North Shore Rent Index · July 2026

Renters have the most choice in over a year as listings reach 5,764

Monthly asking rents, listings and time on market across Boston's North Shore. Covers June 2026 data.

  • The average asking rent across the North Shore was $2,752 in June 2026, up 0.2% from May and down 2.1% from June 2025 ($2,810).
  • 5,764 rentals were on the market, up 22.2% from a year ago, the highest count in 12 months.
  • Listings had been on the market for 31.8 days on average, compared with 31.0 days in May and 27.6 days a year earlier.
Liam Davies (Founder, Chelworths Property Management Group):
“June was the fifth monthly rise in a row, although only by 0.2%, taking the average asking rent to $2,752. Rents are 2.1% lower than last June.”
“The number of homes on the market reached 5,764, the most in 12 months and 22.2% more than a year ago. Three bedroom rents have held up best, almost unchanged from a year ago.”
“Rents are rising more slowly than in the spring as supply keeps growing. Landlords should expect renters to compare several homes before deciding, so first impressions and pricing matter.”

Average asking rent, June 2026

Change on the previous month and the same month last year

All homes
$2,752
+0.2% vs. May
-2.1% vs. last year
Studio
$2,051
+1.8% vs. May
-1.1% vs. last year
1 bed
$2,382
-1.2% vs. May
-2.3% vs. last year
2 bed
$2,943
+0.1% vs. May
-2.4% vs. last year
3 bed
$3,367
+0.3% vs. May
-0.3% vs. last year
Active listings
5,764
+1.6% vs. May
+22.2% vs. last year
Avg days on market
31.8
27.6 days a year ago
New listings
2,644
added in June

Market summary

June is the start of the peak summer rental season. The North Shore average asking rent rose 0.2% to $2,752 in June 2026, the fifth consecutive monthly rise. The average is 2.3% above the January 2026 low of $2,691 and 2.2% below the August 2025 high of $2,814. Compared with June 2025, rents are down 2.1%.

Active listings rose 1.6% from May to 5,764, 22.2% higher than in June 2025. That is the most homes on the market in 12 months. Listings had been on the market for 31.8 days on average, up from 31.0 days in May and up from 27.6 days a year ago.

By size, two bedroom homes saw the largest annual fall (-2.4% to $2,943), while three bedroom homes held up best (-0.3% to $3,367). One bedroom homes, the largest segment with 2,129 listings, averaged $2,382 (-2.3% year over year) and spent 27.2 days on the market, against 23.4 days a year ago. Three bedroom homes were the slowest to rent at 41.2 days.

Among towns with at least 10 listings, Reading, Manchester-by-the-Sea and North Reading recorded the strongest annual growth (+8.9%, +6.1%, +5.8%). The largest falls were in North Andover, Amesbury and Salisbury (-16.3%, -14.6%, -12.2%). North Andover's fall partly reflects a change in the mix of homes listed, with listings up 248% to 80 from 23 a year ago.

Over the past 12 months, the five largest rental markets, Revere, Malden, Lynn, Everett and Chelsea, accounted for 48% of North Shore listings. Of towns with 30 or more listings, Marblehead, Newburyport and Winthrop had the longest average time on market. Haverhill, Lawrence and Lynn remain the most affordable markets, with average asking rents from $2,185.

