Massachusetts
These Massachusetts maps show where median home prices have risen (and fallen) the most – The Boston Globe
Home prices have continued to rise across the state over the past five years, but popular destinations for warm beach days have been on a blazing hot streak.
Communities on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket top the list of places where median sale prices for single-family homes have soared the most, according to data from The Warren Group, a real estate information firm. Coastal regions are home to 13 of the 20 towns with the sharpest growth in prices between 2019 and 2024, when looking at places with 50 or more sales in 2024.
Topping the list are Cotuit and Osterville, charming and relatively non-touristy villages within the town of Barnstable. In both villages, the median price of a single-family home more than doubled over the past five years, hitting $907,500 in Cotuit and $1.2 million in Osterville.
Rising prices have hit less high-end coastal towns as well: Dennis, Yarmouth, and the Barnstable villages of Hyannis and Marstons Mills all saw notable increases. In each of those communities, however, the median sale price is still below $700,000, which might even qualify as a bargain in the Cape’s real estate environment.
On Nantucket, the median home sale came in at more than $2.8 million last year. It’s hard to believe, but prices on the island keep getting more expensive: Nantucket saw an 87.5 percent increase in its median sale price, compared with five years ago.
How did we get here?
The story of coastal Massachusetts real estate exemplifies the recent dynamics of the state as a whole. Prices began their steep ascent during a market frenzy in 2020, when COVID lockdowns prompted people to look for a little room to breathe while they were stuck at home. Mortgage rates below 4 percent helped even a big purchase make financial sense, says Todd Machnik, president of the Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors. Then, even when lockdowns loosened, prices remained stubbornly high because of a lack of supply, Machnik says. There is little new housing being built in the region, and interest rates that have been stuck above 6 percent since fall of 2022 have made homeowners reluctant to list their properties and look for others.
“There was really no way to replenish the inventory,” Machnik says.
Of course, surging prices aren’t limited to the Cape and Islands, as other high increases are spread out across the state. Many of these are towns with lower prices that have gained popularity as buyers seek out affordable options in a market that has flummoxed many would-be homeowners. In rural Athol, the median price was $320,000 last year, up more than 88 percent from five years earlier. Prices in the former factory cities of Lawrence and Springfield, meanwhile, rose nearly 70 percent, landing at medians of $500,000 and $280,000, respectively.
What now?
Current conditions suggest high prices aren’t going away. In some Massachusetts places, prices continued to climb sharply last year. Seven towns — from Monson out toward the west to Merrimac in the northeastern corner — saw a bump of over 20 percent between 2023 and 2024. In Medfield, Newburyport, and Norwell, the median home price crossed the $1 million mark for the first time last year.
At the same time, market conditions do not seem to augur widespread price drops. In March, there was only 1.4 months’ worth of housing inventory on sale across the state, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Anything less than a six-month supply is widely understood to tip the market to sellers’ highly-priced advantage.
For some Massachusetts communities, however, the trend of annual price increases surprisingly reversed in 2024. In 33 communities, the median price fell in 2024 compared with 2023, dropping anywhere from 0.1 percent in Lexington to 12.7 percent in Lynnfield. These declines could be an early signal of a more even future for home prices, says Sarah Gustafson, president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. She cautions the variations between towns mean buyers and sellers need to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the individual markets they’re interested in.
“Prices are starting to stabilize a little bit overall as a state, and that’s a good sign,” she says. “But understanding of the market is going to be very important for people as we are coming into [spring] 2025.”
Sarah Shemkus is a regular contributor to The Globe Magazine. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.
Two people were seriously injured in a stabbing at the Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods manufacturing facility in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning.
Haverhill police said they responded to the Cedar’s plan on Foundation Avenue around 10:30 a.m. for a report of a disturbance involving a weapon. When they arrived, they found two people suffering from apparent stab wounds.
Both people were provided with medical assistance on scene and taken to area hospitals with what police described as serious injuries. Their names have not been released, and no update on their conditions was immediately available.
Preliminary investigation determined that the two people knew each other, and police said there is no ongoing threat to the public. They said their investigation into the incident remains active.
Two Plymouth, Massachusetts teens were saved from the summit of Mount Washington after a leg injury stranded them.
Khang Nguyen,17, said he and his friend, 18-year-old Vaughn Webb, thought they were well prepared for their hike on Saturday. They brought trekking poles, layers, microspikes for their boots and more.
