State Pier and the swing bridge, New Bedford Harbor. File photo, April 2026. Photo: John Souza (J.A.S. III)
New Bedford housing market
Home prices, sales, homes for sale, rents and the public record for New Bedford, updated every week.
This week's market story, Oct. 19, 2026
New Bedford home sales rise 13% while the median price holds flat
The median sale price was essentially even with a year earlier, at $464,779. More homes were for sale, and fewer sold above the asking price.
More homes changed hands in New Bedford this summer than a year ago, but prices held still. Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, counted 187 sales in the city from July to September, up 13% from 165 in the same three months of 2025. The median sale price was $464,779, essentially even with $465,000 a year earlier.
Homes in New Bedford sold for a median $464,779 in the three months ending Sept. 30, 2026, down 0.1% from the same months a year earlier, according to Redfin. In all, 187 homes sold, and the typical one went under contract in 28 days. Zillow puts the typical home in town at $439,098, up 3.4% from a year earlier.
Sales and prices
Median sale price
$464,779
Down 0.1% from a year earlier
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
Homes sold
187
Up 13.3% from a year earlier
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
Price per square foot
$290
Up 9.6% from a year earlier
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
Sale price to list price
100.3%
Down 1.0 points from a year earlier
46% of homes sold for more than their first asking price.
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
Supply and speed
Homes for sale
373
Up 20.8% from a year earlier
Every home listed at any point in the three months.
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
For sale on the last day
177
Up 42.5% from a year earlier
About 2.9 months of supply at the recent pace of sales.
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
New listings
225
Up 1.5% from a year earlier
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
Days on market
28
3 days slower than a year earlier
Median days from listing to accepted offer.
Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026
Values, rents and borrowing
Typical home value
$439,098
Up 3.4% from a year earlier
A middle-of-the-market value for every home in town, sold or not.
Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Typical asking rent
$1,811 a month
Up 2.7% from a year earlier
Asking rents for homes and apartments listed for rent.
Zillow Observed Rent Index, September 2026
30-year mortgage rate
7.40%
Up 1.1 percentage points from a year earlier
A national average. On a $464,779 home with 20% down, principal and interest come to about $2,574 a month.
Freddie Mac, week of Oct. 15, 2026
Month by month
Each row is a three-month window, so each month counts in three rows. That smooths out the swings a town this size would show month to month.
| Three months | Median price | Sold | Days on market | Sale to list | For sale | Per sq. ft. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July to September 2026 | $464,779 | 187 | 28 | 100.3% | 373 | $290 |
| June to August 2026 | $476,500 | 190 | 27 | 100.1% | 376 | $277 |
| May to July 2026 | $475,000 | 177 | 27 | 100.3% | 375 | $291 |
| April to June 2026 | $477,500 | 153 | 28 | 100.2% | 364 | $282 |
| March to May 2026 | $476,000 | 122 | 30 | 100.4% | 330 | $294 |
| February to April 2026 | $464,850 | 100 | 34 | 99.6% | 275 | $260 |
| January to March 2026 | $459,900 | 103 | 35 | 99.8% | 219 | $257 |
| December 2025 to February 2026 | $454,500 | 138 | 31 | 100.3% | 218 | $274 |
| November 2025 to January 2026 | $455,000 | 168 | 35 | 100.4% | 235 | $271 |
| October to December 2025 | $477,375 | 183 | 34 | 100.0% | 266 | $270 |
| September to November 2025 | $475,000 | 177 | 30 | 100.2% | 303 | $270 |
| August to October 2025 | $475,000 | 165 | 28 | 100.3% | 315 | $261 |
Source: Redfin, three months ending Sept. 30, 2026; Redfin updated it Oct. 7, 2026. Read Oct. 18, 2026.
Tax bills, fiscal 2018 to 2026
The average single-family tax bill in New Bedford went from $3,522 in fiscal 2018 to $4,653 in fiscal 2026, up 32%, while the average assessed value rose 101%. When values climb faster than the town's budget, the rate per $1,000 falls. The fiscal 2027 rate is set at the tax classification hearing late this year.
| Fiscal year | Average bill | Change | Average value | Rate per $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $4,653 | +3.6% | $424,920 | $10.95 |
| 2025 | $4,492 | +4.9% | $397,187 | $11.31 |
| 2024 | $4,284 | -3.4% | $356,973 | $12.00 |
| 2023 | $4,434 | +9.3% | $310,298 | $14.29 |
| 2022 | $4,055 | +3.7% | $260,927 | |
| 2021 | $3,910 | +1.4% | $250,777 | |
| 2020 | $3,855 | +3.0% | $238,574 | |
| 2019 | $3,742 | +6.2% | $227,186 | |
| 2018 | $3,522 | $211,759 |
Source: Mass. Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Municipal Databank, average single-family tax bill and tax rates by class. The rate column shows the years the state's rate report covers. Read Oct. 18, 2026.
Who owns, who rents
The Census Bureau's survey of households, averaged over five years so a small town has enough answers to count. It moves slowly; use it for the shape of a town, not for this year's prices.
| Measure | New Bedford | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Homes and apartments | 44,346 | |
| Owned by the people living there | 40% | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied homes | $357,300 | $562,100 |
| Median rent paid | $1,137 | $1,762 |
| Renters paying 30% or more of income for housing | 51% | 49% |
| Median household income | $56,981 | $103,960 |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1964 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024, tables B25001, B25003, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077 and B19013. Read Oct. 18, 2026.
From the public record
| Measure | New Bedford | Note | Source, read Oct. 18, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New housing units permitted, January to August 2026 | 0 (0 single-family) | The town reported 0 units in each of 8 months | Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey |
| Average single-family tax bill, fiscal 2026 | $4,653 | On an average value of $424,920; residential rate $10.95 per $1,000; up $161 from fiscal 2025 | Mass. Department of Revenue, Municipal Databank |
| MBTA Communities zoning | Compliant | Commuter Rail community; deadline 12/31/2024 | Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, status as of Aug. 31, 2026 |
Where these numbers come from
- Redfin Data Center, Housing Market Tracker, city, county and state files (data through September 2026; read Oct. 18, 2026). Data from Redfin, a national real estate brokerage.
- Zillow Research, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) and Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for cities and counties (data through September 2026; read Oct. 18, 2026).
- Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, weekly averages (newest week Oct. 15, 2026; read Oct. 18, 2026).
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024, summary files (read Oct. 18, 2026).
- Mass. Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Municipal Databank, average single-family tax bill and tax rates by class, fiscal 2018 to 2026 (read Oct. 18, 2026).
- Bristol County Fall River District Registry of Deeds, Significant Sales 2026, Q1 (posted April 28, 2026; read Oct. 18, 2026).
We refresh these figures every week. Redfin and Zillow post new months in the middle of each month; Freddie Mac posts rates on Thursdays. See an error? Email corrections@southcoast360.com.