North Shore Rent Index · June 2026
Rents move 2.1% clear of January's low as the summer season begins
Monthly asking rents, listings and time on market across Boston's North Shore. Covers May 2026 data.
- The average asking rent across the North Shore was $2,747 in May 2026, up 0.6% from April and down 1.7% from May 2025 ($2,793).
- 5,673 rentals were on the market, up 21.8% from a year ago, the highest count in 12 months.
- Listings had been on the market for 31.0 days on average, compared with 32.6 days in April and 29.7 days a year earlier.
“Rents rose for a fourth month in May, up 0.6% to $2,747. The average is now 2.1% above January's low, although still 1.7% below last May.”
“Supply keeps growing. There were 5,673 homes on the market, 21.8% more than a year ago, and homes spent 31.0 days on the market. One bedroom rents are almost level with last year.”
“This is the busiest part of the year, and renters have plenty of choice. The average home is renting in around a month, so landlords should have a pricing plan ready before the home is listed.”
Average asking rent, May 2026
Change on the previous month and the same month last year
-1.7% vs. last year
-1.1% vs. last year
-0.2% vs. last year
-2.1% vs. last year
-1.0% vs. last year
+21.8% vs. last year
Market summary
May is the start of the busiest rental period, with most North Shore leases starting between June and September. The North Shore average asking rent rose 0.6% to $2,747 in May 2026, the fourth consecutive monthly rise. The average is 2.1% above the January 2026 low of $2,691 and 2.4% below the August 2025 high of $2,814. Compared with May 2025, rents are down 1.7%.
Active listings rose 1.4% from April to 5,673, 21.8% higher than in May 2025. That is the most homes on the market in 12 months. Listings had been on the market for 31.0 days on average, down from 32.6 days in April and up from 29.7 days a year ago.
By size, two bedroom homes saw the largest annual fall (-2.1% to $2,940), while one bedroom homes held up best (-0.2% to $2,410). One bedroom homes, the largest segment with 2,116 listings, averaged $2,410 (-0.2% year over year) and spent 25.7 days on the market, against 25.1 days a year ago. Studios were the slowest to rent at 41.6 days.
Among towns with at least 10 listings, Ipswich, North Reading and Danvers recorded the strongest annual growth (+19.0%, +9.0%, +4.5%). The largest falls were in Rockport, North Andover and Wakefield (-12.0%, -10.4%, -9.8%).
Over the past 12 months, the five largest rental markets, Revere, Malden, Everett, Lynn and Chelsea, accounted for 48% of North Shore listings. Of towns with 30 or more listings, Marblehead, Winthrop and Newburyport had the longest average time on market. Haverhill, Lawrence and Lynn remain the most affordable markets, with average asking rents from $2,167.
Average asking rent
All property types, North Shore, May 25 to May 26
Average asking rent by bedrooms
Studio, one, two and three bedroom homes
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, Jun 25 to May 26, 20 largest markets
Days on market by town
Average days on market, May 2026, towns with 30 or more listings
Annual change in asking rent
May 26 vs May 25. Towns with fewer than 10 listings are excluded
All towns, May 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 | $2,985 | +4.7% | +0.9% | – | $2,676 | $3,056 | $3,975 | 47 | 41 | 14 |
| Andover | $2,764 | +1.6% | -5.0% | – | $2,357 | $2,825 | $4,139 | 175 | 163 | 23 |
| Beverly | $2,795 | +1.5% | +0.8% | $1,967 | $2,378 | $2,808 | $3,530 | 161 | 153 | 35 |
| Boxford* | $5,500 | -26.7% | +83.3% | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| Byfield* | $3,148 | -12.6% | n/a | – | – | $3,148 | – | 4 | 2 | 24 |
| Chelsea | $2,682 | +0.2% | -1.0% | $1,941 | $2,617 | $3,021 | $3,250 | 480 | 460 | 28 |
