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County
Essex County
Massachusetts · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area · 826,653 residents (2025 est.)
FHFA notes: The FHFA HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The FHFA HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties. FHFA describes its county indexes as developmental and subject to revision. The index does not give a dollar value for any home.
FHFA's index for Essex County, Massachusetts, starts in 1975 and stood at 1647 in 2025, +1546.8% above its base of 100.
Over the ten years to 2025 the index rose +92.0% (+6.7% a year), above Massachusetts at +87.1% and above the national +85.0%. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area rose +89.3%. The latest one-year change is +4.8%.
The strongest decade was the 1980s (+175.8%); the weakest the 2000s (+31.3%).
After a 2006 peak the index fell −18.8% to 2012 and regained the peak in 2017.
Builders were authorised for 1,063 housing units in the county in the 12 months to August 2026 (−9.6% on the previous 12 months), 1.3 units per 1,000 residents; 37% were single-family houses. Since 1995 the county has authorised 43,337 units, most in 2004.
Same span, four levels
| Change in the FHFA index | Essex County | Boston-Cambridge-Newton area | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year (2024–2025) | +4.8% | +4.0% | +3.7% | +2.8% |
| 5 years (2020–2025) | +49.5% | +49.4% | +49.2% | +47.0% |
| 10 years (2015–2025) | +92.0% | +89.3% | +87.1% | +85.0% |
| 20 years (2005–2025) | +75.3% | +77.7% | +70.7% | +79.1% |
| Since 2000 | +174.1% | +182.4% | +175.9% | +158.3% |
| Since 1975 | +1546.8% | +1695.6% | +1585.4% | +960.7% |
| 10-year annualised | +6.7% | +6.6% | +6.5% | +6.3% |
| 20-year annualised | +2.8% | +2.9% | +2.7% | +3.0% |
All columns are FHFA annual all-transactions indexes over the same years.
Decade by decade
| Decade | Change | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s (1980–1990) | +175.8% | +68.2% | |
| 1990s (1990–2000) | +42.8% | +33.9% | |
| 2000s (2000–2010) | +31.3% | +29.7% | |
| 2010s (2010–2020) | +39.7% | +35.5% | |
| 2020s so far (2020–2025) | +49.5% | +47.0% |
FHFA reports each index with a value of 100 in its base period, the first year the area has enough transactions (1975 here). A decade's change is the index at the end of the decade divided by the index at the start, so it does not depend on the base year; the United States column covers the same years. Decades before 1975 are not shown.
Peak-to-low declines
| Peak | Low | Decline | Peak regained |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2012 | −18.8% | 2017 |
| 1988 | 1993 | −13.3% | 1998 |
Building permits
Housing units authorised by building permits in Essex County, by month over the latest five years and by year since 1995.
Housing units authorised in Essex County by month, latest 12 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Housing units authorised in Essex County by month, latest 60 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Housing units authorised in Essex County by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings
| Permits, 12 months to August 2026 | Essex County | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing units authorised | 1,063 | 13,778 | 1,418,086 |
| Units per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
| Single-family share | 37% | 38% | 63% |
| Change on previous 12 months | −9.6% | +16.2% | −0.1% |
| Units authorised since 1995 | 43,337 | 498,192 | 43,082,761 |
Population is the Census Bureau's vintage 2025 estimate. Permits authorise construction; they are not completions.
ZIP codes in Essex County
Ranked by ten-year change in the FHFA ZIP index. Where a ZIP's index ends before 2025, its spans end in that year.
