North Shore Rent Index · December 2025
Homes take nearly ten days longer to let than last year as rents slip again
Monthly asking rents, supply and time on market across 45 towns and cities on Boston's North Shore. Covers November 2025 data.
- The average asking rent across the Chelworths service area was $2,727 in November 2025, down 0.8% on the month and down 4.9% on November 2024 ($2,867).
- 5,111 rentals were on the market, up 7.8% on a year ago.
- Homes took an average of 34.9 days to let, compared with 33.6 days in October and 25.3 days a year earlier.
“Rents fell for a third month in November, down 0.8% to $2,727. Across the year the average is down 4.9%, and there are 7.8% more homes on the market than last November.”
“Homes are taking longer to let as the season slows. The average was 34.9 days, nearly ten days more than a year ago, and two bedroom homes are down 2.7% on the year.”
“Landlords with a lease ending over the winter should think about renewals early. Keeping a good tenant in place through the quietest months is usually worth more than a small rent increase.”
Average asking rent, November 2025
Change on the previous month and the same month last year
-4.9% on year
n/a on year
n/a on year
-2.7% on year
-1.0% on year
+7.8% on year
Market summary
Autumn is typically a quieter period for North Shore lettings. The service area average asking rent fell 0.8% to $2,727 in November 2025, the third consecutive monthly fall. This is the lowest average in the 13 months tracked. Compared with November 2024, rents are down 4.9%.
Active listings fell 0.8% on the month to 5,111, 7.8% higher than in November 2024. Homes took 34.9 days to let on average, up from 33.6 days in October, and slower than a year ago (25.3 days).
By size, two bedroom homes saw the largest annual fall (-2.7% to $2,876), while three bedroom homes held up best (-1.0% to $3,336). Two bedroom homes, the largest segment with 1,910 listings, averaged $2,876 (-2.7% on the year) and took 30.1 days to let, against 23.9 days a year ago. Studios were the slowest to let at 52.5 days. Annual changes for studios and one bedroom homes are not shown this month, because the source data did not report studios separately before March 2025.
Among towns with at least 10 listings, Salisbury, Swampscott and Nahant recorded the strongest annual growth (+11.7%, +6.7%, +4.0%). The largest falls were in Marblehead, Danvers and North Andover (-19.9%, -16.5%, -13.5%).
The five largest rental markets, Malden, Everett, Revere, Chelsea and Lynn, account for 49% of listings in the service area. Of towns with 30 or more listings, homes let fastest in North Reading, Lynnfield and Amesbury (13, 16, 20 days) and slowest in Marblehead, Newburyport and Winthrop. Haverhill, Lynn and Methuen remain the most affordable markets, with average asking rents from $2,149.
Average asking rent
All property types, service area, Nov 24 to Nov 25
Average asking rent by bedrooms
Studio, one, two and three bedroom homes. Studios were not reported separately before March 2025
Active rental listings
Homes on the market each month. Source coverage was lower from Dec 2024 to Feb 2025
Time to let
Average days on market for active listings
Town by town
Where the rentals are
Average monthly active listings, Dec 24 to Nov 25, 20 largest markets
Days on market by town
Average days on market, November 2025, towns with 30 or more listings
Annual change in asking rent
Nov 25 vs Nov 24. Towns with fewer than 10 listings are excluded
All towns, November 2025
Average asking rent, change, rent by bedrooms, listings and days on market. * fewer than 10 listings, treat with caution. Bedroom rents with fewer than 3 listings are not shown.
| Town | Avg rent | Month | Year | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | Listings | 12-mo avg listings | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amesbury | $2,829 | +1.2% | +0.1% | – | $2,791 | $2,716 | – | 46 | 32 | 20 |
| Andover | $2,925 | +2.5% | -3.4% | $1,794 | $2,312 | $3,053 | $4,040 | 171 | 156 | 24 |
| Beverly | $2,639 | -0.9% | -5.0% | $1,950 | $2,196 | $2,778 | $3,692 | 161 | 125 | 40 |
| Boxford* | $5,325 | +77.5% | +26.0% | – | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Byfield* | $3,122 | +11.5% | n/a | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Chelsea | $2,572 | -0.0% | -7.8% | $1,974 | $2,457 | $2,903 | $3,143 | 481 | 413 | 31 |
| Danvers | $2,748 | -2.0% | -16.5% | $1,467 | $2,371 | $2,848 | $3,361 | 124 | 95 | 40 |
| Essex* | $3,033 | +25.7% | +4.4% | – | $2,050 | – | – | 6 | 5 | 29 |
| Everett | $2,818 | +1.4% | -4.3% | $2,498 | $2,546 | $2,984 | $3,054 | 418 | 483 | 27 |
