The story of this market
The typical home in Wellesley, Massachusetts sells for about $2,130,000, or $673 per square foot.
Prices are down 11.2% from a year ago, which gives buyers more room to negotiate. Homes take about 20 days to sell, which is fast. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $3,800 a month.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+2.5%
MA · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Wellesley, Massachusetts
The Wellesley housing market remains highly competitive, characterized by low inventory and high demand for its top-tier school system and proximity to Boston. While median prices have seen a slight year-over-year correction, the market remains robust with homes selling quickly. The current environment is driven by a limited supply of single-family homes and sustained interest from affluent buyers.
No ARED county foreclosure postings attributed to Wellesley yet — the verified ledger covers every county the foreclosure ingest has read, attributed by published city area. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Deterministic aggregate of 3 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Median prices moved up 29.6% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 60 days on market with 0.0 months of supply — a balanced-paced market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 0.36% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 2.5% · poverty 4.0% — a stable, low-distress profile.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this city — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
The historic commercial heart of the town, featuring upscale boutiques, restaurants, and professional services.
A prestigious liberal arts college with a sprawling, scenic campus that serves as a major cultural and recreational anchor for the town.
A popular local destination for swimming, picnicking, and outdoor recreation during the summer months.
Wellesley is ideal for affluent families seeking top-tier public schools and a suburban lifestyle with easy access to Boston. It also attracts academics and professionals associated with the local colleges, though the high entry price point makes it less accessible for first-time buyers.
Wellesley Public Schools are highly regarded, consistently ranking among the top-performing districts in Massachusetts. The district is characterized by rigorous academic standards, extensive extracurricular offerings, and strong community support for educational excellence.
Transportation is facilitated by the MBTA Commuter Rail, providing direct access to Boston's Back Bay and South Station. Major road arteries include Route 9 and Route 16, which connect the town to the broader MetroWest region.
The town offers an extensive amenity base including the expansive Morses Pond for swimming, numerous town parks, and the scenic trails of the Wellesley College campus. Residents enjoy high-end shopping and dining in the village centers of Wellesley Square and Wellesley Hills.
The rental market is characterized by low vacancy rates and high demand, driven by the town's proximity to major universities and Boston. Short-term rentals are strictly regulated, and the market is dominated by long-term residential leases with limited inventory.
The economy is anchored by higher education, with Babson College, Wellesley College, and Massachusetts Bay Community College serving as major employers. The town also benefits from a strong base of professional services and its status as a high-income residential hub for the Greater Boston area.
Wellesley maintains a mature, high-barrier-to-entry real estate market with limited new land for large-scale development. Economic momentum is driven by its proximity to Boston's innovation hubs and the presence of major academic institutions like Babson and Wellesley College.
Development is largely limited to infill projects and the redevelopment of existing residential parcels. There are no major large-scale commercial or infrastructure projects currently altering the town's fundamental character.
Parcels in Wellesley are subject to standard municipal property taxes and are served by the Wellesley Public Schools district. There are no significant MUD or PID special districts common in other states.
Wellesley consistently ranks as one of the safest communities in Massachusetts, with crime rates significantly lower than both state and national averages. Reported incidents are primarily limited to non-violent property offenses, reflecting a stable and secure environment.
The town faces standard New England climate risks, including winter storm impacts and occasional localized flooding in low-lying areas near the Charles River. Insurance markets remain stable, though property owners in flood-prone zones are required to maintain federal flood insurance.
Property insurance markets are stable, though homeowners in designated flood zones near the Charles River must carry mandatory flood insurance. Premiums are generally consistent with the broader Massachusetts coastal and riverine risk profiles.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. State (Massachusetts) — Massachusetts Local Property Tax: Ad valorem tax calculated as (Municipal Budget / Total Assessed Value of all taxable property) = Tax Rate per $1,000 of assessed value. Assessments must be at 100% of full and fair cash (market) value.
Researched annual trajectory for this city, from published historical series
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 7.1%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
Data retrieved from Data USA and Census Bureau profiles.
The federal school roster could not be retrieved on the last refresh — no list is shown rather than an unverified one. Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2023-24.