Published October 22, 2026 in Market Update

Newburyport has more listings, but buyers still compete

By Vladimir Babic

Real estate, Newburyport

More homes are on the market in Newburyport. That part is true. But if you think that means buyers are sitting easy, the numbers say otherwise. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 42.1% of homes selling above list price in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That share is actually up 4.8 points from the same period a year ago. More supply came in, and buyers absorbed most of it.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that active listings topped 1.16 million homes for sale in September 2026. Newburyport moved in the same direction. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 62 homes for sale in ZIP 01950, up 31.9% from a year before. New listings rose 16.9%, reaching 90 in the same period. More choice for buyers, yes. But not so much that competition faded.

Speed tells the same story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 46.6% of Newburyport homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. The median home sold in 23 days. That is 3 days longer than a year ago, a small shift, but the market is not slow. Well-priced homes still moved fast.

Prices dipped, but the sale-to-list held firm

Here is where sellers need to pay attention. 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 softened. At the same time, the average sale-to-list ratio came in at 100.7%, up 0.8 points from a year ago. Homes that were priced right still drew strong offers. Homes that were not, likely sat.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that price cuts hit 20.8% of listings in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. That tells you pricing discipline matters everywhere right now, not just Newburyport. Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That rate shapes what buyers can afford, and it shapes how sellers need to think about their number.

Sales volume rose even as prices dipped

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 76 homes sold in ZIP 01950 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 13.4% from the same period a year ago. Pending sales came in at 73, up 2.8%. Buyers are active. The pipeline is moving. The market is not stalled, it is just more balanced than it was.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Newburyport's median price moved the other way over that window. Local conditions can run differently from the national trend, and they did here.

These are ZIP 01950 numbers for the three months ending August 31, 2026. One street can read very differently from the whole ZIP. A block near the waterfront, a cul-de-sac off a main road, a neighborhood with newer construction: each one has its own rhythm. If you want to know what the numbers look like for your specific address, send me a note.