North Shore rents slip to $2,739 in September as listings reach a 12-month high
The October edition of the North Shore Rent Index covers September. The average asking rent across the North Shore was $2,739, down 0.3% from August and 1.8% from a year ago.
Key figures for September
- Average asking rent: $2,739, down 0.3% from August and 1.8% from a year ago.
- Homes on the market: 5,946, up 1.0% from August and 12.4% from a year ago, the most in 12 months.
- Average days on market: 32.6, compared with 31.8 in August and 31.9 a year ago.
- New listings in September: 2,713.
Rents by bedroom count
Studios averaged $2,011, one bedroom homes $2,367, two bedroom homes $2,895 and three bedroom homes $3,275.
Where rents moved most
Over the past year, Andover rose 12.0%, North Andover 10.9% and North Reading 6.4%. Lawrence fell 17.1%, Gloucester 15.1% and Nahant 13.5%. Towns with fewer listings can swing sharply, so we look at the direction over several editions as well as the monthly change.
A word from our founder
“The average asking rent on the North Shore was $2,739 in September, down 0.3% from August and the third monthly fall in a row. There were 5,946 homes on the market, the most in 12 months and 12.4% more than last September, and listings were on the market for 32.6 days on average.
Andover and North Andover recorded the strongest annual growth, at 12.0% and 10.9%, followed by North Reading at 6.4%. Lawrence, Gloucester and Nahant saw the largest falls, between 13.5% and 17.1%. Two bedroom homes averaged $2,895, down 2.3% from a year ago, and three bedroom homes took the longest to rent at 43.0 days.
With more homes available, renters have time to compare several listings. Landlords with a vacancy should price against current comparables for their town and bedroom count from the first day. A small price adjustment in the first two weeks usually costs a landlord less than an extra month of vacancy.”
Liam Davies, Founder, Chelworths
Get the full edition
The October 2026 edition has average rents, supply and days on market for every town, with charts for the past 12 months and a PDF to download. To see what your own property could rent for, start at chelworths.com/rental-report or call us on (617) 507-3333.
Chelworths
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