About Belmont, MA
What It’s Like to Live in Belmont
Think leafy streets where Victorian homes mingle with modest capes, Saturday mornings at the farmers’ market on Leonard Street, and a quick 20‑minute hop on the Fitchburg Line when you need Boston energy.
Belmont’s walk score sits at 60, meaning most errands still need a car, but stretches like Cushing Square and Waverley Square let you grab a latte on foot or bike the 10‑mile Minuteman Trail into Cambridge.
Schools in Belmont score near the top of Massachusetts rankings, and that steady demand shows up in house prices every spring.
Brief Overview of the Belmont Real Estate Market
Belmont’s real estate market is compact, barely five square miles, but it punches above its weight in price.
Typical home values hover near $1.49 million, edging 0.7 percent higher than last year, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
Limited land and strict zoning keep fresh listings scarce, so buyers feel pressure the moment a “For Sale” sign appears.
Current Market Overview
Average House Prices
Redfin’s June 2025 report pegs the average home sale price in Belmont at roughly $1.64 million, up 25.8 percent year‑over‑year and translating to about $734 per square foot.
Zillow shows a slightly lower median sale price of $1.53 million for May 2025, reminding us that different data sets slice the numbers in their own way.
Either way, Belmont home prices remain among the highest in Middlesex County.
Inventory Levels and Days on Market
Only 49 active listings sat on the market at the end of June, and the typical home in Belmont goes under agreement in ten days, two days faster than last year.
With just 25 homes sold in June, buyers are all chasing the same limited supply.
Current Market Trends
Buyers keep stretching to win.
Sale‑to‑list ratios sit around 103 percent, and more than half the homes close above the asking price.
Cash offers and waived inspections still pop up, though fewer than in 2023 when rates first spiked and inventory cratered.
Year‑Over‑Year Trends for Belmont Property
Over the past 12 months, median home prices climbed about 26 percent.
Zooming out five years, the FHFA index for the Cambridge‑Newton‑Framingham division (Belmont’s metro slice) shows roughly 32 percent appreciation, and over ten years, that figure balloons to about 75 percent.
In plain English, a home that cost $900,000 in 2015 now fetches north of $1.5 million without any fancy additions.
Is It a Buyer’s or Seller’s Market?
Quick Answer
It’s still a seller’s market, but not the frenzy of 2021.
Multiple‑offer weekends remain common, yet higher mortgage rates keep some would‑be bidders on the sidelines, tempering the runaway price spikes of earlier pandemic years.
What Sellers Can Expect Right Now
Properly priced homes in Belmont Hill or the Chenery district can pull in offers over list price within a week.
Appraisal gaps have narrowed, so do your homework on comparable sales to avoid a low appraisal surprise.
What Buyers Can Expect Right Now
Bring pre‑approval, flexibility on closing, and a willingness to tour mid‑week.
Jumbo loans hover around 6.74 percent for a 30‑year fixed as of July 24, 2025, so a strong credit score and buffers for higher monthly payments are crucial.
If you wait for prices to dip, remember that supply usually dips too.
Key Factors Influencing the Market
Local Economy and Employment Trends
Belmont residents often work at Harvard, MIT, or biotech corridors in Kendall Square and Waltham, keeping professional wages sturdy even in choppy cycles.
Those steady paychecks underpin demand for homes for sale in Belmont.
Interest Rates and Buyer Demand
The 6‑plus percent mortgage environment trims budgets by hundreds each month, cooling demand just enough to extend days on market from the lightning‑fast five‑day pace of 2022 to today’s ten.
If rates fall below six, expect a renewed surge of sidelined buyers.
How Schools in Belmont Affect the Housing Market
Schools in Belmont are the main price engine.
Belmont High ranks #9 statewide on Niche’s 2025 list, a bragging right that sends parents scrambling for addresses inside the district.
That demand pushes the median price per square foot on a home in Belmont to roughly $734, while next‑door Arlington averages about $601.
With no room for new campuses, pressure on limited seats keeps listings near the top elementary catchments selling fast and often over asking.
Neighborhood Insights
Popular Neighborhoods in Belmont, Massachusetts
Belmont Hill draws luxury buyers seeking half‑acre lots and skyline views.
