North Shore Rent Index · September 2026
A 12-month high in listings keeps North Shore rents flat through the summer
Monthly asking rents, listings and time on market across Boston's North Shore. Covers August 2026 data.
- The average asking rent across the North Shore was $2,746 in August 2026, down 0.1% from July and 2.4% from August 2025 ($2,814).
- 5,888 rentals were on the market, up 8.6% from a year ago, the highest count in 12 months.
- Listings had been on the market for 31.8 days on average, compared with 32.4 days in July and 30.7 days a year earlier.
“Renters on the North Shore have more choice than at any point in the last year. There were 5,888 homes on the market in August and asking rents have barely moved since May. That's unusual for the summer, when we'd normally expect rents to firm up ahead of the September moves.”
“Studios have seen the biggest fall, down 4.5% from a year ago, and two bedroom homes are taking about five days longer to rent than they were last August. Rents are still rising in Swampscott, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Reading, so the picture varies a lot from one town to the next.”
“Pricing matters more than ever right now. Homes that rent quickly are priced in line with current comparables for their town and size. If a listing hasn't had much interest after two weeks, the price is usually the reason, and a small adjustment early costs a landlord far less than another month of vacancy.”
Average asking rent, August 2026
Change on the previous month and the same month last year
-2.4% vs. last year
-4.5% vs. last year
-3.1% vs. last year
-2.5% vs. last year
-2.4% vs. last year
+8.6% vs. last year
Market summary
August is one of the busiest months of the year, with many leases starting on September 1. The North Shore average asking rent fell 0.1% to $2,746 in August 2026, the second consecutive monthly fall. The average is 2.0% above the January 2026 low of $2,691 and 2.4% below the August 2025 high of $2,814.
Active listings rose 2.9% from July to 5,888, 8.6% higher than in August 2025. That is the most homes on the market in 12 months. Asking rents have stayed within 0.5% of $2,746 since May, while the number of homes on the market kept rising. Listings had been on the market for 31.8 days on average, down from 32.4 days in July and up from 30.7 days a year ago.
By size, studios saw the largest annual fall (-4.5% to $2,027), while three bedroom homes held up best (-2.4% to $3,299). Two bedroom homes, the largest segment with 2,246 listings, averaged $2,933 (-2.5% year over year) and spent 30.3 days on the market, against 25.5 days a year ago. Three bedroom homes were the slowest to rent at 44.5 days.
Among towns with at least 10 listings, Swampscott, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Reading recorded the strongest annual growth (+11.9%, +10.7%, +6.4%). The largest falls were in Lawrence, Marblehead and Gloucester (-16.7%, -7.1%, -6.8%). Lawrence's fall partly reflects a change in the mix of homes listed, with listings up 36% to 309 from 228 a year ago.
Over the past 12 months, the five largest rental markets, Revere, Malden, Lynn, Everett and Chelsea, accounted for 47% of North Shore listings. Of towns with 30 or more listings, Marblehead, Newburyport and Winthrop had the longest average time on market. Lawrence, Haverhill and Lynn remain the most affordable markets, with average asking rents from $2,133.
Average asking rent
All property types, North Shore, Aug 25 to Aug 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, Sep 25 to Aug 26, 20 largest markets
Days on market by town
Average days on market, August 2026, towns with 30 or more listings
Annual change in asking rent
Aug 26 vs Aug 25. Towns with fewer than 10 listings are excluded
All towns, August 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 | $2,728 | +0.6% | -4.8% | – | $2,455 | $2,839 | $3,633 | 40 | 46 | 26 |
| Andover | $3,018 | +2.3% | +3.2% | $1,663 | $2,427 | $2,938 | $4,228 | 203 | 167 | 34 |
