Published October 8, 2026 in Market Update

Newburyport has more choices, but buyers still move fast

By Vladimir Babic

Real estate, Newburyport

The biggest shift in Newburyport right now is supply. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 62 homes for sale in ZIP 01950 during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 31.9% from the same period a year ago. For sellers, that means more competition. Pricing well is not optional anymore.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that active listings topped 1.16 million homes for sale in September 2026. Newburyport is part of that same trend. More homes are coming to market. Buyers have room to compare. But that does not mean buyers are slowing down here.

Buyers are still moving quickly

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that the median days on market in ZIP 01950 was 23 days during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is only 3 days longer than the same stretch in 2025. Nearly half of all homes, 46.6%, went under contract within two weeks of listing, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That number is almost unchanged from a year ago.

Sellers are still getting their price

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that the average sale price came in at 100.7% of list price in ZIP 01950 during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 0.8 points from a year ago. More than 4 in 10 homes, 42.1%, sold above asking price. That share rose 4.8 points from the same period last year. So while there are more homes to choose from, well-priced homes are still drawing strong offers.

The median price dipped, and that is worth knowing

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in ZIP 01950 at $937,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 11.2% from the same period in 2025. Prices dipped, even as more homes sold. That tells you the mix of what sold changed, or that buyers pushed back on higher prices. Either way, it is a reason to price carefully, not boldly.

For context, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Newburyport's median moved the other way during the same stretch. That gap is worth keeping in mind when you think about what your home might be worth right now.

Mortgage rates are adding pressure for buyers

Rates are not helping buyers stretch their budgets. Freddie Mac reported that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. CNBC reported that the average contract rate on a 30-year fixed loan with a conforming balance climbed to 7.49% as of October 7, 2026. Realtor.com noted that rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. Higher rates mean buyers are watching their numbers closely. That is one more reason to price your home where it will actually sell.

New listings keep coming

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 90 new listings in ZIP 01950 during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 16.9% from a year ago. Supply sits at 2.5 months, up 0.3 months from the same period last year. Still tight by most measures, but moving in the direction of a more balanced market.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that price cuts hit 20.8% of listings in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. In Newburyport, the sale-to-list ratio stayed above 100%. But the national trend is a signal. Buyers everywhere are getting more selective.

One thing to keep in mind: a ZIP code is a big area. What happened on one street can look very different from what the 01950 numbers show. The data above covers the whole ZIP. Your block may be ahead of it or behind it.