Financial Self-Sufficiency
Median Home Value


Median Home Value

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What does this measure?

The home value reported by the homeowner to the Census Bureau, adjusted for inflation. The median represents the mid-point of home values (half the values are above the median and half below).

Why is this important?

A home is usually a person's or a family's highest-valued possession. Home values are also an indicator of the region's cost of living, relative wealth, and general prosperity.

How is our county doing?

In 2017-21, the median home value for Essex County was $462,900, higher than the state ($424,700) and substantially higher than the U.S. ($244,900). From 2000 to 2017-21, median values in Essex increased 38%, which could make homeownership increasingly inaccessible to residents with low or moderate incomes. Massachusetts experienced a larger increase in median home values (43%), while values increased at a slower pace at the national level (35%).

Median home values in every municipality in Essex have increased since 2000. The smallest increases occurred in the towns of Boxford (11%), Groveland (12%) and Georgetown (17%). The City of Lawrence had the largest increase (65%), followed by Newburyport (63%), Lynn (60%), Essex (47%), and Methuen (46%). Despite the increase in Lawrence, the City still had the lowest median value in the County, at $311,500, followed by Haverhill, at $347,000, and Methuen, at $371,300. Median values were highest in the towns of Manchester ($881,500), Marblehead ($766,100) and Lynnfield ($741,000).

How do we compare to similar counties?

The median home value in Essex County was substantially less than both Westchester, NY ($559,900) and Middlesex, MA ($575,500), and greater than Lake, IL ($279,500). Lake was the only county to have a decrease in median value since 2000 (10%); Middlesex had an increase of 45% and Westchester 20%.

Notes about the data

Data are presented in 2021 dollars. Because of limitations in available data, figures for 2000 are only for single-family homes, but figures for the ACS five years include all owner-occupied housing units. Figures for the region and surrounding counties were calculated by aggregating county medians based on each county's share of the region's population. Multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are released annually in December.

Median Home Value
20002007-112012-162017-21
Essex County, MA$336,354$436,440$408,927$462,900
Amesbury$394,157$348,412$379,900
Beverly$357,986$443,789$426,878$485,800
Gloucester$330,824$453,426$418,749$460,400
Haverhill$248,850$332,962$298,623$347,000
Lawrence$189,321$291,161$259,108$311,500
Lynn$236,326$323,204$297,720$378,400
Methuen$253,892$355,489$331,590$371,300
Newburyport$395,232$528,956$521,489$643,300
Peabody$334,728$422,105$390,073$441,100
Salem$306,264$385,966$358,347$396,700
Andover$544,217$658,696$654,825$664,500
Boxford$637,576$756,994$685,308$709,600
Danvers$365,956$452,703$417,620$490,200
Essex$440,936$620,991$583,472$646,600
Georgetown$406,455$526,186$461,990$474,000
Groveland$365,468$441,259$420,669$409,300
Hamilton$464,520$592,561$582,681$589,900
Ipswich$424,834$538,834$485,925$545,600
Lynnfield$515,916$662,551$667,696$741,000
Manchester$681,166$972,624$832,192$881,500
Marblehead$547,145$686,162$669,615$766,100
Merrimac$326,921$392,712$363,654$432,800
Middleton$446,304$534,016$498,909$625,800
Nahant$465,984$667,490$586,068$601,900
Newbury$445,165$567,987$518,554$617,500
North Andover$459,153$522,813$506,135$547,300
Rockport$446,304$568,107$520,247$573,400
Rowley$449,882$528,715$474,861$536,800
Salisbury$280,241$389,339$360,492$380,900
Saugus$327,083$433,911$398,201$468,300
Swampscott$432,641$498,600$505,119$560,500
Topsfield$540,151$661,828$624,229$652,900
Wenham$580,813$740,009$603,004$682,600
West Newbury$509,085$588,225$552,424$603,400
Middlesex County, MA$397,509$494,022$488,070$575,500
Lake County, IL$311,632$338,383$278,526$279,500
Westchester County, NY$464,845$658,937$572,746$559,900
Massachusetts$297,319$413,793$384,992$424,700
United States$181,839$224,304$208,528$244,900

Source: U.S. Census Bureau








INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY
People 65 or Older Living Alone Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Prevalence of Overweight Adults Not Applicable
Preterm Births Increasing
Infant Mortality Rate Maintaining
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels Decreasing
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Live Births to Teen Mothers Decreasing
Youth Arrests Decreasing
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Maintaining
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Employment Maintaining
Tourism Spending Increasing
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Charitable Contributions Maintaining
Protected Land Not Applicable
Days with Good Air Quality Increasing
Beach Contamination Increasing
Daily Water Use per Resident Decreasing
Crimes Against People Maintaining
Crimes Against Property Decreasing
Drug-Related Arrests Maintaining
Reports of Domestic Violence Increasing
Incarceration Rates Decreasing
Recidivism Decreasing
Households Without Vehicles Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Traffic Injuries and Fatalities Maintaining
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age/Sex Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Households by Type Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Sex Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Increasing
Change in Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Median Earnings by Occupation by Gender Not Applicable
People Entering/Leaving County for Work Not Applicable
Employer Size Not Applicable
Self-Employment Revenue Increasing
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Female Enrollment in School Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Increasing
Per-Student Spending Increasing
Bullying Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Income in Relation to Poverty Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Increasing
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Living Wage Rate by Household Type Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Increasing
Households Receiving Federal Food Assistance Increasing
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Earned Income Tax Credit Participation Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students Increasing
Median Home Value Increasing
Cost of Homeownership Increasing
Cost of Renting Increasing
Homeownership Rates Maintaining
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeless Persons Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Medical Care Expenses Increasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma Maintaining
Prevalence of Overweight Children Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence Decreasing
Chronic Disease Among Older Adults Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Cancer Mortality Rate Decreasing
Heart Disease Mortality Rate Decreasing
Mortality Rate Decreasing
People who Smoke Not Applicable
Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Youth Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Not Applicable
Drug Overdose Mortality Rate Increasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Suicide Rate Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable