Salem & the North Shore · Town guide
Living in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA.
A small, high-end coastal town with Singing Beach, a harbor village, a commuter rail station, and the highest median price of the North Shore towns I cover.
Manchester-by-the-Sea at a glance
- Median single-family
- $1,877,500
- ▲ 42.0% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $830,000
- ▲ 35.5% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 72
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 96.3%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $8.70
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 5,467
- 2024 Census estimate, +1.4% since 2020
- To Boston
- 21 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- Commuter rail
Manchester-by-the-Sea market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,877,500 | $830,000 |
| Change vs. last year | ▲ 42.0% | ▲ 35.5% |
| Sales closed | 30 | 7 |
| Median days on market | 72 | 28 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 96.3% | 99.6% |
| For sale at month end | 15 | 3 |
| Months of supply | 3.8 | 1.9 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Manchester-by-the-Sea 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 Manchester-by-the-Sea compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | $1,877,500 ▲ 42.0% | $830,000 | 72 | $8.70 |
| Hamilton | $850,000 ▼ 10.3% | $806,250 | 27 | $15.04 |
| Beverly | $834,500 ▲ 10.7% | $495,000 | 30 | $10.81 |
| Wenham | $1,302,500 ▲ 23.9% | $1,460,000 | 58 | $15.99 |
| Gloucester | $762,500 ▲ 3.7% | $505,000 | 44 | $9.31 |
| Marblehead | $1,135,000 ▲ 13.1% | $635,000 | 32 | $8.56 |
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 Manchester-by-the-Sea.
What is it like to live in Manchester-by-the-Sea?
Manchester-by-the-Sea is a small, polished harbor town. The village center, the harbor, and Singing Beach are the heart of it, and the commuter rail station sits right in the village.
It has the highest single-family median of the North Shore towns I cover, and very few homes for sale in any year.
What are Manchester-by-the-Sea's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| The village | Walkable center near the harbor, shops, and the train | Walking to everything |
| Near Singing Beach | Streets close to the beach | Beach access |
| Smith's Point & the coast | Waterfront and larger properties | The top of the market |
| Inland roads | Wooded, quieter streets toward Route 128 | Space and privacy |
What does housing look like in Manchester-by-the-Sea?
Manchester is mostly single-family, from village homes on smaller lots to large waterfront estates. Condo options are limited. With so few sales, each comparable matters and the median can move sharply.
How is the commute from Manchester-by-the-Sea to Boston?
Manchester has an MBTA commuter rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line into North Station, in the village. Route 128 is the main road for drivers.
Where do people spend time in Manchester-by-the-Sea?
- Singing Beach
- Masconomo Park and the harbor
- Coolidge Reservation (Trustees)
- The village center's shops and restaurants
What should buyers and sellers know about Manchester-by-the-Sea?
- Coastal properties can be in flood zones; insurance costs matter.
- Beach parking has restrictions; check how residents access it.
- Inventory is very limited. Serious buyers need to move quickly.
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 Manchester-by-the-Sea have a train?
Yes. The Manchester station is on the MBTA's Newburyport/Rockport Line into North Station.
Why is Manchester-by-the-Sea so expensive?
It's a small coastal town with limited inventory and a large share of high-end and waterfront homes, which lifts the median.
MBTA stations in Manchester-by-the-Sea
- Commuter rail: Manchester (Newburyport/Rockport Line)
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Manchester-by-the-Sea home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Manchester-by-the-Sea'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 Manchester-by-the-Sea
Three ways to start.
Buy in Manchester-by-the-Sea
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Manchester-by-the-Sea
A price grounded in Manchester-by-the-Sea sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Manchester-by-the-Sea
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Manchester-by-the-Sea.
What is the median home price in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Manchester-by-the-Sea was $1,877,500 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $1,322,500 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $830,000. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Manchester-by-the-Sea?
Single-family homes that sold in Manchester-by-the-Sea during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 72 days on market and sold for 96.3% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA?
Manchester-by-the-Sea's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $8.70 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 $16,330 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there public transit from Manchester-by-the-Sea to Boston?
Yes. MBTA service in Manchester-by-the-Sea: commuter rail: Manchester (Newburyport/Rockport Line). Check the MBTA's current schedules for times.
MLS listings
Manchester-by-the-Sea homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Manchester-by-the-Sea, 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 Manchester-by-the-Sea search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Manchester-by-the-Sea?
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 Manchester-by-the-Sea specifically.
More Salem & the North Shore towns
- Salem
- Beverly
- Marblehead
- Swampscott
- Peabody
- Danvers
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- Saugus
- Gloucester
- Nahant
- Hamilton
- Wenham
- Ipswich
- 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.