What $500K Buys in Massachusetts Right Now: 10 Towns, One Budget

Same budget, ten towns, completely different homes. In this episode of the Massachusetts Market Brief, I hold one number constant — $500,000 — and road-trip it across eastern Massachusetts to show what that money actually buys town by town. Watch the full episode above, or read the highlights below.

Start with the payment, not the price

At 7.24% on a 30-year fixed (Freddie Mac’s October 29 survey), a $500,000 home with 20% down runs about $2,726 a month in principal and interest. For perspective, the statewide median rent is $2,995 a month. In the right town, owning the median home costs less per month than renting the median apartment.

Where $500K isn’t enough

• Boston — median listing $868,400. Here, $500K is a small condo, not a house.
• Bridgewater — $624,587 and Attleboro — $595,000. $500K buys in, but below the median — smaller homes, fixer-uppers, or patience.
• Brockton — $534,646. Close enough that $500K starts a real single-family conversation.

Right at the line

• Fairhaven — $507,973. A rounding error from the budget.
• Wareham — $498,762. Just under — $500K is at the median here.

Where $500K puts you at or above the median

• Fall River — $489,767
• Taunton — about $475,000
• Worcester — about $470,000
• New Bedford — $464,779, where the median home’s payment works out to roughly $2,534 a month

Statewide context: the Massachusetts single-family median is $670,000 (MAR, September 2026), so every town on the “under” list is a genuine discount to the state — without leaving the state.

The three-move playbook

1. Pick the town by the payment. Work backward from the monthly number you can carry, not the price you hope for.
2. Shop the towns at the line. Fairhaven and Wareham buyers compete at the median; Fall River, Taunton, and New Bedford buyers shop above it.
3. Keep the inspection. At these price points in older housing stock, the inspection is where your money is protected.

Want a town-by-town read on your budget?

Tell me the monthly payment you’re comfortable with and I’ll map it to the towns where it works — no pressure, just the math. I’m Clary Carson, CENTURY 21 North East, serving eastern Massachusetts.

Call or text: (508) 455-4728 · Email: clarycarson@hotmail.com

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