| Danvers | $2,974 | +4.9% | +4.5% | $1,683 | $2,408 | $2,980 | $4,047 | 93 | 110 | 24 |
| Essex* | $2,850 | +9.9% | +16.3% | – | – | – | – | 4 | 5 | 45 |
| Everett | $2,930 | +0.3% | +2.2% | $2,424 | $2,626 | $3,184 | $3,367 | 473 | 478 | 35 |
| Georgetown* | $2,861 | +21.2% | +43.1% | – | – | $2,198 | – | 7 | 4 | 38 |
| Gloucester | $3,038 | +2.4% | -4.1% | – | $2,138 | $2,845 | $3,600 | 83 | 75 | 42 |
| Groveland* | $2,595 | -35.9% | -26.5% | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 56 |
| Hamilton* | $3,167 | 0.0% | -23.9% | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 72 |
| Haverhill | $2,167 | -0.4% | -8.9% | $1,836 | $1,927 | $2,327 | $2,603 | 282 | 246 | 32 |
| Ipswich | $3,186 | +2.7% | +19.0% | – | $2,036 | $3,767 | $3,900 | 11 | 17 | 55 |
| Lawrence | $2,268 | +0.4% | -4.6% | $1,813 | $1,982 | $2,413 | $2,661 | 273 | 240 | 27 |
| Lynn | $2,322 | -1.9% | +0.2% | $1,690 | $2,123 | $2,545 | $3,026 | 539 | 461 | 38 |
| Lynnfield | $3,468 | +1.2% | +3.3% | – | $2,989 | $3,872 | – | 41 | 35 | 10 |
| Malden | $2,755 | +2.4% | +2.2% | $2,076 | $2,461 | $2,988 | $3,207 | 629 | 543 | 32 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | $5,241 | -6.5% | -7.9% | – | $3,250 | $4,078 | $6,725 | 27 | 24 | 55 |
| Marblehead | $3,301 | +3.1% | -1.5% | $1,763 | $2,411 | $3,287 | $5,459 | 61 | 61 | 57 |
| Melrose | $2,984 | +2.3% | -5.2% | $2,132 | $2,646 | $3,377 | $3,353 | 262 | 210 | 20 |
| Merrimac* | $3,008 | +10.8% | +6.5% | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 54 |
| Methuen | $2,407 | -0.1% | -3.6% | – | $2,053 | $2,574 | $2,628 | 81 | 92 | 25 |
| Middleton* | $3,370 | -1.5% | -14.3% | – | – | $3,262 | – | 5 | 7 | 70 |
| Nahant* | $3,341 | -14.7% | +22.0% | – | $2,145 | – | – | 8 | 13 | 80 |
| Newbury* | $3,272 | +7.8% | +9.1% | – | – | – | $3,495 | 8 | 13 | 48 |
| Newburyport | $3,143 | -3.9% | -0.7% | – | $2,449 | $3,688 | $4,300 | 50 | 47 | 42 |
| North Andover | $2,853 | +2.0% | -10.4% | $2,161 | $2,439 | $2,780 | $3,270 | 100 | 69 | 31 |
| North Reading | $2,898 | +2.3% | +9.0% | – | $2,441 | $3,004 | – | 51 | 48 | 6 |
| Peabody | $2,748 | +0.4% | -5.5% | $1,711 | $2,475 | $2,885 | $3,433 | 183 | 190 | 19 |
| Reading | $3,041 | +2.9% | -0.6% | $1,767 | $2,007 | $3,145 | $4,143 | 37 | 32 | 38 |
| Revere | $2,864 | -0.6% | +1.9% | $2,282 | $2,522 | $3,156 | $3,479 | 612 | 570 | 26 |
| Rockport | $3,102 | -0.9% | -12.0% | – | $2,917 | $2,964 | $3,480 | 22 | 29 | 64 |
| Rowley* | $2,060 | -1.9% | +3.0% | – | – | $2,060 | – | 5 | 5 | 27 |
| Salem | $2,728 | +0.7% | -5.6% | $1,999 | $2,322 | $2,910 | $3,210 | 339 | 300 | 39 |
| Salisbury | $2,539 | -5.7% | -2.5% | – | $2,155 | $2,480 | $3,076 | 21 | 21 | 36 |
| Saugus | $2,904 | +2.9% | +3.5% | $2,299 | $2,564 | $3,094 | $3,321 | 102 | 84 | 24 |
| Stoneham | $3,170 | -3.3% | -1.6% | $2,090 | $2,937 | $3,249 | $3,582 | 85 | 79 | 26 |
| Swampscott | $3,070 | +2.4% | -6.4% | – | $2,564 | $3,172 | $4,473 | 80 | 71 | 27 |
| Topsfield* | $4,630 | -2.4% | +172.4% | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| Wakefield | $2,774 | -3.8% | -9.8% | $2,468 | $2,361 | $2,885 | $3,645 | 98 | 93 | 35 |
| Wenham* | $3,150 | +8.6% | -21.3% | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 112 |
| West Newbury* | $4,825 | n/a | -43.2% | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| Winthrop | $2,715 | +2.7% | -5.6% | $1,873 | $2,299 | $2,707 | $3,442 | 118 | 105 | 43 |
| North Shore | $2,747 | +0.6% | -1.7% | $2,015 | $2,410 | $2,940 | $3,356 | 5,673 | 5,216 | 31 |
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About the North Shore Rent Index
The index is published monthly by Chelworths Property Management Group. The June 2026 edition covers May 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.