Published October 25, 2026 in Market Update

North Shore prices rose even as sales slowed

By Chris DiToro

Real estate, North Shore

The number that matters most right now is this: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 306 homes sold across the North Shore in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 6.7% from the same months a year before. But inventory fell even faster, down 12.3%. When supply shrinks faster than sales, prices have room to hold. That is exactly what happened here.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. home prices rose 2.6% year over year through July 2026. The North Shore did not just match that. Most ZIP codes beat it, some by a wide margin.

What prices did across the North Shore

10310 and 10303 led the way. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put 10310's median at $767,000, up 20.8% year over year. That is a meaningful gain. 10303 came in at $617,500, up 20.3%. Both of those outpaced the national figure by a wide margin.

10304 barely moved. Its median of $737,500 was up just 0.1%, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. And 10305 dipped 4%, landing at $720,000. Not every pocket of the North Shore moved in the same direction. That is worth keeping in mind.

Sales fell, but so did supply

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 456 homes for sale across the North Shore during the period. A year earlier there were more. New listings also fell, down 4.4% to 456 for the period. Fewer sellers came to market, and that kept the balance from tipping too far toward buyers.

Pending sales tell a more cautious story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 305 pending sales across the North Shore, down 19.9% from a year before. That drop is real. It means the pipeline of future closings is thinner than it was. Buyers are still out there, but they are moving more slowly.

How fast homes are moving, ZIP by ZIP

10302 stood out for speed. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put its median days on market at 26, which is 19 days shorter than a year before. Homes there also sold above list price on average, with a sale-to-list ratio of 100.6%. Nearly half of all 10302 homes, 45.8%, sold above asking.

10301 took longer, a median of 70 days. That is 14 days more than a year before. Still, prices there rose 13.8%. Slower does not always mean weaker.

Are sellers getting their price?

Four of the six ZIP codes saw their sale-to-list ratio improve year over year. 10303 and 10302 both cleared 100%, meaning the typical home sold above its asking price. 10304 was the only one where that ratio slipped, down 0.8 points to 95.8%.

The bigger picture: rates and the Northeast

Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% in September 2026. That matters for affordability. CNBC reported that a monthly payment on a median-priced home now takes about 33% of a median family's income, up from 26% in 2022. Higher rates slow buyers down. They do not always push prices down, especially when supply is also tight.

Realtor.com also reported that Northeast inventory rose 11.6% year over year in September 2026, and that the Northeast median list price fell 3.8% over the same period. The North Shore bucked that regional trend in most ZIP codes. Inventory here fell, not rose, and prices in most areas climbed.

What this means for you

If you own a home on the North Shore, the data from the three months ending August 31, 2026 shows that value held up in most areas, even as fewer deals closed. That is a reassuring signal, not a guarantee.

If you are buying, less competition than a year ago is real. But lower prices are not a given. Supply is tight, and sellers in most ZIP codes are still getting close to, or above, their asking price.