
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Hiking and golfing at Highland Park and nearby beaches
Highland Park in the neighborhood has trails through trees and along marshy landscapes. The park is also home to Olde Salem Greens, a public nine-hole golf course on gently sloping terrain. About 2 miles east, Forest River Park has one of Salem’s public beaches. Visitors enjoy the brisk ocean breeze and views of sailboats in the near distance. The park also has an outdoor swimming pool and other athletic facilities, as well as a re-creation of a 1600s-era fishing village.
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Salem Schools have multilingual instruction and other programs
Students living in the neighborhood and attending Salem Public Schools typically attend the Saltonstall School for kindergarten through eighth grade before continuing to Salem High School. The schools have C-plus and B-minus grades from Niche, respectively. According to the Salem Schools website, the district has students from 30 countries who speak 26 total languages. Salem High School and other schools in the district offer multilingual instruction for students learning English. The high school also offers career and technical education courses and 19 Advanced Placement classes. Salem State University’s campus is just east of the neighborhood and serves about 6,200 undergraduate and graduate students.
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Commuting to Boston by rail or car
For those commuting into Boston, the Swampscott train station is about a mile south, and the Salem train station is about 2 miles north. The train takes riders about 20 miles into the center of Boston. Drivers can also get into the city in about 45 minutes on US-1 or State Route 107. The drive could take up to 90 minutes during rush hour. Boston Logan International Airport is about 14 miles southwest.
Written By
Faith Wakefield
Photography Contributed By
Amanda Beattie
Video By
Brandon Flash Craigie
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Agents Specializing in this Area
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Eric Erickson
Eric Erickson
Reimagined Real Estate Advisors
(978) 972-4398
9 Total Sales
1 in Highland Avenue
$650,000 Price
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Donna Gay
Donna Gay
Responds QuicklyRight Way Realty LLC
(351) 666-8448
56 Total Sales
1 in Highland Avenue
$585,000 Price
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Marcie Gingle
Marcie Gingle
William Raveis R.E. & Home Services
(781) 995-4885
61 Total Sales
1 in Highland Avenue
$590,000 Price
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Lia Carminati
Lia Carminati
Be Live in Realty
(617) 500-6025
41 Total Sales
2 in Highland Avenue
$490K - $761K Price Range
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Ouijdan Mehdi
Ouijdan Mehdi
ROK Realty
(857) 957-9634
2 Total Sales
1 in Highland Avenue
$750,000 Price
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Josiane Alves
Josiane Alves
Invest Realty Group
(857) 349-4964
5 Total Sales
1 in Highland Avenue
$761,000 Price
Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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Parks in this Area
Forest River Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Picnic Area
Salem Woods Highland Park
- Trails
- Parking Lot
- Hiking
McGrath Park
- Basketball
- Picnic Area
- Soccer
Transit
Highland Avenue Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Highland Avenue, Salem sell after 64 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Highland Avenue, Salem over the last 12 months is $112,000, down 74% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$119,900
Median Sale Price
$112,000
Median Single Family Sale Price
$112,000
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$325,000
Median Change From 1st List Price
4%
Last 12 months Home Sales
14
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
-74%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$121
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
859
Number of Homes for Sale
0
Median Year Built
1986
Months of Supply
0.00
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,802
Below the national average
1,924
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,204
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
2,190
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
1,288
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
11,325
Open Houses
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Saturday, Aug 211am - 1pm
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
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$2,549 - $10,092 per month
- Hawthorne Commons
- 1-2 Beds
- 1-2 Baths
- 795+ Sq Ft
- 205 Highland Ave
- Salem, MA
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
3,846
Median Age
43
Population under 18
21.4%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
22.8%
On par with the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$87,453
Above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$99,824
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
97.1%
Above the national average
89.1%
College Graduates
38%
Advanced Degrees
15.4%
% Population in Labor Force
71.9%
Above the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
48''
Average Winter Low Temperature
17°F
Average Summer High Temperature
80°F
Annual Snowfall
26''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
16
/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
48
/ 100
Some Transit
Transit Score®
25
/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
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