Middlesex County, Massachusetts Housing Market Prices
Middlesex County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
-
Median home price 45% above the Massachusetts median Among the 5 most expensive counties in Massachusetts$718,434
-
Median rent 25% above the Massachusetts median Among the 3 most expensive counties in Massachusetts$2,200
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $718,434 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 8.6% | 6.6% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,200 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.0% | 5.7% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Middlesex County is about 45% higher than in Massachusetts. Rent is about 25% higher than the Massachusetts average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Middlesex County, up about 8.6% and 6.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Middlesex County rose about 64.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,341 to $2,200. Over the same span, rent in Massachusetts rose about 59.8%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.5 yearly household incomes in Middlesex County.
Buying the median-priced home in Middlesex County costs roughly 27.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Middlesex County. The price-to-rent ratio in Massachusetts is about 23.4.
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $718,434 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $131,269 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.5 | 4.7 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Middlesex County rose about 102.5%, while median household income rose about 63.4% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 58.6% | 57.5% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 36.9% | 34.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.5% | 8.1% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 |
Middlesex County has a homeownership rate of 58.6%, higher than the Massachusetts average of 57.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.5%, compared with 8.1% in Massachusetts.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.49 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1963 | 1963 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Middlesex County was built around 1963. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Middlesex County, MA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Middlesex County, MA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,636,094 residents against a local median of 779,263. The measure that sets Middlesex County, MA apart most is median home price: $718,434, 30% above the local median of $550,714.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $2,200 against a local median of $1,755, 25% above it. The counties themselves spread $466,840 on median home price, so Middlesex County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Middlesex County, MA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | $718,434 #2/6 | $2,200 #1/6 | 61.3% #5/6 |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | $597,016 | $2,149 | 68.7% |
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | $753,442 | $2,129 | 36.4% |
| Worcester County, MA | 867,628 | $351,801 | $1,425 | 65.8% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 426,152 | $286,603 | $1,623 | 67.4% |
| Essex County, MA | 810,585 | $550,714 | $1,755 | 63.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
What is the median home price in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
The median home price in Middlesex County, Massachusetts is $718,434, higher than the Massachusetts average of $494,523.
What is the average home price in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
The typical home price in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, reported as the median sale price, is $718,434. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
The median gross rent in Middlesex County, Massachusetts is $2,200 per month, higher than the Massachusetts average of $1,761.
What was the median gross rent in Middlesex County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Middlesex County, Massachusetts was $1,712 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
The price-to-rent ratio in Middlesex County, Massachusetts is about 27.2, meaning it would take roughly 27.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Middlesex County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Middlesex County, up about 8.6% and 6.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
58.6% of households in Middlesex County, Massachusetts own their home, higher than the Massachusetts average of 57.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
The housing vacancy rate in Middlesex County, Massachusetts is 4.5%, lower than the Massachusetts average of 8.1%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →