North Shore Rent Index · November 2025

October's 1.4% drop takes North Shore rents to their lowest level in over a year

Monthly asking rents, listings and time on market across Boston's North Shore. Covers October 2025 data.

  • The average asking rent across the North Shore was $2,748 in October 2025, down 1.4% from September and 5.0% from October 2024 ($2,893).
  • 5,154 rentals were on the market, up 7.0% from a year ago.
  • Listings had been on the market for 33.6 days on average, compared with 31.9 days in September and 26.3 days a year earlier.
Liam Davies (Founder, Chelworths Property Management Group):
“October brought the second monthly fall in a row, with the average asking rent down 1.4% to $2,748. That's the lowest level in 12 months and 5.0% below last October.”
“Time on market is where landlords will feel it most. Homes spent 33.6 days on the market on average, against 26.3 days a year ago, and there were 7.0% more homes available.”
“Renters have more options going into the winter. Keeping a home well presented and priced in line with its town and size is the best way to avoid a long vacancy.”

Average asking rent, October 2025

Change on the previous month and the same month last year

All homes
$2,748
-1.4% vs. September
-5.0% vs. last year
Studio
$2,029
-1.3% vs. September
n/a vs. last year
1 bed
$2,370
-2.1% vs. September
n/a vs. last year
2 bed
$2,883
-2.6% vs. September
-3.0% vs. last year
3 bed
$3,336
-1.0% vs. September
-0.7% vs. last year
Active listings
5,154
-2.6% vs. September
+7.0% vs. last year
Avg days on market
33.6
26.3 days a year ago
New listings
2,565
added in October

Market summary

Autumn is typically a quieter period for North Shore rentals. The North Shore average asking rent fell 1.4% to $2,748 in October 2025, the second consecutive monthly fall. This is the lowest average in 12 months. Compared with October 2024, rents are down 5.0%.

Active listings fell 2.6% from September to 5,154, 7.0% higher than in October 2024. Listings had been on the market for 33.6 days on average, up from 31.9 days in September and up from 26.3 days a year ago.

By size, two bedroom homes saw the largest annual fall (-3.0% to $2,883), while three bedroom homes held up best (-0.7% to $3,336). Two bedroom homes, the largest segment with 1,925 listings, averaged $2,883 (-3.0% year over year) and spent 28.3 days on the market, against 24.3 days a year ago. Studios were the slowest to rent at 52.3 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, Newbury, Salisbury and Newburyport recorded the strongest annual growth (+14.6%, +13.2%, +11.2%). The largest falls were in North Andover, Marblehead and Chelsea (-13.6%, -12.0%, -11.8%).

Over the past 12 months, the five largest rental markets, Malden, Everett, Revere, Chelsea and Lynn, accounted for 49% of North Shore listings. Of towns with 30 or more listings, North Reading, Lynnfield and Amesbury had the shortest average time on market (12, 16, 18 days) and Marblehead, Methuen and Salem the longest. Haverhill, Lynn and Methuen remain the most affordable markets, with average asking rents from $2,171.

Average asking rent

All property types, North Shore, Oct 24 to Oct 25

Average asking rent by bedrooms

Studio, one, two and three bedroom homes. Studios were not reported separately before March 2025

Studio 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed

Active rental listings

Homes on the market each month. Source coverage was lower from Dec 2024 to Feb 2025