| Georgetown* | $2,212 | 0.0% | -6.7% | – | – | $2,083 | – | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Gloucester | $3,120 | -4.7% | -5.9% | – | $1,998 | $2,539 | $3,463 | 86 | 77 | 47 |
| Groveland* | $2,725 | +9.9% | -1.5% | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 29 |
| Hamilton* | $3,275 | -28.6% | -14.7% | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 60 |
| Haverhill | $2,149 | -1.0% | -6.4% | $1,799 | $1,897 | $2,306 | $2,553 | 273 | 207 | 37 |
| Ipswich | $3,097 | -2.1% | +1.8% | – | – | $2,912 | $3,685 | 19 | 15 | 56 |
| Lawrence | $2,456 | -1.7% | +0.4% | $1,928 | $2,089 | $2,638 | $2,784 | 231 | 203 | 26 |
| Lynn | $2,326 | +0.2% | -5.2% | $1,670 | $2,074 | $2,558 | $2,971 | 486 | 365 | 45 |
| Lynnfield | $3,386 | -5.2% | +1.9% | – | $2,912 | $3,554 | – | 33 | 33 | 16 |
| Malden | $2,855 | -0.2% | +1.5% | $2,136 | $2,487 | $2,981 | $3,268 | 423 | 508 | 31 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | $4,266 | -3.4% | -3.1% | – | $2,912 | $3,658 | $4,511 | 29 | 19 | 72 |
| Marblehead | $3,008 | -11.1% | -19.9% | – | $2,366 | $2,832 | $4,318 | 67 | 54 | 62 |
| Melrose | $2,977 | -3.4% | -1.6% | $2,364 | $2,588 | $3,090 | $3,898 | 186 | 190 | 24 |
| Merrimac* | $2,675 | -4.8% | +0.5% | – | – | $2,679 | – | 8 | 3 | 62 |
| Methuen | $2,409 | +2.8% | -6.4% | $2,348 | $2,053 | $2,478 | $3,062 | 85 | 78 | 46 |
| Middleton | $3,040 | -4.5% | -2.5% | – | – | $3,580 | $3,100 | 10 | 5 | 40 |
| Nahant | $2,721 | -0.1% | +4.0% | – | $2,119 | $3,108 | $3,283 | 17 | 10 | 64 |
| Newbury | $3,271 | -13.9% | -0.1% | – | – | $2,483 | $3,354 | 19 | 12 | 79 |
| Newburyport | $3,000 | -9.7% | +1.9% | – | $2,206 | $3,232 | $3,750 | 57 | 43 | 55 |
| North Andover | $2,624 | -1.5% | -13.5% | $2,039 | $2,254 | $2,501 | $2,875 | 65 | 37 | 43 |
| North Reading | $2,736 | +3.5% | +1.1% | – | $2,200 | $2,909 | – | 56 | 48 | 13 |
| Peabody | $2,804 | -0.2% | -6.0% | $1,835 | $2,524 | $2,844 | $3,524 | 190 | 175 | 21 |
| Reading | $2,873 | +0.0% | -9.2% | $1,788 | $2,040 | $2,543 | $3,497 | 27 | 27 | 31 |
| Revere | $2,812 | -0.2% | -4.9% | $2,174 | $2,482 | $3,135 | $3,646 | 530 | 478 | 32 |
| Rockport | $2,767 | -4.8% | -5.1% | – | $2,382 | $2,853 | $3,325 | 34 | 26 | 43 |
| Rowley* | $3,270 | +6.1% | +64.0% | – | – | $2,117 | – | 5 | 4 | 26 |
| Salem | $2,770 | -0.2% | +0.6% | $1,824 | $2,318 | $2,969 | $3,143 | 280 | 269 | 43 |
| Salisbury | $2,644 | -2.0% | +11.7% | – | $2,076 | $2,486 | $2,947 | 22 | 19 | 43 |
| Saugus | $2,800 | -2.5% | -2.5% | $2,108 | $2,420 | $3,015 | $3,775 | 79 | 72 | 37 |
| Stoneham | $3,112 | +0.1% | -3.5% | $2,179 | $2,776 | $3,278 | $3,261 | 82 | 76 | 40 |
| Swampscott | $3,364 | +1.4% | +6.7% | – | $2,733 | $3,161 | $4,873 | 76 | 67 | 28 |
| Topsfield* | $2,350 | -1.1% | -46.6% | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 32 |
| Wakefield | $2,834 | -2.2% | -5.5% | $2,091 | $2,396 | $2,839 | $3,414 | 98 | 79 | 39 |
| Wenham* | $2,900 | 0.0% | n/a | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 35 |
| West Newbury* | $5,375 | +17.2% | +86.4% | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| Winthrop | $2,832 | -1.3% | +1.7% | $1,727 | $2,113 | $2,720 | $3,613 | 110 | 93 | 48 |
| Service area | $2,727 | -0.8% | -4.9% | $2,030 | $2,348 | $2,876 | $3,336 | 5,111 | 4,616 | 35 |
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About the North Shore Rent Index
The index is published monthly by Chelworths Property Management Group. The December 2025 edition covers November 2025 data and compares it with the previous 12 months. Figures are based on active residential rental listings from RentCast across 52 ZIP codes in 45 towns and cities in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk counties.
Rents are average asking rents, not achieved rents. Service area and town figures are listing-weighted averages across each ZIP code, so larger markets carry more weight. Studio figures are zero bedroom listings. Days on market is the average number of days active listings had been on the market, used here as a measure of time to let. Towns with fewer than 10 active listings are marked * and excluded from town rankings, as small samples can move sharply month to month. Monthly figures may be revised as the source data updates. RentCast did not report studios separately before March 2025 and its listing coverage was lower from December 2024 to February 2025, so annual comparisons that rely on those months are not shown.
This report is general market information and not an appraisal of any individual property. Data retrieved September 16, 2026. © 2025 Chelworths Property Management Group.