Salem & the North Shore · Town guide
Living in Essex, MA.
A small marsh-and-river town known for wooden shipbuilding, clam shacks and antiques shops, with mostly single-family homes and very few sales in a year.
Essex at a glance
- Median single-family
- $950,000
- ▼ 25.2% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $422,750
- vs. last year
- Days on market
- 39
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 96.9%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $13.04
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 3,760
- 2024 Census estimate, +2.2% since 2020
- To Boston
- 24 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- No MBTA rail station in town
Essex market · September 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $950,000 | $422,750 |
| Change vs. last year | ▼ 25.2% | |
| Sales closed | 25 | 2 |
| Median days on market | 39 | 65 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 96.9% | 89.3% |
| For sale at month end | 5 | 5 |
| Months of supply | 1.7 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Essex 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.
What the numbers mean
Buying or selling in Essex?
By the usual rule of thumb (under about four months of supply favors sellers, over six favors buyers), the Essex single-family market was a strong seller's market, with 1.7 months of supply in the latest MAR report and homes selling for 96.9% of original list price on average. Individual streets, price ranges and property types can behave very differently.
If you're selling in Essex
- In Essex the average single-family sold for 96.9% of its original list price, which means many sellers started too high and came down. Pricing to the comparable sales at launch usually nets more than chasing the market.
- The median single-family home took about 39 days to sell. Plan your next move around that, plus about 30 to 60 days to close.
If you're buying in Essex
- With homes in Essex selling for 96.9% of original list on average, buyers have more room to negotiate, especially on listings that have been sitting. Ask why a home hasn't sold.
- With a median of about 39 days on market, you'll usually have time for a second showing, but not forever.
- Condos in Essex had a median of $422,750 versus $950,000 for single-families. If the single-family budget is a stretch, a condo or a two-family can be a way in.
Side by side · September 2026 year to date
How does Essex compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | $950,000 ▼ 25.2% | $422,750 | 39 | $13.04 |
| Hamilton | $840,000 ▼ 10.2% | $850,000 | 30 | $15.04 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | $1,812,500 ▲ 34.3% | $742,000 | 70 | $8.70 |
| Ipswich | $895,000 ▼ 1.4% | $672,500 | 55 | $10.78 |
| Wenham | $1,235,000 ▲ 17.5% | $1,477,500 | 55 | $15.99 |
| Gloucester | $782,500 ▲ 5.0% | $485,000 | 43 | $9.31 |
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 Essex.
What is it like to live in Essex?
Essex is one of the smallest towns on the North Shore, wrapped around the Essex River and its salt marshes between Gloucester, Ipswich and Manchester-by-the-Sea. It was a center of wooden shipbuilding for centuries, and today Main Street (Route 133) is known for antiques shops and seafood. Outside the center it's quiet, green and rural.
What are Essex's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Essex center and the causeway | Main Street shops, restaurants and the river | Being near the town's center and the water |
| Conomo Point | A waterfront area near the mouth of the river | A coastal, summer-colony setting |
| Outlying roads | Woods, farmland and larger lots | Space and privacy |
What does housing look like in Essex?
Almost all single-family: antique homes, capes and colonials, farmhouses, and some newer homes on larger lots. Condos are rare. Many homes use septic systems and some have private wells, so plan inspections accordingly.
With so few sales, a single sale can move the town median a lot. Look at the specific comparable sales, not just the headline number.
How is the commute from Essex to Boston?
Essex has no train station. Nearby stations include Manchester-by-the-Sea and Hamilton/Wenham. By car, Route 133 and Route 22 connect to Route 128.
Where do people spend time in Essex?
- The Essex Shipbuilding Museum
- The Essex River and its marshes, by kayak or boat
- Cogswell's Grant (Historic New England)
- Main Street's restaurants and antiques shops
What should buyers and sellers know about Essex?
- Septic and wells: budget for Title 5 and water testing.
- Flood zones: low-lying properties near the river and marsh should be checked on FEMA maps.
- Thin inventory: buyers should be ready to move when the right home appears.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (the Manchester Essex Regional School District).
Questions people actually ask.
Does Essex have a train station?
No. The closest stations are in Manchester-by-the-Sea and Hamilton.
Are there condos in Essex?
Very few. Essex is almost entirely single-family.
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Essex home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Essex'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 Essex
Three ways to start.
Buy in Essex
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Essex
A price grounded in Essex sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Essex
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Essex.
What is the median home price in Essex, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Essex was $950,000 for September 2026 year to date, compared with $1,270,000 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $422,750. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Essex?
Single-family homes that sold in Essex during September 2026 year to date spent a median of about 39 days on market and sold for 96.9% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Essex, MA?
Essex's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $13.04 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 $12,390 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Essex, MA?
By the usual rule of thumb (under about four months of supply favors sellers, over six favors buyers), the Essex single-family market was a strong seller's market, with 1.7 months of supply in the latest MAR report and homes selling for 96.9% of original list price on average. Individual streets, price ranges and property types can behave very differently.
Is there a train from Essex to Boston?
There's no MBTA rail station in Essex. It's about 24 miles from Boston in a straight line; most residents drive or use a station in a nearby town.
MLS listings
Essex homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Essex, 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 Essex search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Essex?
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 Essex specifically.
More Salem & the North Shore towns
- Salem
- Beverly
- Marblehead
- Swampscott
- Peabody
- Danvers
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- Saugus
- Gloucester
- Nahant
- Hamilton
- Wenham
- Ipswich
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
- Rockport
- Topsfield
- Middleton
- Boxford
- Rowley
- Georgetown
- Newbury
- West Newbury
- Salisbury
- 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 2026-10-21.