Cushing Square appeals to condo seekers who crave walkability.
Belmont Center shows the highest median sale price at $2.0 million and a 37.9 percent annual jump.
New Construction and Development Projects
True new construction is rare. The town recently green‑lit several townhouse clusters along Trapelo Road as part of its mixed‑use overlay, but those twenty‑odd units hardly move the supply needle.
Rental Market in Belmont, MA
Average rents sit near $3,250, about 43 percent above the national average, with year‑over‑year rent growth of roughly 4 percent.
High rent pushes some long‑time tenants toward buying, but the jump from $3,000 rent to a $1.6 million purchase forces many to stay renters or look in nearby Arlington.
Forecast for the Belmont Real Estate Market
Expert Predictions for the Rest of 2025
Economists at Freddie Mac expect 30‑year rates to hang above six percent through December, keeping Belmont home prices relatively flat after the spring run‑up.
Inventory should creep higher as empty‑nesters decide rate lock‑in is less important than downsizing.
Expert Predictions for 2026 and Beyond
If rates ease into the five‑percent range by late 2026, pent‑up demand from families still renting or commuting from farther suburbs could reignite bidding wars.
Long‑term constraints on buildable land mean the Belmont housing market is likely to outpace broader Massachusetts averages.
Expert Opinions on Timing Your Move
Buyers targeting a home in Belmont might find slightly more negotiability in late autumn when local sellers fear listing past Thanksgiving.
Sellers planning to cash out should still aim for the April‑to‑June window when flowers bloom and school rankings sway families.
Final Thoughts
The Belmont housing market continues to favor sellers, but the gap is narrowing.
Median home prices stand lofty, mortgage rates stay stubborn, and inventory remains tight. Whether you’re dreaming of a classic colonial or considering a strategic sale in Belmont, data points only paint part of the picture; street‑level nuances matter.
Reach out for a hyper‑local analysis tailored to your address or your budget.
FAQ’s About the Belmont Housing Market
Why are Belmont home prices so high compared with nearby towns?
Belmont offers a rare blend of top‑rated public schools, a shorter commute to Boston than, say, Acton or Reading, and a small‑town feel that limits large‑scale development.
Zoning restricts multi‑family density, so the supply of homes for sale in Belmont grows by mere dozens each year while demand stays constant, especially among tech and medical professionals. That imbalance steadily lifts Belmont home prices and keeps the Belmont housing market among the priciest in Middlesex County.
How competitive is the market right now for buyers?
Redfin’s Compete Score rates Belmont a scorching 91 out of 100, meaning most homes collect multiple offers, and many still waive contingencies. The average days on market compared with last year dropped from twelve to ten, illustrating that well‑priced homes vanish quickly.
Buyers need a solid loan pre‑approval, quick decision‑making, and resilience when facing a potential bidding war.
What’s happening with mortgage rates, and how do they affect affordability?
The average 30‑year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.74 percent, according to Freddie Mac’s July 24, 2025, survey.
At that rate, a $1.6 million loan demands roughly $10,400 per month before taxes and insurance, assuming 20 percent down. High rates cut purchasing power, yet they also hold back some potential sellers who refinanced at three percent in 2020.
Until rates settle below six percent, expect affordability to remain a chief challenge and supply to stay tight.
How did Belmont home values perform over the past decade?
FHFA’s house price index for the metro region rose about 75 percent from 2015 to early 2025, meaning long‑term owners saw nearly double the equity gains compared with national averages. Even over the turbulent pandemic period, Belmont’s median home value climbed more than 30 percent in five years.
Those figures highlight why buyers view Belmont homes as resilient assets despite cyclical headwinds.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Belmont in 2025?
With average rents around $3,250 and typical mortgage payments on a median‑priced home exceeding $10,000, renting appears cheaper on pure monthly outlay.
Yet rent increases add up, and buying locks in housing costs while building equity. Prospective homeowners should compare after‑tax mortgage costs, projected rent hikes, and lifestyle factors such as school enrollment.
A high credit score and a strong down payment remain key to tipping the balance toward ownership.