Boston Housing Market

Homebuyers in Boston had more homes to choose from in July as inventory recovered. Still, record high home prices and elevated mortgage rates kept affordability beyond reach for many households.

About 4,960 homes sold across the region in July. That was 8% more than a year earlier and outpaced the national increase of 2.9%.

Even with high prices and mortgage rates, buyers continued to return to the market. July recorded the highest monthly sales volume since 2022.

Homes also continued to sell relatively quickly. Properties spent 55 days on the market, slightly below the national benchmark of 56 days. Still, slower job growth of -0.1% and more modest population gains of 0.2% could slow homebuying activity going forward.

Homebuyers had more choices in July as inventory continued to recover. More than 12,180 homes were listed for sale across the region, marking the highest July inventory level since 2020.

While inventory remained below pre-pandemic levels, the market continued to rebound from shortages seen earlier this decade. The number of homes for sale in July has now risen for three straight years following a low in 2023.

Boston's inventory growth also outpaced several major housing markets, including Chicago and New York. The number of homes for sale rose 8.5% from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, new listings rose 8.9% year over year, slightly below the national increase of 9.3%. For buyers, the growing supply translated into more options and less competition than in recent years.

View the latest homes for sale in Boston.

Despite the increase in homes for sale, Boston remained one of the country's most expensive places to buy a home. The median home sale price reached $750,000 in July, the highest level on record. Home prices rose 2% from a year earlier, below the national benchmark of 2.6% over the same period.

Price trends varied by property type. Townhomes posted the strongest gains, with prices rising 13.7% from a year ago. Single-family homes and condos recorded more moderate increases of 1.9% and 0.8%.

Buyers had more homes to choose from than they had in years. Even so, record prices and elevated mortgage rates continued to make affordability one of Boston's biggest housing challenges.

The median home sale price in Boston increased by 2% compared to the same time last year, while the national median price rose by 2.6%.

Boston median home prices rose by $15,000 year over year on a nominal basis in July to $750,000. Meanwhile, the national median home price increased by $10,000 to $400,000.

Boston was the sixth highest-priced housing market among the top 40 largest markets last month. The Boston median home price of $750,000 was 87.5% above the national median home price. Boston's median home price in July compares to the market's peak of $755,000 recorded in June of 2026.

The median price of Boston single-family homes rose by $15,000 over the past year to $805,000, while the median townhome price grew by 13.7%, and the median condo price rose by 0.8%.

The number of homes for sale in Boston increased by 8.5% in July compared to the same time last year, while national homes for sale rose by 4.4%.

Boston homes for sale rose by 953 year over year in July to 12,184 homes for sale. Boston ranked 17th, on a percentage basis, for the annual change in the number of homes for sale among the top 40 U.S. markets in July.

Boston homes for sale were below their pre-pandemic levels in the month of July. Boston homes for sale were 24.4% below the July 2019 total of 16,112.

Boston single-family homes for sale grew by 4.3% to 6,595 in July. In comparison, townhomes for sale rose by 8.4% to 181, and condos for sale increased by 14% to 5,408.

The number of home sales in Boston increased by 8% in July compared to the same time last year, while national home sales rose by 2.9%.

Boston home sales increased by 368 year over year on a nominal basis in July to 4,964. For context, 4,596 sales closed in Boston in July 2025.

Boston ranked third for the annual change in home sales out of the top 40 U.S. markets in June on a percentage basis. This year's July increase of 8% compares to the 3.6% year over year increase in July 2025.

Boston single-family sales increased by 7.6% in June to 3,297. In comparison, townhome sales rose by 4.5% to 69, and condo sales rose by 9.1% to 1,598.

For questions and commentary about this report:

Matt Giordano, Associate Director of Market Analytics at CoStar and Homes.com, based in Boston, is available for interviews to provide expert insights on this data and the broader residential real estate market.

Matt Giordano

Associate Director of Market Analytics

Homes.com

mgiordano@costar.com

Homes.com releases preliminary figures on housing trends on a monthly basis. Although these numbers may change slightly once all transactions are accounted for, they provide an early indication of home price appreciation, inventory changes, and sales volume in Boston during July 2026.

For most markets, geographical coverage consists of the Census-defined Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA). Data for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York is at the Metropolitan Division level.

Definition of Sale Prices

Median home price is the midpoint sale price of homes closed during each month. This data includes homes that are detached, attached, and condominiums. Detached homes are single-family units. Attached homes are townhomes, rowhouses, and duplexes. The condominium classification includes co-ops.

Definition of Inventory

Inventory is the number of unique active listings that were for sale during each month. This data includes homes that are detached, attached, and condominiums. Detached homes are single-family units. Attached homes are townhomes, rowhouses, and duplexes. The condominium classification includes co-ops.

Definition of Home Sales

The total number of closed home sales on the MLS during the month. This data includes homes that are detached, attached, and condominiums. Detached homes are single-family units. Attached homes are townhomes, rowhouses, and duplexes. The condominium classification includes co-ops.

Definition of Days on Market

The median number of days from initial listing to closing of properties whose closing occurred during the month. This data includes detached, attached, and condominium homes. Detached homes are single-family units. Attached homes are townhomes, rowhouses, and duplexes. The condominium classification includes co-ops.

Definition of Months of Supply (MOS)

Months of Supply (MOS) is equal to active listings divided by homes sold in a given month. This data includes homes that are detached, attached, and condominiums. Detached homes are single-family units. Attached homes are townhomes, rowhouses, and duplexes. The condominium classification includes co-ops.

Definition of Sale to List Price Ratio

The sale-to-list price ratio is the ratio of the sale (closing) price to the original list price, whose closing occurred during the month. This data includes homes that are detached, attached, and condominiums. Detached homes are single-family units. Attached homes are townhomes, rowhouses, and duplexes. The condominium classification includes co-ops.

About the Homes.com Market Analytics Team

The Homes.com Market Analytics group is a team of experienced analysts embedded in nearly 30 markets across North America. These experts reside in and regularly visit the markets they cover, providing local expertise and a national perspective on all sectors of real estate: residential, office, industrial, retail, and multifamily.

About Homes.com Analytics Data

The Homes.com analytic data is compiled by the CoStar Analytics team, the largest and most experienced analytics team in the real estate industry. The team consists of over 50 economists, analysts, and data scientists, who collectively have more than 900 years of real estate experience and over 30 advanced degrees. Analysts on the team live in and around the markets they cover, enabling them to build deep local knowledge and unique insights.

The data set being used by the team is one of the most comprehensive and robust in the industry. It spans all 393 metropolitan markets, 542 micropolitan markets, and over 35,000 local neighborhoods in the U.S. The data set is sourced from almost 500 Multiple Listing Service (MLS) providers around the country, as well as public record data from each market, and is supplemented by proprietary data collected by CoStar's team of over 2,000 researchers. It includes a complete inventory of all homes in the U.S., including homes for sale, homes for rent, new construction homes, as well as sale comps and rent comps.