Greater Boston saw fewer sales, but homebuyers experienced little relief in single-family home prices across the region during the first five months of 2026.
The Warren Group, a publisher of real estate and mortgage data, analytics, and news, defines Greater Boston as the 139 Massachusetts communities within the Interstate 495 corridor. The region includes Boston, nearby suburbs, and cities and towns across Eastern Massachusetts.
The year-to-date results suggest that the market has slowed without becoming substantially more affordable. Homebuyers completed 158 fewer single-family purchases than during the first five months of last year, while the median price increased by $10,000. That represents a change from 2025, when Greater Boston’s annual median single-family price rose 5 percent to $799,000, and sales increased nearly 3 percent. Price growth during the first five months of 2026 was much slower, but prices did not decline.
An increase in mortgage interest rates could further curb price growth, while a decline could fuel price increases.
The market began the year with a sharper drop in activity. Greater Boston single-family sales were down 14 percent in January and 11 percent through February. By the end of March, the cumulative decline had narrowed to about 5 percent. It was 2 percent through April and about 2 percent through May.
The improving sales totals indicate that activity recovered during the spring, although the market did not fully catch up with last year.
May alone offered a mixed picture. The median single-family price was $833,750, down less than 1 percent from May 2025. Sales declined 2 percent, to 1,992. The nearly flat monthly price suggests that buyers did not face another large year-over-year increase, but one month does not establish a lasting trend.
The Greater Boston condominium market experienced more price relief, providing condo buyers with some relief.
Through May, 5,268 condos were sold, flat compared to the same period in 2025. The year-to-date median condo price fell slightly more than 2 percent, to $615,000 from $630,000.That median price was $180,000 below the Greater Boston single-family median, making condos, especially in the Boston suburbs, a potentially more affordable option for some homebuyers. Of course, buyers should also consider monthly condominium fees, anticipated capital projects, special assessments, reserves, and association rules when comparing the cost of a condo to that of a single-family home.
Condo activity strengthened during the spring. The cumulative sales decline narrowed from 6.5 percent through February to less than 1 percent through May.
May was particularly strong. Condominium sales increased 4 percent from a year earlier, while the monthly median price rose 5 percent, to $665,000. The difference between the strong May results and the lower year-to-date median shows why homebuyers should look beyond a single month of data.
Across Massachusetts, 14,039 single-family homes were sold from January through May, down 2 percent. The statewide median price increased 1 percent, to $625,000.The condo market recorded 7,050 sales across the Commonwealth, a 4 percent decline. The median condo price fell 1 percent, to $535,000.For Greater Boston homebuyers, the data point to a market with slower price growth and slightly fewer transactions, not a widespread drop in single-family values. Condos have offered greater price flexibility in the Boston area, but conditions vary considerably by community, property type, and price range.
Homebuyers should evaluate recent comparable sales, local inventory, and additional housing data rather than relying only on regional or statewide averages. In a market that remains expensive and uneven, careful property analysis and dedicated buyer representation remain important.