Salem vs. Beverly, MA: Which One Fits You?
Two neighboring cities, one bridge apart, with a $114,500 gap in median single-family price through August 2026. How Salem and Beverly compare on price, housing, commute, and feel.
Salem & the North Shore · Town guide
Living in Beverly, MA.
A coastal city of distinct neighborhoods, from downtown and the waterfront to quieter streets farther out, with commuter rail service to Boston.
Beverly at a glance
- Median single-family
- $834,500
- ▲ 10.7% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $495,000
- ▲ 10.2% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 30
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 103.4%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $10.81
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 43,223
- 2024 Census estimate, +1.3% since 2020
- To Boston
- 16 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- Commuter rail
Beverly market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $834,500 | $495,000 |
| Change vs. last year | ▲ 10.7% | ▲ 10.2% |
| Sales closed | 148 | 57 |
| Median days on market | 30 | 44 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 103.4% | 100.2% |
| For sale at month end | 34 | 19 |
| Months of supply | 1.7 | 1.9 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Beverly Local Market Update (PDF, opens in a new tab) (MLS PIN data). Year-to-date figures except homes for sale and months of supply, which are for the latest month. A town median is a starting point; the right price is street by street.
Side by side · August 2026 year to date
How does Beverly compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly | $834,500 ▲ 10.7% | $495,000 | 30 | $10.81 |
| Salem | $720,000 ▼ 0.7% | $510,000 | 34 | $10.78 |
| Peabody | $720,000 ▲ 2.9% | $469,900 | 28 | $9.47 |
| Danvers | $747,000 ▲ 3.4% | $520,000 | 23 | $10.65 |
| Marblehead | $1,135,000 ▲ 13.1% | $635,000 | 32 | $8.56 |
| Wenham | $1,302,500 ▲ 23.9% | $1,460,000 | 58 | $15.99 |
Year-to-date medians from each town's MAR Local Market Update; tax rates per $1,000 from the Mass. Division of Local Services. Nearby = closest town centers among the towns I cover.
Town guide
What it's like to live in Beverly.
What is it like to live in Beverly?
Beverly is a real city that doesn't feel like one once you leave downtown. Cabot Street has restaurants, a performing-arts scene, and the train. A few minutes away you're in quiet residential neighborhoods, and farther north along the water, Prides Crossing and Beverly Farms feel like a different town entirely.
It's a strong fit if you want city services and a commuter rail option without living in a dense city, and if you'd rather have more single-family choice than Salem next door usually offers.
What are Beverly's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown / Cabot Street | Walkable, restaurants and theaters, near Beverly Depot | Walking to dinner and the train |
| The Cove & Ryal Side | Established residential streets near the water and the Danvers River | A neighborhood feel close to downtown |
| Centerville & North Beverly | More suburban, closer to Route 128 and retail | Space and quick highway access |
| Beverly Farms & Prides Crossing | Village centers, larger properties, historic estates along the coast | Privacy and the high end of the market |
What does housing look like in Beverly?
Beverly has more single-family housing than Salem, from older colonials and capes near downtown to larger homes on bigger lots toward the northern villages. There are condos downtown and along the Route 1A and 128 corridors, and a steady supply of two-families in the older neighborhoods.
Price varies sharply by neighborhood. A home in Beverly Farms and a home near the Cove are both 'Beverly single-families,' and they don't trade in the same range.
How is the commute from Beverly to Boston?
Beverly has five MBTA commuter rail stops on the Newburyport/Rockport Line into North Station: Beverly Depot downtown, plus Montserrat, North Beverly, Beverly Farms, and Prides Crossing. Route 128 runs through the city for drivers. Check the MBTA's current schedules for times from each stop.
Where do people spend time in Beverly?
- Lynch Park and Dane Street Beach on the water
- Downtown's restaurants and performing-arts venues along Cabot Street
- The village centers in Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing
- Endicott College and Montserrat College of Art bring a college-town layer
What should buyers and sellers know about Beverly?
- Parts of Beverly near the coast and the Bass River sit in or near flood zones. Check the FEMA map for any specific address.
- Beverly Regional Airport sits on the Beverly/Danvers line. If quiet matters, check flight paths for the specific street.
- With five rail stops, 'near the train' means different things in different neighborhoods. Map the walk from the actual house.
- The single-family median rose sharply over the past year. Price to the neighborhood, not the headline number.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (Beverly Public Schools).
Questions people actually ask.
Is Beverly or Salem better?
It depends on what you want. Beverly has more single-family neighborhoods and five rail stops; Salem is denser and more walkable, with more condos and multifamilies. I compared them in detail in Salem vs. Beverly.
How many train stations does Beverly have?
Five MBTA commuter rail stops: Beverly Depot, Montserrat, North Beverly, Beverly Farms, and Prides Crossing, all on the Newburyport/Rockport Line.
MBTA stations in Beverly
- Commuter rail: Beverly, Beverly Farms, Montserrat, North Beverly (Newburyport/Rockport Line)
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Beverly home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Beverly's median single-family price and its FY2026 tax rate. Change anything. This is an estimate for planning, not a loan quote.
How I help in Beverly
Three ways to start.
Buy in Beverly
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Beverly
A price grounded in Beverly sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Beverly
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Beverly.
What is the median home price in Beverly, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Beverly was $834,500 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $753,600 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $495,000. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Beverly?
Single-family homes that sold in Beverly during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 30 days on market and sold for 103.4% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Beverly, MA?
Beverly's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $10.81 per $1,000 of assessed value (Massachusetts Division of Local Services). On a home assessed at the median single-family sale price, that's roughly $9,020 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there public transit from Beverly to Boston?
Yes. MBTA service in Beverly: commuter rail: Beverly, Beverly Farms, Montserrat, North Beverly (Newburyport/Rockport Line). Check the MBTA's current schedules for times.
Reading about Beverly.
MLS listings
Beverly homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Beverly, through my Ruuster home search. Save a search to hear about new ones as they come on.
Search provided by Ruuster via HomeBase. Open the full Beverly search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Beverly?
Tell me what you're weighing: a street, a price range, a timeline. I'll send the recent sales that matter and what I'd watch for in Beverly specifically.
More Salem & the North Shore towns
- Salem
- Marblehead
- Swampscott
- Peabody
- Danvers
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- Saugus
- Gloucester
- Nahant
- Hamilton
- Wenham
- Ipswich
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
- All towns
Sources: market figures, Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Local Market Update (data: MLS PIN; © ShowingTime Plus); tax rate, Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Municipal Databank, Tax Rates by Class; population, U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates for cities and towns; stations, MBTA (V3 API); distance, OpenStreetMap Nominatim (town center); miles are straight-line to Boston City Hall. Numbers retrieved 2026-09-25.