Greater Boston · Town guide
Living in Melrose, MA.
A leafy, walkable suburb with a lively downtown, three commuter rail stations, Orange Line access at the Malden line, and the Middlesex Fells next door.
Melrose at a glance
- Median single-family
- $989,370
- ▼ 1.1% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $550,000
- ▲ 8.5% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 23
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 107.6%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $11.47
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 29,938
- 2024 Census estimate, +0.4% since 2020
- To Boston
- 7 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- Commuter rail
Melrose market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $989,370 | $550,000 |
| Change vs. last year | ▼ 1.1% | ▲ 8.5% |
| Sales closed | 138 | 43 |
| Median days on market | 23 | 30 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 107.6% | 98.9% |
| For sale at month end | 17 | 13 |
| Months of supply | 1.0 | 2.3 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Melrose 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 Melrose compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose | $989,370 ▼ 1.1% | $550,000 | 23 | $11.47 |
| Malden | $725,000 ▲ 0.7% | $430,000 | 35 | $11.40 |
| Stoneham | $860,000 ▼ 1.1% | $430,000 | 24 | $10.06 |
| Saugus | $700,000 ▼ 1.4% | $569,000 | 29 | $10.42 |
| Everett | $700,000 ▲ 3.3% | $465,000 | 38 | $12.62 |
| Medford | $900,000 ▼ 2.7% | $691,750 | 31 | $8.63 |
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 Melrose.
What is it like to live in Melrose?
Melrose feels like a classic small city: a busy Main Street, Victorian houses, parks, and quick access to Boston. The Middlesex Fells borders the town on the west.
It's one of the most in-demand close-in suburbs north of Boston, and homes often move quickly.
What are Melrose's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown / Main Street | Shops, restaurants, and the commuter rail | Walkability |
| Melrose Highlands | Residential neighborhood with its own rail stop | A quieter feel with rail access |
| Wyoming Hill | Near the southern rail stop and the Fells | Proximity to Malden and the Orange Line |
| East Side | Residential streets toward Saugus and Mount Hood | Space and a golf course nearby |
What does housing look like in Melrose?
Melrose is mostly single-family, with many Victorians, colonials, and capes, plus two-families and condos near downtown.
How is the commute from Melrose to Boston?
Melrose has three commuter rail stations on the Haverhill Line (Wyoming Hill, Melrose/Cedar Park, and Melrose Highlands), and the Orange Line at Oak Grove sits on the Malden line.
Where do people spend time in Melrose?
- The Middlesex Fells
- Main Street's restaurants and shops
- Mount Hood Park and golf course
- Ell Pond
What should buyers and sellers know about Melrose?
- Homes often sell fast; get pre-approved before you tour.
- Victorian homes need a careful look at systems and maintenance history.
- Proximity to the rail stations and Oak Grove affects value.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (Melrose Public Schools).
Questions people actually ask.
Does Melrose have the Orange Line?
Oak Grove, the Orange Line's northern terminal, sits at the Malden/Melrose line. Melrose also has three commuter rail stations.
Is Melrose competitive?
It's one of the more competitive close-in suburbs north of Boston. Days on market and sale-to-list figures on this page show how quickly homes are moving.
MBTA stations in Melrose
- Commuter rail: Melrose Highlands, Melrose/Cedar Park, Wyoming Hill (Haverhill Line)
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Melrose home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Melrose'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 Melrose
Three ways to start.
Buy in Melrose
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Melrose
A price grounded in Melrose sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Melrose
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Melrose.
What is the median home price in Melrose, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Melrose was $989,370 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $1,000,000 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $550,000. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Melrose?
Single-family homes that sold in Melrose during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 23 days on market and sold for 107.6% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Melrose, MA?
Melrose's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $11.47 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 $11,350 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there public transit from Melrose to Boston?
Yes. MBTA service in Melrose: commuter rail: Melrose Highlands, Melrose/Cedar Park, Wyoming Hill (Haverhill Line). Check the MBTA's current schedules for times.
MLS listings
Melrose homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Melrose, 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 Melrose search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Melrose?
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 Melrose specifically.
More Greater Boston towns
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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.