Essex County, MA Average Home Price (2026)
The average home price in Essex County, Massachusetts is about $774,000 (the 2026 median across 43 ZIP codes, at ~$408/sq ft) — 25% more expensive than the Massachusetts median and 168% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.
How Essex County compares
Essex County is relatively expensive for housing nationally: its typical home costs $774,000 against $617,000 for Massachusetts and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $391,000 to $1,600,000.
| Area | Typical value | $ / sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Essex County | $774,000 | $408 |
| Massachusetts | $617,000 | $355 |
| United States | $289,000 | $193 |
Cities in Essex County
Cities with their own home-value page, largest first:
Essex County home prices by ZIP code
The 15 most valuable ZIP codes in Essex County (of 43 with data):
| ZIP code | Typical value | $ / sq ft | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01965 Prides Crossing | $1,600,000 | $842 | +107% |
| 01944 Manchester | $1,385,000 | $607 | +79% |
| 01940 Lynnfield | $1,077,000 | $422 | +39% |
| 01984 Wenham | $1,066,000 | $417 | +38% |
| 01921 Boxford | $1,054,000 | $388 | +36% |
| 01945 Marblehead | $1,045,000 | $595 | +35% |
| 01951 Newbury | $993,000 | $546 | +28% |
| 01810 Andover | $988,000 | $427 | +28% |
| 01983 Topsfield | $969,000 | $387 | +25% |
| 01908 Nahant | $962,000 | $609 | +24% |
| 01985 West Newbury | $938,000 | $327 | +21% |
| 01950 Newburyport | $933,000 | $641 | +21% |
| 01929 Essex | $901,000 | $529 | +16% |
| 01982 Hamilton | $879,000 | $438 | +14% |
| 01949 Middleton | $878,000 | $415 | +13% |
Home value appreciation in Essex County
Home prices in Essex County have risen about 92% over the last 10 years (≈6.7% a year) and +75.3% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +4.8% — still rising. A home worth $774,000 today was worth roughly $403,125 ten years ago.
See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, Massachusetts is +87.1% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.
Calculators for Essex County
Run the numbers for Essex County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.
Salary needed to buy a home in Essex County
To buy the typical $774,000 home in Essex County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $211,000 a year (about $4,910 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $250,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.
| Down payment | Cash down | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (+PMI) | $38,700 | $6,110/mo | $262,000/yr |
| 10% (+PMI) | $77,400 | $5,840/mo | $250,000/yr |
| 20% | $154,800 | $4,910/mo | $211,000/yr |
Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.
What your budget buys in Essex County
At about $408 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Essex County:
| Budget | Approx. size | What that looks like locally |
|---|---|---|
| $400k | 980 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $500k | 1230 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $600k | 1470 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $750k | 1840 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $1.00M | 2450 sq ft | around the typical home here |
Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to Massachusetts.
Estimate a specific home in Essex County
Enter your ZIP and size for an instant estimate tailored to your exact area:
Essex County home prices: frequently asked
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Browse all Massachusetts cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.
Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.