Boston Housing Market

Boston’s median home sale price decreased by 3.7% in February compared to the same month a year ago, as monthly home sales dropped below 1,800.

Overall, Boston’s median home sale price declined by 3.7% from this time last year, ranking Boston second last out of the 40 largest U.S. markets. February marked the first month that Boston posted an annual decline in its median sale price in nearly a decade. Boston’s median home sale price has been on a downward trend since hitting its 2025 peak of roughly $755,000 in June.

Active listings were up 3.2% compared to February of last year. In volume terms, listings increased by more than 200, to roughly 6,600 and ranked Boston among the bottom five out of 40 US markets in year-over-year growth. February marked the 14th consecutive month that Boston had 6,000 or more homes on the market. Active listings have trended downward over the past few quarters, following a peak of 12,000 in June 2025.

Home sales were down 8.5% from this time last year, with just under 1,800 homes sold in February, placing Boston 27th out of 40 U.S. markets and last in the Northeast. Last month marked a return to year-over-year declines in home sales, following only one month of positive gains.

Boston’s median home sale price in February reached $650,000, with annual appreciation decreasing by 3.7% after months of rapid price growth.

The Boston median home price remained elevated. The February median sale price was $650,000, even as year-over-year growth slowed dramatically. After peaking during 2025, annual price gains decreased by 3.7%, signaling a shift to a more balanced market.

Boston price trends varied by property type. Attached homes posted 4.5% annual growth, adding roughly $26,000 over the past year, while both detached homes and condos saw declines at 1.1% and 9.8%, respectively. This suggests continued preference for attached homes, even as the overall market price growth slows.

Price gains were led by relatively affordable Midwestern markets—St. Louis (8.2%), Chicago (4.1%), and Kansas City (3.7%). In contrast, Boston saw a modest decline of 3.7%, ranking lowest in the Northeast and second to last nationally behind Denver, which declined 4%.

Boston’s inventory reached 6,572 active listings in February, and inventory increased 3.2%, signaling modest growth.

Boston’s active listings totaled 6,572 in February, up 3.2% year over year, but that is more than 10% lower compared to September 2025. The growth, although positive, is at its lowest growth rate since December 2024. As more sellers returned to the market, widespread inventory gains point to more balanced supply conditions locally.

Inventory growth occurred in only one housing type. Condo listings rose by 13.4%, while detached and attached listings decreased by 4.2% and 9.3%, respectively. Condo homes accounted for the largest share of listings (3,037) and experienced the fastest growth, indicating improving availability among more affordable property types.

Inventory growth extended across most of the country. Large markets that recorded particularly strong inventory growth over the past year included Raleigh (24.9%), Washington, D.C. (24.8%), and Detroit (24.4%). However, inventory only increased 3.2% in Boston, ranking 35th out of the 40 U.S. markets and lowest in the Northeast.

Boston recorded close to 1,800 sales in February, an 8.5% year-over-year decline, with roughly 170 fewer closings than last February.

Boston home sales totaled 1,796 in February, down 8.5% from a year earlier and 35% lower than five years ago. February sales continued to decrease yearly, with no more than 2,000 sales recorded since 2022. Transaction volumes have remained subdued, reflecting ongoing affordability constraints and cautious buyer behavior.

Home sales fell across all property types. Condo sales were down 1.5%, detached home sales were down 10.1% and attached home sales posted the steepest year-over-year decline at 33.3%. Detached homes continued to account for most transactions (1,049 sales), but sharper pullbacks in the typically more affordable townhome and condo segments indicated weaker demand.

Home sales activity weakened across much of the country, including Boston, which declined 8.5%. However, some faster growing markets particularly in the sun belt region saw larger declines including Houston (9.0%), Charlotte (10.3%), Dallas-Fort Worth (12.6%), and Philadelphia (14.1%) in the Northeast.

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 February 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.

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.