Salem & the North Shore · Town guide
Living in Saugus, MA.
A practical town on Route 1 with a national historic site, a large state reservation, and single-family prices below most of its North Shore neighbors.
Saugus at a glance
- Median single-family
- $700,000
- ▼ 1.4% vs. last year
- Median condo
- $569,000
- ▲ 13.8% vs. last year
- Days on market
- 29
- single-family, year to date
- Sale vs. original list
- 101.4%
- single-family, year to date
- Residential tax rate
- $10.42
- per $1,000, FY2026
- Population
- 29,029
- 2024 Census estimate, +1.5% since 2020
- To Boston
- 8 mi
- straight line to City Hall
- MBTA rail & ferry
- No MBTA rail station in town
Saugus market · August 2026 year to date
The numbers, before the opinions.
| Measure | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $700,000 | $569,000 |
| Change vs. last year | ▼ 1.4% | ▲ 13.8% |
| Sales closed | 120 | 28 |
| Median days on market | 29 | 35 |
| Sale price vs. original list | 101.4% | 98.7% |
| For sale at month end | 33 | 6 |
| Months of supply | 2.0 | 1.5 |
Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, Saugus 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 Saugus compare with nearby towns?
| Town | Median single-family | Median condo | Days on market | Tax rate (FY2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus | $700,000 ▼ 1.4% | $569,000 | 29 | $10.42 |
| Melrose | $989,370 ▼ 1.1% | $550,000 | 23 | $11.47 |
| Lynn | $580,000 ▼ 3.3% | $385,500 | 37 | $10.30 |
| Revere | $652,500 ▼ 3.3% | $450,000 | 37 | $8.94 |
| Malden | $725,000 ▲ 0.7% | $430,000 | 35 | $11.40 |
| Wakefield | $865,000 ▲ 0.9% | $649,500 | 31 | $11.74 |
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 Saugus.
What is it like to live in Saugus?
Saugus is best known for the Route 1 commercial strip, but most of the town is residential neighborhoods tucked away from it. It's close to Boston by car, has Breakheart Reservation's woods and ponds, and is home to the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.
It tends to attract buyers who want a single-family home and a short drive to Boston without Lynnfield or Wakefield prices.
What are Saugus's neighborhoods like?
A quick orientation, not a ranking:
| Area | What it's like | Worth a look if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Saugus Center | Town center with older homes and the town hall | A central, established neighborhood |
| Cliftondale | A village square with homes nearby | A small neighborhood center |
| East Saugus | Residential streets toward Lynn and the Saugus River | Proximity to Lynn and Revere |
| North Saugus | Suburban neighborhoods near Breakheart | More space and access to trails |
What does housing look like in Saugus?
Saugus is mostly single-family, with capes, ranches, and colonials, plus condo complexes and some multifamilies. Homes near Route 1 trade differently from those in quieter neighborhoods.
How is the commute from Saugus to Boston?
Saugus has no MBTA rail station. Route 1 runs straight toward Boston and I-95/128 is close by. Train commuters typically use stations in neighboring cities.
Where do people spend time in Saugus?
- Breakheart Reservation
- Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
- The Route 1 restaurant and retail corridor
What should buyers and sellers know about Saugus?
- Route 1 traffic and noise matter for homes close to it.
- Low-lying areas near the Saugus River and marshes can be in flood zones.
- The median was roughly flat in 2026; well-priced homes still move.
For public school information, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school and district profiles (Saugus Public Schools).
Questions people actually ask.
Is Saugus a good place to buy?
For buyers who want a single-family near Boston by car at a lower median than many neighbors, it's worth a look. Each neighborhood differs.
Does Saugus have a train?
No MBTA rail station. Most residents drive; Route 1 leads directly toward Boston.
Monthly cost calculator
What would a Saugus home cost per month?
Pre-filled with Saugus'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 Saugus
Three ways to start.
Buy in Saugus
What homes here actually sell for, what they cost to own, and an offer strategy you can defend.
Buying with XavierSell in Saugus
A price grounded in Saugus sales, a plan for what to fix, and a clear read on every offer.
Get a home valuationInvest in Saugus
Two- and three-families run as numbers: rents, expenses, financing, and condition.
Multifamily & investingQuick answers about Saugus.
What is the median home price in Saugus, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Saugus was $700,000 for August 2026 year to date, compared with $710,000 for the same period a year earlier. The median condo sold for $569,000. Source: Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MLS PIN data).
How fast are homes selling in Saugus?
Single-family homes that sold in Saugus during August 2026 year to date spent a median of about 29 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 Saugus, MA?
Saugus's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $10.42 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 $7,290 a year; your actual bill depends on the assessed value.
Is there a train from Saugus to Boston?
There's no MBTA rail station in Saugus. It's about 8 miles from Boston in a straight line; most residents drive or use a station in a nearby town.
MLS listings
Saugus homes for sale right now.
Active and coming-soon listings in Saugus, 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 Saugus search in a new tab (opens in a new tab). Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Buying or selling here?
Interested in Saugus?
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 Saugus specifically.
More Salem & the North Shore towns
- Salem
- Beverly
- Marblehead
- Swampscott
- Peabody
- Danvers
- Lynn
- Lynnfield
- 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.