| Beverly | $2,745 | 0.0% | +0.1% | $2,000 | $2,340 | $2,804 | $3,501 | 178 | 161 | 34 |
| Boxford* | $5,500 | 0.0% | n/a | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 33 |
| Byfield* | $3,600 | +12.6% | +28.6% | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 53 |
| Chelsea | $2,676 | +1.4% | -3.4% | $1,893 | $2,550 | $3,018 | $3,276 | 402 | 447 | 31 |
| Danvers | $3,001 | +2.4% | +6.2% | – | $2,452 | $3,067 | $4,159 | 98 | 110 | 31 |
| Essex* | $3,496 | +1.3% | +12.8% | – | – | – | $4,300 | 7 | 5 | 39 |
| Everett | $2,920 | +0.4% | +2.3% | $2,427 | $2,659 | $3,260 | $3,062 | 551 | 462 | 32 |
| Georgetown* | $2,557 | +6.2% | +18.3% | – | – | $2,530 | – | 8 | 5 | 79 |
| Gloucester | $2,960 | -3.6% | -6.8% | $1,633 | $2,057 | $2,693 | $3,613 | 96 | 82 | 43 |
| Groveland | $2,562 | +5.6% | -0.5% | – | $1,774 | $2,433 | – | 12 | 4 | 23 |
| Hamilton* | $3,890 | -9.5% | -10.2% | – | – | – | – | 5 | 3 | 18 |
| Haverhill | $2,167 | -1.5% | -4.8% | $1,887 | $1,934 | $2,315 | $2,633 | 284 | 265 | 34 |
| Ipswich | $3,017 | -2.1% | -4.3% | – | – | $2,924 | $3,583 | 11 | 16 | 67 |
| Lawrence | $2,133 | +1.8% | -16.7% | $2,010 | $1,645 | $2,504 | $2,733 | 309 | 263 | 28 |
| Lynn | $2,302 | -1.1% | -1.5% | $1,691 | $2,113 | $2,464 | $2,920 | 642 | 510 | 32 |
| Lynnfield | $3,590 | +2.4% | -0.1% | – | $3,206 | $3,838 | – | 43 | 39 | 6 |
| Malden | $2,786 | +0.8% | -0.2% | $2,085 | $2,409 | $3,072 | $3,037 | 607 | 555 | 40 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | $4,987 | -0.4% | +10.7% | – | $2,998 | $4,389 | $4,717 | 27 | 25 | 44 |
| Marblehead | $3,279 | -10.2% | -7.1% | – | $2,061 | $3,108 | $4,317 | 59 | 62 | 48 |
| Melrose | $3,099 | -0.6% | -1.3% | $1,749 | $2,644 | $3,312 | $3,956 | 242 | 217 | 17 |
| Merrimac* | $2,907 | +13.5% | -0.6% | – | $2,350 | $3,367 | – | 7 | 6 | 24 |
| Methuen | $2,366 | -1.8% | -4.6% | $1,444 | $2,019 | $2,624 | $2,731 | 100 | 95 | 23 |
| Middleton* | $3,121 | -14.2% | -0.1% | – | – | $3,144 | – | 7 | 8 | 75 |
| Nahant | $2,877 | +1.8% | -2.1% | – | $2,258 | – | – | 12 | 13 | 67 |
| Newbury | $3,426 | +4.2% | +4.1% | – | – | $2,850 | $3,557 | 19 | 13 | 29 |
| Newburyport | $3,249 | +0.2% | +0.9% | – | $2,116 | $3,785 | $3,737 | 49 | 51 | 46 |
| North Andover | $2,818 | -3.9% | +5.6% | $2,169 | $2,445 | $2,857 | $3,699 | 77 | 81 | 33 |
| North Reading | $2,720 | -8.2% | +2.3% | – | $2,423 | $3,122 | – | 50 | 47 | 4 |
| Peabody | $2,756 | -0.8% | -6.2% | $1,616 | $2,445 | $2,895 | $3,542 | 237 | 197 | 16 |
| Reading | $3,069 | -2.4% | +6.4% | – | $2,235 | $3,263 | $3,583 | 43 | 34 | 43 |
| Revere | $2,882 | +1.2% | +2.0% | $2,217 | $2,587 | $3,070 | $3,455 | 601 | 588 | 29 |
| Rockport | $2,887 | -3.9% | -6.6% | – | $2,375 | $2,753 | $3,076 | 29 | 28 | 35 |
| Rowley* | $2,560 | -4.5% | +11.9% | – | – | – | – | 5 | 5 | 43 |
| Salem | $2,723 | -3.1% | -5.6% | $1,911 | $2,387 | $2,849 | $3,159 | 332 | 309 | 36 |
| Salisbury | $2,658 | +3.5% | +5.0% | $1,925 | $2,675 | $2,498 | $2,788 | 25 | 24 | 67 |
| Saugus | $2,923 | -1.4% | -1.6% | $2,224 | $2,612 | $3,139 | $3,528 | 113 | 92 | 17 |
| Stoneham | $3,167 | -2.3% | -5.3% | $1,869 | $2,936 | $3,179 | $3,480 | 85 | 80 | 26 |
| Swampscott | $3,367 | +5.3% | +11.9% | – | $2,656 | $3,199 | $5,260 | 64 | 70 | 21 |
| Topsfield* | $2,733 | 0.0% | -23.3% | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 65 |
| Wakefield | $2,866 | +2.3% | -4.1% | $2,376 | $2,465 | $3,099 | $3,738 | 86 | 95 | 41 |
| Wenham* | $2,788 | 0.0% | -20.3% | – | – | $2,750 | – | 4 | 2 | 178 |
| West Newbury* | $4,150 | -35.7% | +12.2% | – | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | 32 |
| Winthrop | $2,817 | +1.7% | -4.0% | $1,798 | $2,289 | $2,731 | $3,357 | 109 | 108 | 45 |
| North Shore | $2,746 | -0.1% | -2.4% | $2,027 | $2,361 | $2,933 | $3,299 | 5,888 | 5,396 | 32 |
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About the North Shore Rent Index
The index is published monthly by Chelworths Property Management Group. The September 2026 edition covers August 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.