Central Massachusetts · Town guide
Living in Gardner, MA.
The 'Chair City,' a small city in north Central Massachusetts with the lowest single-family median of the towns I cover and easy Route 2 access.
Gardner at a glance
- Median single-family
- $380,000
- 0.0% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $272,000
- ▲ 4.6% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 38
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 99.9%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $13.77
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 21,381
- 2024 Census estimate, +0.5% since 2020
- To Boston
- 50 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- No MBTA rail station in town
Gardner market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $380,000 | $272,000 |
| Change vs. last year | 0.0% | ▲ 4.6% |
| Sales closed | 88 | 19 |
| Median days on market | 38 | 37 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 99.9% | 100.3% |
| For sale at month end | 34 | 2 |
| Months of supply | 2.8 | 0.8 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Gardner 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 Gardner compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner | $380,000 0.0% | $272,000 | 38 | $13.77 |
| Fitchburg | $420,000 ▲ 1.2% | $357,250 | 49 | $13.29 |
| Leominster | $487,500 ▲ 1.4% | $299,000 | 38 | $13.66 |
| Holden | $581,950 ▼ 5.4% | $360,000 | 35 | $13.48 |
| Clinton | $525,000 ▲ 14.1% | $415,000 | 29 | $12.98 |
| Worcester | $465,000 ▲ 3.3% | $308,500 | 40 | $13.28 |
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 Gardner.
What is it like to live in Gardner?
Gardner is a small city known for its furniture-making history, with a downtown, Mount Wachusett Community College, and access to Route 2.
It has the lowest single-family median of the towns I cover, which makes it popular with buyers stretching a budget and with investors.
What are Gardner's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | Older homes and multifamilies | City-center value |
| Near Route 2 | Neighborhoods with highway access | Commuting by car |
| Outer neighborhoods | Suburban and rural streets | Space |
What does housing look like in Gardner?
Gardner has older single-families, two- and three-families, and some condos. Condition varies widely.
How is the commute from Gardner to Boston?
Gardner has no MBTA rail station. The Fitchburg Line's Wachusett station is the nearest. Route 2 and Route 140 serve drivers.
Where do people spend time in Gardner?
- Dunn State Park
- Downtown Gardner
- Mount Wachusett Community College
What should buyers and sellers know about Gardner?
- Condition drives value; inspect thoroughly.
- Gardner's residential tax rate is higher than many eastern towns; use the calculator.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (Gardner Public Schools).
Questions people actually ask.
Is Gardner affordable?
It had the lowest single-family median of the towns I cover through August 2026.
Does Gardner have a train?
No. The nearest MBTA commuter rail station is Wachusett in Fitchburg.
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Gardner home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Gardner'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 Gardner
Three ways to start.
Buy in Gardner
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Gardner
A price grounded in Gardner sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Gardner
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Gardner.
What is the median home price in Gardner, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Gardner was $380,000 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $380,000 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $272,000. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Gardner?
Single-family homes that sold in Gardner during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 38 days on market and sold for 99.9% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Gardner, MA?
Gardner's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $13.77 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 $5,230 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there a train from Gardner to Boston?
There's no MBTA rail station in Gardner. It's about 50 miles from Boston in a straight line; most residents drive or use a station in a nearby town.
MLS listings
Gardner homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Gardner, 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 Gardner search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Gardner?
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 Gardner specifically.
More Central Massachusetts towns
- Worcester
- Fitchburg
- Leominster
- Shrewsbury
- Westborough
- Marlborough
- Grafton
- Auburn
- Holden
- Clinton
- Uxbridge
- 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.