Published September 25, 2026 in Market Update

One part of Boston is still moving fast

By Vladimir Babic

Real estate, Boston

Realtor.com put Boston's median list price at $795,000 in August 2026. That number is real. But it covers a lot of ground, and the ground is not flat. In the three months ending July 31, 2026, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted one ZIP code with just 1.6 months of supply. That is a very different story from the citywide picture.

ZIP 02129 is the tightest pocket in this market

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 94 homes sold in 02129 in the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 19% from the same period a year before. The median sale price came in at $1,215,450, up 15.8% year over year. Homes there averaged 16 days on market. And sellers got 101.7% of their list price on average. That means buyers were paying above ask, not below.

To put 1.6 months in context: six months is generally considered a balanced market. Below three months, sellers tend to hold the leverage. At 1.6, there is not much room for buyers to wait.

More than half the homes there go fast

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 56.1% of homes in 02129 went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is the highest share of any ZIP in this market. Nearly 46% sold above list price. Those two numbers together tell you buyers are competing, not browsing.

How the other ZIPs compare

Not every part of Boston looks like 02129. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows a wide range across the market in the three months ending July 31, 2026. Some ZIPs have more than five months of supply. That is a meaningfully softer place to sell.

ZIP 02143 is also tight, at 1.9 months. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 86 homes sold there, up 22.9% year over year. Sellers there got 100.9% of list on average, and 51.2% of homes went under contract within two weeks. That is a competitive pocket too, even if it gets less attention than 02129.

The broader Boston picture is more mixed

Across all nine ZIPs, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 486 homes sold in the three months ending July 31, 2026, up 6.8% from a year before. Homes for sale rose 25.9% over the same stretch. More supply is coming to market. That is worth knowing if you are thinking about timing.

Realtor.com reported that days on market in Boston increased by 6 days year over year. That matches what the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows in softer ZIPs like 02141, where the median jumped to 37 days. But in 02129, days on market held flat at 16. The city average can hide a lot.

Rates are still a factor

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.03% as of September 24, 2026. CNBC reported that mortgage demand from homebuyers dropped 19% compared to one year ago. Rates are shaping who is in the market. In tight ZIPs like 02129, serious buyers are still showing up. In softer ones, fewer are.