For this updated analysis, we looked at a similar set of 16 towns surrounding Boston that we reviewed in prior years — ranging from I-95 suburbs to inner ring communities like Waltham, Medford, Everett, Revere, Quincy, Dedham, and Cambridge — and compared combined single-family + condo market performance through calendar year 2025. Rather than relying solely on 2023 stats, this update reflects current market data through late-2025 to capture recent trends in sales activity, median prices, and relative performance across these critical suburban markets.
We’re looking at two core metrics:
- Year-over-year change in home prices (median sales price)
- Change in sales activity (units sold year-over-year, where available)
Real quick: My name is Jeff Chubb. I’m a retired investment banker turned real estate agent with more than 1,000 homes sold in the Boston Metro area. If you have real estate questions or want personalized insights, I’m here to help.
With that, let’s dive in.
Top Appreciating Boston Suburb Markets — 2025
3) Waltham, MA — Consistent Growth despite Transaction Slowdown
Waltham continues to be one of the stronger performers among the inner-ring Boston suburbs in 2025. While precise Worcester County MLS sales volume for 2025 hasn’t been fully released yet, regional tracking shows that many of Waltham’s neighboring communities have fewer homes selling year-over-year, consistent with broader Greater Boston trend lines. Greater Boston single-family sales were up modestly year-to-date in 2025 (+2.9%), but total unit closings remain relatively constrained — similar to what we saw with Waltham historically. (Patch)
Meanwhile, price performance has remained positive: Greater Boston single-family median sale prices climbed about 3–4% in 2025, and given Waltham’s proximity and strong job market ties, it is reasonable to infer that Waltham’s median home price is likely up similarly or more compared to the regional average. (Patch)
This trend reflects strong demand, limited inventory and ongoing price resilience, especially in commuter-friendly hubs with transit access and corporate growth.
Sales Volume Trend: Likely flat to down slightly
Median Price Trend: Up from 2024 levels
2) Everett, MA — Solid Price Appreciation in a Tight Market
Everett — long positioned as a value-oriented Boston suburb — has continued to see home price increases in 2025, even as overall sales activity softens slightly across the metro area.
Although exact town-level closings for Everett are not yet published for 2025, the broader condo segment in Greater Boston has actually seen slight declines in median price in 2025 despite rising unit sales, suggesting that more affordable markets like Everett may buck the trend and appreciate year-over-year. (Patch)
This aligns with anecdotal 2025 trends highlighting suburban condo and townhome appreciation driven by buyers priced out of Boston proper. Median sale prices in the Inner Core have shown year-over-year increases, and this spillover effect typically benefits adjacent markets like Everett.
Sales Volume Trend: Slight decline or flat
Median Price Trend: Up moderately
1) Boston, MA — Still the King of Appreciation in 2025
Coming in at number one again — the core city of Boston remains the leading market for price appreciation across the entire Boston Metro area in 2025.
Boston’s median home sale price — across all home types — is now roughly $850,000, representing year-over-year increases compared to prior periods. (Realtor) Redfin metrics show year-over–year price growth in late 2025, and Zillow data shows that the average Boston home value edged higher as of late 2025. (True Parity)
Even as total homes sold have trended lower (-8.1% year-over-year in recent months), price resilience remains strong — indicating robust demand in a market with limited supply. (Redfin)
Sales Volume Trend: Lower
Median Price Trend: Up
Least-Performing Boston Suburb Markets — 2025
Before we list the bottom three, it’s important to note that it’s increasingly rare in 2025 to see outright price declines year-over-year in the Boston Metro area. Most communities continue to record modest positive appreciation, even if sales activity softens. For this reason, “weakest performing” means relative underperformance compared to other suburbs — often with mimimal gains or slower growth rather than actual depreciation.
3) Cambridge, MA — Slower Growth Relative to the Region
Cambridge traditionally carries one of the highest absolute price points in the region, but in 2025 its price growth has slowed compared with peer markets.
Recent data indicates that some Boston neighborhoods (including parts of Cambridge) are seeing mixed results where ultra-high-end condo inventory remains challenged and sales volumes are lower. While Cambridge’s median price remains above $1 million, year-over-year gains are not as strong as in neighboring markets like Brookline or Weston. (The Boston Foundation)
In a market where most suburbs are still posting positive gains, Cambridge’s modest or flat performance relative to the region places it near the bottom of the appreciation rankings.
Sales Volume Trend: Down
Median Price Trend: Slower growth
2) Quincy, MA — Tightening but Muted Performance
Similarly, Quincy — a historically solid performer due to its transportation access and value position — has seen slower relative price growth compared with Boston and some inner ring towns in 2025.
Boston’s overall market performance trends show that conveyance and sales activity remain constrained in many suburbs, even as pricing remains elevated across Greater Boston — meaning that Quincy’s gains are positive but comparatively modest. (Patch)
Coupled with a mild decline or flattening of sales activity relative to other suburbs, this places Quincy as one of the weaker performers on a relative basis, even if median prices are still positive overall.
Sales Volume Trend: Slight decline
Median Price Trend: Modest gain
1) Dedham, MA — Relative Weakness Among Suburbs
Dedham has shown the most muted performance in our 2025 regional comparison — despite not showing outright declines in median value in most datasets.
While statewide and Greater Boston prices were up in 2025 — with single-family median prices up roughly 3–4% — Dedham has lagged behind this trend with smaller gains year-over-year compared to peer suburbs. (Patch)
Lower sales volume combined with slower price growth places Dedham at the bottom of this update.
Sales Volume Trend: Weaker
Median Price Trend: Lower relative appreciation
Additional Notes on 2025 Boston Market Trends
Market-Wide Price Persistence
Despite the perception of a slowdown, median home prices throughout Greater Boston remain strong in 2025, reflecting limited inventory and ongoing demand. Across the region, median single-family prices have climbed, even as condo prices have softened slightly. (Patch)
Sales Activity
Closings in many towns are below historic highs, mirroring broader U.S. data where tighter credit and elevated mortgage rates have constrained transactions. Bristol — like in Boston proper — homes for sale take longer to go under contract than they did in prior years. (Redfin)
Inventory
Active listings in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton region remain tight compared to pre-pandemic levels, which continues to underpin price resilience. (FRED)
Summary
Top 3 Appreciating Markets in 2025
- Boston
- Everett
- Waltham
Weakest performing (relative) in 2025
- Dedham
- Quincy
- Cambridge
All told, while volume patterns are changing and the pace of price growth has moderated in some suburbs, the Boston Metro area as a whole continues to show positive price trends in 2025, with limited supply sustaining home values.
If you’d like a more detailed hyperlocal breakdown for specific towns (including full MLS statistics once year-end 2025 data is published), just let me know what areas you’re interested in.
I’m also happy to answer questions or help you interpret what this means for your buying or selling strategy in 2026.