Boston Suburbs: Wellesley and Dover Rise, the Rest Cool

Six Boston suburbs, three different stories. Wellesley and Dover are rising, Newton, Weston, Needham and Natick are flat to lower, and Natick and Wellesley remain the tightest markets. Sales are down in five of the six towns (1,122 combined closings versus 1,169, down 4.0%), and homes are taking longer to sell in five of the six.

Town (YTD through Oct. 2)	Sales	Change vs. 2025	Median price	Change vs. 2025	Avg. days on market	Months of supply
Weston	82	−4.7%	$2,570,000	−2.6%	66	3.6
Wellesley	195	−8.9%	$2,400,000	+8.7%	34	2.2
Dover	50	+8.7%	$2,050,000	+9.9%	60	5.5
Newton	372	−6.1%	$1,875,000	−4.4%	36	3.1
Needham	201	−1.0%	$1,775,000	−2.5%	36	2.7
Natick	222	−0.9%	$1,083,000	−1.5%	34	2.0

A common rule of thumb is that under 5 to 6 months of supply favors sellers, about 6 months is balanced, and 7 or more favors buyers. By that yardstick, all six towns lean toward sellers — but Dover, at 5.5 months, is closest to balanced.

Town by town

Wellesley is the strongest performer. The median is $2.4 million, up 47.0% from $1,633,000 in 2020. Sales at $3 million and above rose from 46 to 64, and at $4 million and above from 19 to 31 — the move up is being driven by the top end. Search homes in Wellesley

Weston shows how averages can mislead: the average price jumped 13.0% to $3,347,000, yet the median slipped 2.6% to $2,570,000, as a few $4 million-plus sales pulled the average up. Search homes in Weston

Dover is up 9.9% in median price to $2,050,000 on a small sample of 50 sales — and at 5.5 months of supply it offers buyers the most negotiating room of the six.

Newton and Needham are steady rather than strong. Newton’s median is down 4.4% to $1,875,000 though price per square foot is up 1.3%; Needham’s median is down 2.5% to $1,775,000 with price per square foot up 1.4% — a shift in what is selling rather than a drop in value. Search homes in Newton | Search homes in Needham

Natick is the value-priced, high-demand pocket: median essentially flat at $1,083,000, the least supply of the six at 2.0 months, and 3 sales at $3 million or more this year against none at this point in 2025. Search homes in Natick

What These Numbers Mean for Your Property

For buyers

Five of the six towns are taking longer to sell than last year, and Dover sits near balanced territory at 5.5 months of supply — suburban buyers have more breathing room than in the city. Natick remains the tightest suburban market at 2.0 months; well-priced homes there, and in Wellesley at 34 days on market, still move quickly. Listings are up 19% in Needham and 12% in Natick versus last year, giving buyers more choice than in 2025.

For sellers

Price to the market you’re in, not last year’s: medians slipped 1.5% to 4.4% in Weston, Newton, Needham and Natick. In Wellesley and Dover, rising medians reward accurate pricing — overpricing risks extended days on market, as Weston’s 66-day average shows. In the suburbs, where medians are flat to down, the sale often turns on condition and positioning — plan around closed comparables rather than last year’s headline number.

For trustees, executors and family fiduciaries

Use medians, price per square foot and same-town closings when documenting value. In Weston, the average rose 13.0% while the median fell 2.6%, so an average can overstate what a typical property is worth. Small samples (Dover had 50 sales, Weston 82) can swing sharply from a few transactions, so treat their year-over-year percentages with caution. Timing a suburban disposition depends on the town — supply is tightest in Natick and Wellesley and loosest in Dover and Weston.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Boston suburb had the highest median home price?

Weston, at $2,570,000 — though its median slipped 2.6% while its average jumped 13.0% on a few $4 million-plus sales. Wellesley ($2,400,000, up 8.7%) is the strongest performer on momentum.

Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market in Boston’s suburbs right now?

Still a seller’s market by the supply yardstick: all six tracked suburbs carry under 5.5 months of inventory — below the roughly 6 months considered balanced. But buyers have more breathing room than last year: homes are taking longer to sell in five of the six towns, and Boston active listings were up 16.1% year over year in September (Douglas Elliman research).

Sources and Methodology

Suburban figures are MLS year-to-date through October 2, 2026 for Wellesley, Weston, Newton, Needham, Natick and Dover. Percentage changes are calculated from the reported figures. Inventory and price-cut figures from Douglas Elliman research. Disclaimer: Data is taken from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors and omissions. ©2020 All rights reserved

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