Peabody vs. Danvers, MA: Which Is the Better Buy for You?
Two neighbors built around Route 1, 128, and 95, with medians $27,000 apart through August 2026. How Peabody and Danvers compare for buyers who drive to work.
Salem & the North Shore · Town guide
Living in Peabody, MA.
A larger suburban city with a wide range of housing, from older neighborhoods near downtown to newer subdivisions, and quick access to Routes 1, 128, and 114.
Peabody at a glance
- Median single-family
- $720,000
- ▲ 2.9% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $469,900
- ▼ 0.1% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 28
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 102.4%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $9.47
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 55,418
- 2024 Census estimate, +1.7% since 2020
- To Boston
- 13 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- No MBTA rail station in town
Peabody market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $720,000 | $469,900 |
| Change vs. last year | ▲ 2.9% | ▼ 0.1% |
| Sales closed | 169 | 63 |
| Median days on market | 28 | 31 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 102.4% | 100.6% |
| For sale at month end | 34 | 8 |
| Months of supply | 1.6 | 1.1 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Peabody 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 Peabody compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peabody | $720,000 ▲ 2.9% | $469,900 | 28 | $9.47 |
| Salem | $720,000 ▼ 0.7% | $510,000 | 34 | $10.78 |
| Danvers | $747,000 ▲ 3.4% | $520,000 | 23 | $10.65 |
| Beverly | $834,500 ▲ 10.7% | $495,000 | 30 | $10.81 |
| Swampscott | $862,875 ▼ 2.9% | $510,000 | 41 | $12.00 |
| 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 Peabody.
What is it like to live in Peabody?
Peabody is the North Shore's crossroads. Route 1, Route 128, Route 114, and I-95 all touch it, which makes it one of the most convenient places to live if you drive to work. It's big enough that 'Peabody' covers very different settings, from Peabody Square downtown to the more suburban West Peabody.
It's a strong upsizing market for buyers coming from Lynn, Salem, or closer to Boston who want more space and highway access.
What are Peabody's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown / Peabody Square | Older homes and multifamilies near the city center | Lower entry prices and walkability |
| South Peabody | Established neighborhoods between downtown and the Lynnfield line | A mix of capes, colonials, and ranches |
| West Peabody | Suburban neighborhoods west of Route 1 and 128 | Newer single-families and more yard |
| Near the Northshore Mall | Condos and homes close to retail and the highways | Convenience above all |
What does housing look like in Peabody?
Peabody is mostly single-family, with capes, ranches, colonials, and split-levels from the mid-20th century onward, plus condo communities and multifamilies near downtown. It had more single-family sales than most North Shore towns in 2026, which gives buyers more choice at any moment.
How is the commute from Peabody to Boston?
Peabody has no MBTA rail station. Residents who take the train usually drive to Salem or another nearby station. For drivers, Route 1, 128, 114, and I-95 are minutes away from most neighborhoods.
Where do people spend time in Peabody?
- Brooksby Farm, a city-owned farm with seasonal picking
- The Independence Greenway trail
- Northshore Mall and the Route 1 retail corridor
- Peabody Square downtown
What should buyers and sellers know about Peabody?
- Peabody has its own municipal electric utility. Compare actual bills for the house you're considering.
- Highway convenience cuts both ways: check traffic noise on streets close to Route 1 and 128.
- West Peabody and downtown Peabody are different markets. Compare within the neighborhood.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (Peabody Public Schools).
Questions people actually ask.
Does Peabody have a train station?
No. Peabody has no MBTA commuter rail station; residents usually drive to Salem or another nearby station.
Is Peabody or Danvers a better buy?
They're close in price and both built around highway access. I compared them in Peabody vs. Danvers.
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Peabody home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Peabody'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 Peabody
Three ways to start.
Buy in Peabody
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Peabody
A price grounded in Peabody sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Peabody
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Peabody.
What is the median home price in Peabody, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Peabody was $720,000 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $700,000 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $469,900. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Peabody?
Single-family homes that sold in Peabody during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 28 days on market and sold for 102.4% of their original list price on average, according to MAR.
What is the property tax rate in Peabody, MA?
Peabody's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $9.47 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 $6,820 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there a train from Peabody to Boston?
There's no MBTA rail station in Peabody. It's about 13 miles from Boston in a straight line; most residents drive or use a station in a nearby town.
Reading about Peabody.
MLS listings
Peabody homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Peabody, 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 Peabody search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Peabody?
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 Peabody specifically.
More Salem & the North Shore towns
- Salem
- Beverly
- Marblehead
- Swampscott
- Danvers
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- Saugus
- Gloucester
- Nahant
- Hamilton
- Wenham
- Ipswich
- 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.