| ZIP | 1 year | 10 years | Since 2000 | Index through | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01841 | +4.3% | +168.1% | +316.5% | 2025 | 42 |
| 01843 | +3.8% | +141.9% | +268.4% | 2025 | 41 |
| 01902 | +4.5% | +136.3% | +255.7% | 2025 | 44 |
| 01905 | +2.9% | +129.0% | +245.0% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01832 | +9.8% | +116.4% | +208.3% | 2025 | 42 |
| 01904 | +3.4% | +111.6% | +207.4% | 2025 | 45 |
| 01913 | +10.0% | +109.2% | +193.9% | 2025 | 41 |
| 01830 | +6.3% | +106.6% | +178.9% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01835 | +5.4% | +105.1% | +181.4% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01908 | +9.4% | +104.5% | +216.0% | 2025 | 40 |
| 01844 | +6.9% | +104.2% | +192.9% | 2025 | 49 |
| 01950 | +10.8% | +103.4% | +239.3% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01952 | +3.2% | +101.4% | +203.1% | 2025 | 41 |
| 01906 | +7.7% | +97.3% | +180.2% | 2025 | 49 |
| 01970 | +0.6% | +92.6% | +187.1% | 2025 | 47 |
| 01860 | +3.7% | +92.3% | +171.7% | 2025 | 41 |
| 01951 | +8.2% | +91.6% | +206.7% | 2025 | 40 |
| 01960 | +4.9% | +90.7% | +171.8% | 2025 | 48 |
| 01834 | +1.8% | +90.3% | +162.6% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01907 | +6.9% | +90.0% | +149.6% | 2025 | 47 |
| 01915 | +4.3% | +89.7% | +175.0% | 2025 | 47 |
| 01985 | +6.5% | +89.7% | +159.2% | 2025 | 40 |
| 01984 | +13.7% | +88.0% | +149.5% | 2025 | 40 |
| 01930 | +3.3% | +87.8% | +183.5% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01938 | +4.1% | +85.9% | +171.2% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01923 | +6.0% | +84.8% | +164.0% | 2025 | 47 |
| 01922 | +5.5% | +83.2% | +139.2% | 2025 | 40 |
| 01833 | +4.6% | +82.0% | +144.8% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01969 | +2.7% | +79.7% | +146.5% | 2025 | 41 |
| 01845 | +2.8% | +79.1% | +138.0% | 2025 | 49 |
| 01966 | +11.8% | +76.0% | +153.2% | 2025 | 40 |
| 01949 | −0.6% | +75.4% | +168.3% | 2025 | 41 |
| 01945 | +6.4% | +73.7% | +151.7% | 2025 | 48 |
| 01810 | +3.4% | +73.4% | +142.2% | 2025 | 50 |
| 01921 | +3.8% | +72.3% | +117.2% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01940 | +6.8% | +71.8% | +160.1% | 2025 | 44 |
| 01982 | +3.0% | +67.8% | +143.6% | 2025 | 41 |
| 01983 | −3.7% | +66.5% | +122.8% | 2025 | 43 |
| 01944 | +0.8% | +48.6% | +146.2% | 2025 | 39 |
| 01929 | +1.9% | +48.3% | +144.4% | 2024 | 39 |
Cities and permit-issuing places in Essex County
Housing units authorised in the 12 months to August 2026; places with at least 12 units in the year, or in the year before.
| Place | Units, 12 months | Per 1,000 residents | Single-family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn | 212 | 2.0 | 6% |
| Newburyport | 104 | 5.4 | 12% |
| Salem | 102 | 2.2 | 25% |
| Beverly | 88 | 2.0 | 3% |
| Swampscott town | 84 | — | 7% |
| Salisbury town | 66 | — | 68% |
| Gloucester | 63 | 2.1 | 44% |
| Haverhill | 43 | 0.6 | 88% |
| Boxford town | 34 | — | 100% |
| Methuen | 32 | 0.6 | 25% |
| Ipswich town | 20 | — | 35% |
| Peabody | 20 | 0.4 | 90% |
| Newbury town | 18 | — | 72% |
| Groveland town | 17 | — | 53% |
| Merrimac town | 17 | — | 88% |
| Lynnfield town | 15 | — | 100% |
| Danvers town | 13 | — | 0% |
| Lawrence | 13 | 0.1 | 100% |
| Marblehead town | 13 | — | 85% |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea town | 12 | — | 75% |
| Andover town | 11 | — | 100% |
| Middleton town | 11 | — | 64% |
| Amesbury | 5 | 0.3 | 100% |
| West Newbury town | 3 | — | 100% |
Questions and answers
How much have home values in Essex County risen over 10 years?
The FHFA index for Essex County rose +92.0% from 2015 to 2025, about +6.7% a year. Over 20 years: +75.3%; since 2000: +174.1%.
How does Essex County compare with Massachusetts and the United States?
Over the ten years to 2025: Essex County +92.0%, Massachusetts +87.1%, United States +85.0%, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH +89.3%.
What happened to Essex County prices in 2008?
The index peaked in 2006 and fell −18.8% to 2012; it passed the peak again in 2017. The state index fell −18.6% over 2006–2012.
How many homes are being built in Essex County?
1,063 housing units were authorised by building permits in the 12 months to August 2026 (393 single-family, 584 in buildings of five or more units), or 1.3 per 1,000 residents against 1.9 for Massachusetts.
Where does this data come from?
The index is FHFA's annual county house price index (all-transactions, developmental), last updated March 31, 2026, with values through 2025. Permits are from the Census Bureau Building Permits Survey through August 2026; population is the Census Bureau's vintage 2025 estimate.
Provenance
Index: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for counties (all-transactions, developmental), last updated March 31, 2026, values 1975–2025; metro, state and national comparisons from FHFA's annual indexes in the same release. Permits: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, county and place files, through August 2026. Population: Census Bureau vintage 2025 estimates. ZIP assignment: 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file. Public domain throughout. Corrections · FHFA HPI datasets · Building Permits Survey.