But halfway up the trail, Nguyen feared the worst when his leg began to hurt.
“It was just incredibly painful to lift up my right leg,” he explained. “I told [Vaughn] to leave me behind so I could go on my own pace and for him to reach the summit to get help at first.”
The pair managed to reach the top of the mountain but had to seek shelter next to a building as wind gusts increased, and the air temperature reached 38 degrees. Nguyen said they also ran out of food and water. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department received the 911 call around 7:30 p.m. and quickly alerted a State Park employee who began to search for the two teens.
“Conservation Officers then began responding in four-wheel-drive pickup trucks to try and get to the summit and back ahead of incoming snow,” the game department said in a statement.
After around 30 minutes of reaching both Webb and Nguyen were found. They were taken inside a building and Nguyen was being treated for his injury.
“The worker that was up there, [said] that they came in record time, and we appreciate their help a lot. It saved our lives potentially,” Nguyen explained.
The pair was successfully taken off the mountain by 10 p.m. The two teens are now safely back in Massachusetts and are incredibly grateful to their rescuers.
As libraries across western Massachusetts celebrate National Library Week from April 19 to April 25, they are honoring “the last real third space where everyone is welcome,” in the words of Greenfield Public Library Assistant Director Lisa Prolman.
According to the American Library Association, National Library Week is “an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries and library professionals play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.” This year, several libraries in the region will be hosting events to highlight the roles they play in their communities.
The Athol Public Library is among the venues engaging in National Library Week festivities, with a whole host of events starting on Tuesday, April 21, with Silly Goose Story Time at 10:30 a.m. The library will hold multiple events each day, including “Free Book Friday” on April 24, which Assistant Director Robin Shtulman said is “really fantastic.”
Shtulman said the week celebrates and emphasizes the “freedom to read, community outreach and celebrating the staff, without whom nothing would happen.”
The Athol Public Library said in an event announcement that “whatever brings you joy, the library has something for everyone,” and that aspect is being emphasized this National Library Week. To name a few of the events on tap, on Tuesday, April 21, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., there’s a volunteer opportunity where teens will make greeting cards for senior citizens; “A Minecraft Movie” will be shown at the same date and time; and on Thursday, April 23, the library will host Scavenger Hunt Bingo for all ages. For a full list of events at the Athol Public Library, visit atholpubliclibrary.com.
In Shelburne Falls, the Arms Library will feature a gallery from the Carlos Heiligmann Collection, a series of photos of public libraries across western Massachusetts. Also in collaboration with the Arms Library, Pothole Pictures and the Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club will partner for a screening of “Free For All: The Public Library” on Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. at the Shelburne Falls Theater at Memorial Hall.
The documentary focuses on the evolution of the public library from its origins in the 19th century and the challenges it faces today, with modern-day issues such as book bans, funding cuts and debates over censorship.
It also explores the role that women’s clubs, like the one in Shelburne Falls, played in creating the modern library system. To serve their communities, women’s clubs took the lead in fundraising, collecting books and advocating for library legislation.
“Our women’s club in this town started with a group of 60 women who were gathering for lessons. … Because of the support of women in the U.S., we established over 80% of the public libraries [in the country],” said Christin Couture, program chair for the Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club. “This film … I hear it’s so fascinating.”
Following the film’s screening, there will be a panel of local librarians who will engage in “lively conversation” about the history and future of public libraries. Tickets are $6, though school-age children will be admitted for free.
In Charlemont, Tyler Memorial Library will host an open house on Saturday, April 25, from noon to 2 p.m. featuring refreshments, a tour of the library and sun catcher crafting.
The Greenfield Public Library, meanwhile, is taking National Library Week in a bit of a different direction, as it is offering a book repair demonstration with Tom Hutcheson on Thursday, April 23, at 3:30 p.m. The day marks William Shakespeare’s birthday.
Although the book repair session required registration and is currently full, those who are interested may be placed on a waiting list at greenfieldpl.libcal.com/event/16460179.
Greenfield Public Library Director Anna Bognolo recognized the hard work that everyone has put into making the library a success, offering a “huge thank you” to the volunteers and staff who make its varied offerings possible.
“Stop by and support your library,” Bognolo said.
“Libraries, especially in this economy, are more important than ever,” Prolman said. Referencing the library’s role as a place where community members can go that is not work or home, she added, “They are the last real third space where everyone is welcome, and we don’t charge you for being here.”
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