Salem & the North Shore · Town guide
Living in Ipswich, MA.
A historic town with one of the largest collections of First Period houses in the country, Crane Beach, a commuter rail station, and a municipal electric utility.
Ipswich at a glance
- Median single-family
- $897,500
- ▼ 3.8% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $675,000
- ▲ 15.4% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 59
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 101.4%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $10.78
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 14,110
- 2024 Census estimate, +2.4% since 2020
- To Boston
- 25 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- Commuter rail
Ipswich market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $897,500 | $675,000 |
| Change vs. last year | ▼ 3.8% | ▲ 15.4% |
| Sales closed | 54 | 31 |
| Median days on market | 59 | 39 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 101.4% | 103.4% |
| For sale at month end | 21 | 16 |
| Months of supply | 2.5 | 3.9 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Ipswich 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 Ipswich compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | $897,500 ▼ 3.8% | $675,000 | 59 | $10.78 |
| Hamilton | $850,000 ▼ 10.3% | $806,250 | 27 | $15.04 |
| Wenham | $1,302,500 ▲ 23.9% | $1,460,000 | 58 | $15.99 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | $1,877,500 ▲ 42.0% | $830,000 | 72 | $8.70 |
| Danvers | $747,000 ▲ 3.4% | $520,000 | 23 | $10.65 |
| Beverly | $834,500 ▲ 10.7% | $495,000 | 30 | $10.81 |
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 Ipswich.
What is it like to live in Ipswich?
Ipswich is historic and outdoorsy. It has a remarkable number of 17th-century 'First Period' houses, a downtown along the Ipswich River, farms, marshes, and Crane Beach and Castle Hill.
It's farther from Boston than the southern North Shore, and it rewards buyers who want space and character.
What are Ipswich's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown & the river | Historic homes, shops, and the train station | Walkability and history |
| Great Neck & Little Neck | Coastal neighborhoods near the water | Water views and beach access |
| Linebrook & the western side | More rural, larger lots | Land and privacy |
What does housing look like in Ipswich?
Ipswich has antique homes, including First Period houses, alongside colonials, capes, and newer homes, plus some condos. Antique homes come with specialized maintenance, and coastal areas may carry flood insurance requirements.
How is the commute from Ipswich to Boston?
Ipswich has an MBTA commuter rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line into North Station. By car, Route 1A and Route 1 lead south to Route 128 and I-95.
Where do people spend time in Ipswich?
- Crane Beach and the Castle Hill estate (Trustees)
- Appleton Farms
- The Ipswich River and downtown
- The town's historic house museums
What should buyers and sellers know about Ipswich?
- Ipswich has its own municipal electric utility. Compare real bills.
- First Period and antique homes need specialized inspections and budgets.
- Coastal and marsh-adjacent areas can be in flood zones.
- Septic systems are common outside the center.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (Ipswich Public Schools).
Questions people actually ask.
Does Ipswich have a train to Boston?
Yes. Ipswich has an MBTA commuter rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line into North Station.
What is a First Period house?
A house built in New England's earliest colonial period, roughly the 1600s to the early 1700s. Ipswich has one of the largest collections in the country.
MBTA stations in Ipswich
- Commuter rail: Ipswich (Newburyport/Rockport Line)
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Ipswich home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Ipswich'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 Ipswich
Three ways to start.
Buy in Ipswich
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Ipswich
A price grounded in Ipswich sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Ipswich
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Ipswich.
What is the median home price in Ipswich, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Ipswich was $897,500 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $932,500 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $675,000. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Ipswich?
Single-family homes that sold in Ipswich during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 59 days on market and sold for 101.4% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Ipswich, MA?
Ipswich's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $10.78 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 $9,680 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there public transit from Ipswich to Boston?
Yes. MBTA service in Ipswich: commuter rail: Ipswich (Newburyport/Rockport Line). Check the MBTA's current schedules for times.
MLS listings
Ipswich homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Ipswich, 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 Ipswich search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Ipswich?
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 Ipswich specifically.
More Salem & the North Shore towns
- Salem
- Beverly
- Marblehead
- Swampscott
- Peabody
- Danvers
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- Saugus
- Gloucester
- Nahant
- Hamilton
- Wenham
- 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.