Time on market

Average days on market for active listings

Town by town

Where the rentals are

Average monthly active listings, Nov 24 to Oct 25, 20 largest markets

Days on market by town

Average days on market, October 2025, towns with 30 or more listings

Annual change in asking rent

Oct 25 vs Oct 24. Towns with fewer than 10 listings are excluded

Rent up Rent down

All towns, October 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 $2,795 -1.5% -1.7% – $2,568 $2,670 – 47 33 18
Andover $2,853 +1.0% -7.5% $1,771 $2,332 $2,954 $3,774 174 157 19
Beverly $2,664 +0.9% -3.9% $1,995 $2,197 $2,848 $3,519 155 120 37
Boxford* $3,000 n/a -37.5% – – – – 2 2 1
Byfield* $2,800 0.0% n/a – – – – 1 1 10
Chelsea $2,573 -2.4% -11.8% $1,993 $2,462 $2,880 $3,187 482 407 29
Danvers $2,805 -0.5% -11.0% $1,665 $2,430 $2,905 $3,410 132 93 33
Essex* $2,412 -14.1% -22.6% – $2,050 – – 4 5 37
Everett $2,779 -2.0% -4.4% $2,456 $2,509 $2,979 $3,083 447 485 27
Georgetown* $2,212 0.0% -6.7% – – $2,083 – 4 3 7
Gloucester $3,273 -4.0% +3.0% – $2,013 $2,559 $3,570 91 79 38
Groveland* $2,480 +1.2% -7.5% – – $2,533 – 5 4 24
Hamilton* $4,588 0.0% +19.7% – – – – 4 4 66
Haverhill $2,171 -2.7% -5.6% $1,714 $1,900 $2,313 $2,549 254 202 41
Ipswich $3,164 -1.9% +8.3% – $2,313 $2,828 $3,819 19 15 40
Lawrence $2,497 -5.2% +2.7% $1,854 $2,092 $2,758 $2,793 243 198 23
Lynn $2,320 +1.2% -5.2% $1,670 $2,075 $2,564 $2,961 486 351 45
Lynnfield $3,571 -5.0% +4.8% – $3,181 $3,632 – 40 34 16
Malden $2,860 +1.5% +0.9% $2,178 $2,458 $3,000 $3,277 445 512 30
Manchester-by-the-Sea $4,415 -4.9% +6.5% – $3,072 $2,938 $5,033 24 18 72
Marblehead $3,385 -4.3% -12.0% – $2,457 $2,927 $4,563 72 53 55
Melrose $3,081 -1.3% -0.9% $2,563 $2,656 $3,145 $3,872 185 192 21
Merrimac* $2,810 -5.1% +5.6% – – $2,812 – 5 3 75
Methuen $2,344 -1.3% -10.8% $2,150 $2,026 $2,463 $3,110 94 78 51
Middleton* $3,183 +1.9% -2.4% – – $3,762 $3,233 9 5 28
Nahant $2,725 -2.3% -6.6% – $2,119 $3,600 – 15 10 83
Newbury $3,799 +3.7% +14.6% – $5,325 $2,825 $3,575 20 12 60
Newburyport $3,323 +0.5% +11.2% – $3,119 $3,278 $3,804 56 43 45
North Andover $2,664 +1.6% -13.6% – $2,225 $2,406 $3,060 55 36 46
North Reading $2,643 -3.6% -1.5% – $2,317 $2,657 – 54 47 12
Peabody $2,809 -3.4% -5.2% $1,867 $2,579 $2,833 $3,483 189 176 22
Reading $2,872 -5.2% -8.2% $1,838 $2,007 $2,823 $3,584 36 27 34
Revere $2,818 +0.2% -8.4% $2,130 $2,508 $3,160 $3,461 534 475 33
Rockport $2,905 -0.4% +0.2% $1,333 $2,440 $3,211 $3,296 40 27 34
Rowley* $3,083 -6.6% +51.5% – – $2,100 – 6 4 25
Salem $2,776 -1.5% +1.0% $1,787 $2,326 $2,893 $3,144 271 266 47
Salisbury $2,699 -2.2% +13.2% – $2,104 $2,422 $3,165 32 19 30
Saugus $2,872 -2.1% +0.7% $2,135 $2,459 $3,110 $3,928 70 71 41
Stoneham $3,108 -5.8% -8.4% $2,173 $2,803 $3,248 $3,289 87 77 32
Swampscott $3,316 +3.7% +3.4% – $2,763 $3,191 $4,402 64 67 30
Topsfield* $2,375 -1.7% -25.8% – – – – 2 2 38
Wakefield $2,898 -2.1% -2.5% $2,096 $2,376 $2,876 $3,725 94 79 37
Wenham* $2,900 -17.1% n/a – – – – 1 1 5
West Newbury* $4,588 +25.7% +84.8% – – – – 2 2 7
Winthrop $2,870 -0.7% +1.0% $1,798 $2,072 $2,799 $3,663 102 92 41
North Shore $2,748 -1.4% -5.0% $2,029 $2,370 $2,883 $3,336 5,154 4,585 34

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About the North Shore Rent Index

The index is published monthly by Chelworths Property Management Group. The November 2025 edition covers October 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 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. © 2025 Chelworths Property Management Group.