Average asking rent

All property types, North Shore, Jun 25 to Jun 26

Average asking rent by bedrooms

Studio, one, two and three bedroom homes

Studio 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed

Active rental listings

Homes on the market each month

Time on market

Average days on market for active listings

Town by town

Where the rentals are

Average monthly active listings, Jul 25 to Jun 26, 20 largest markets

Days on market by town

Average days on market, June 2026, towns with 30 or more listings

Annual change in asking rent

Jun 26 vs Jun 25. Towns with fewer than 10 listings are excluded

Rent up Rent down

All towns, June 2026

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 $2,767 -7.3% -14.6% – $2,521 $2,900 $3,425 46 43 16
Andover $2,854 +3.3% +0.1% $1,728 $2,341 $2,888 $4,124 187 164 25
Beverly $2,738 -2.0% -1.4% $2,009 $2,345 $2,800 $3,530 153 156 39
Boxford* $5,500 0.0% +83.3% – – – – 2 2 24
Byfield* $3,148 0.0% n/a – – $3,148 – 4 2 44
Chelsea $2,662 -0.7% -2.1% $1,950 $2,551 $2,989 $3,209 442 466 27
Danvers $2,947 -0.9% +2.7% $1,481 $2,434 $3,032 $3,958 99 112 24
Essex* $2,962 +3.9% -2.5% – – – – 4 5 43
Everett $2,886 -1.5% -0.5% $2,444 $2,605 $3,200 $3,123 535 474 34
Georgetown* $2,834 -0.9% +41.7% – – $2,198 $3,867 8 5 50
Gloucester $3,118 +2.6% +3.6% – $2,149 $2,696 $4,111 80 77 39
Groveland* $2,739 +5.5% -6.6% – – – – 5 3 32
Hamilton* $2,450 -22.6% -45.9% – – – – 2 3 96
Haverhill $2,185 +0.8% -8.0% $1,873 $1,961 $2,365 $2,570 272 254 33
Ipswich $2,958 -7.2% -7.9% – $2,036 $3,140 $3,883 12 16 60
Lawrence $2,203 -2.9% -7.0% $2,033 $1,777 $2,422 $2,654 302 247 26
Lynn $2,330 +0.3% -0.2% $1,695 $2,135 $2,537 $2,986 552 477 36
Lynnfield $3,368 -2.9% +1.8% – $2,954 $3,656 – 43 36 11
Malden $2,749 -0.2% +1.5% $2,058 $2,420 $2,957 $3,180 644 546 37
Manchester-by-the-Sea $5,326 +1.6% +6.1% – $3,082 $3,962 $6,750 26 25 50
Marblehead $3,488 +5.7% -4.3% – $2,298 $3,220 $5,559 59 62 54
Melrose $3,041 +1.9% -4.0% $2,313 $2,653 $3,365 $3,586 250 214 18
Merrimac* $2,633 -12.5% -6.8% – – – – 3 5 20
Methuen $2,448 +1.7% -5.3% – $2,047 $2,680 $2,745 88 93 28
Middleton* $3,714 +10.2% +7.7% – – $3,500 – 7 7 46
Nahant* $3,072 -8.1% +6.1% – $2,333 – – 9 13 72
Newbury* $3,471 +6.1% -13.1% – $3,300 – $3,700 7 13 20
Newburyport $3,353 +6.7% +4.1% – $2,565 $3,560 $3,985 49 48 53
North Andover $2,893 +1.4% -16.3% $2,172 $2,453 $2,812 $3,299 80 74 32
North Reading $2,778 -4.1% +5.8% – $2,447 $2,960 – 54 48 5
Peabody $2,816 +2.5% -4.7% $1,674 $2,429 $2,961 $3,787 194 191 20
Reading $3,227 +6.1% +8.9% – $2,130 $3,358 $4,244 35 33 44
Revere $2,850 -0.5% +1.4% $2,304 $2,527 $3,120 $3,439 625 584 27
Rockport $3,238 +4.4% -1.2% – $2,850 $3,592 $3,462 14 28 70
Rowley* $2,450 +18.9% +4.3% – – $2,200 – 7 5 18
Salem $2,782 +2.0% -3.9% $1,979 $2,314 $2,926 $3,310 344 303 43
Salisbury $2,545 +0.2% -12.2% – $2,158 $2,534 $2,988 21 22 41
Saugus $2,961 +2.0% +3.6% $2,385 $2,579 $3,172 $3,397 98 86 25
Stoneham $3,228 +1.8% +0.7% $2,047 $2,791 $3,302 $3,629 92 80 31
Swampscott $3,101 +1.0% -3.2% – $2,614 $3,198 $4,166 80 71 23
Topsfield* $2,950 -36.3% -32.2% – – – – 2 2 44
Wakefield $2,811 +1.3% -10.8% $2,299 $2,342 $3,057 $3,607 98 94 31
Wenham* $3,100 -1.6% -22.5% – – – – 3 2 104
West Newbury* $4,825 0.0% -19.6% – – – – 2 2 30
Winthrop $2,789 +2.7% -2.6% $1,884 $2,314 $2,671 $3,562 125 107 44
North Shore $2,752 +0.2% -2.1% $2,051 $2,382 $2,943 $3,367 5,764 5,304 32

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About the North Shore Rent Index

The index is published monthly by Chelworths Property Management Group. The July 2026 edition covers June 2026 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 communities in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk counties.

Rents are average asking rents, not achieved rents. North Shore 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 how long homes take to rent. 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. © 2026 Chelworths Property Management Group.