Fairhaven rooftops toward the harbor, Oct. 7, 2026. Photo: John Souza (J.A.S. III)
Real Estate
Housing on the South Coast from the public record: what each town permits, how its zoning is changing, what its tax bills come to, and what its boards will hear next. Every figure links to the record it comes from.
Housing stories
Housing and building at town boards
Planning board, zoning board and housing authority items from the boards' posted agendas, read Oct. 18. An agenda item is a hearing or a vote to come, not a decision.
Dartmouth Housing AuthorityDartmouth
Dartmouth Housing Authority takes up fiscal 2027 budget
The board reviews its fiscal 2027 budget against state guidelines, along with two state funding amendments and change orders for the Sol E Mar sewer replacement project.
Dartmouth Housing Authority agenda, Oct. 19, 2026 (date posted Oct. 9, 2026) Read Oct. 18.
Dartmouth Planning BoardDartmouth
Dartmouth Planning Board: future zoning discussion
The Planning Board continues its discussion of Dartmouth's future zoning.
Town of Dartmouth Planning Board Agenda, Oct. 19, 2026 Read Oct. 18.
Marion Planning BoardMarion
Heron Cove Estates: site plan for up to 57 townhomes on Route 6
The Planning Board holds a public hearing on a site plan for Heron Cove Estates, proposing up to 57 townhomes on Wareham Street (Route 6) in the Residence D District.
Planning Board Meeting Agenda - October 19, 2026 PDF, Town of Marion Read Oct. 18.
Marion Planning BoardMarion
Bond reduction request for Toll Brothers at 78 Wareham Road
Toll Brothers Inc. asks the Planning Board to reduce its bond for 78 Wareham Road.
Planning Board Meeting Agenda - October 19, 2026 PDF, Town of Marion Read Oct. 18.
Somerset Planning BoardSomerset
Luther's Landing subdivision: roadway and bond hearing
The Planning Board reviews whether the Karissa Lyn Court roadway in the Luther's Landing subdivision is complete and whether to release, hold or use the developer's performance bond.
Somerset Planning Board AGENDA, Oct. 20, 2026 (posted Oct. 13, 2026) Read Oct. 18.
Marion Select Board with ZBA and Planning BoardMarion
Joint meeting on state zoning changes
The Select Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board meet with town counsel on recent state zoning changes and what they mean for Marion.
New homes permitted, January to August 2026
Housing units in new buildings that each town authorized by building permit this year, by the size of the building. Where a town filed no monthly reports, the Census Bureau fills in an estimate, and the table says so.
| Town | Single-family | 2-unit | 3 to 4 units | 5 or more | Total units | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acushnet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | The town reported 0 units in each of 8 months |
| Dartmouth | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | Census estimate; the town filed no monthly reports this year |
| Dighton | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | Filed by the town, 2 of 8 months |
| Fairhaven | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | Filed by the town, 5 of 8 months |
| Fall River | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | Census estimate; the town filed no monthly reports this year |
| Freetown | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | Filed by the town, 5 of 8 months |
| Marion | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | Census estimate; the town filed no monthly reports this year |
| Mattapoisett | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | Census estimate; the town filed no monthly reports this year |
| New Bedford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | The town reported 0 units in each of 8 months |
| Rehoboth | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | Census estimate; the town filed no monthly reports this year |
| Rochester | 14 | 0 | 18 | 68 | 100 | Filed by the town, 8 of 8 months |
| Somerset | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 24 | Census estimate; the town filed no monthly reports this year |
| Swansea | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | Filed by the town, 6 of 8 months |
| Wareham | 22 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 33 | Filed by the town, 8 of 8 months |
| Westport | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | Filed by the town, 5 of 8 months |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place file for August 2026 (year to date). Read Oct. 18, 2026.
MBTA Communities zoning
State law requires each of 177 MBTA communities to allow multifamily housing by right in at least one district near transit. 6 of our 15 towns are on the list. The rest (Acushnet, Dartmouth, Dighton, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, Somerset, Swansea, Westport) are not.
| Town | Category | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall River | Commuter Rail | Dec. 31, 2024 | Compliant |
| Freetown | Commuter Rail | July 14, 2025 | Compliant |
| New Bedford | Commuter Rail | Dec. 31, 2024 | Compliant |
| Rehoboth | Adjacent small town | Dec. 31, 2025 | Compliant |
| Rochester | Adjacent small town | Dec. 31, 2025 | Compliant |
| Wareham | Adjacent community | Dec. 31, 2024 | Interim compliance |
Source: Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, compliance status sheet (as of Aug. 31, 2026). Read Oct. 18, 2026.
Property tax bills, fiscal 2026
The average single-family tax bill in Massachusetts this fiscal year is $8,113, on an average home value of $742,986, the state says.
| Town | Average single-family bill | Average single-family value | Change from fiscal 2025 | Residential rate per $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | $8,908 | $1,004,280 | +$175 | $8.87 |
| Mattapoisett | $8,244 | $805,060 | +$232 | $10.24 |
| Rochester | $6,745 | $636,929 | +$142 | $10.59 |
| Dighton | $6,689 | $537,235 | +$294 | $12.45 |
| Rehoboth | $6,623 | $610,445 | +$208 | $10.85 |
| Somerset | $6,278 | $485,506 | +$244 | $12.93 |
| Swansea | $5,623 | $494,954 | +$381 | $11.36 |
| Freetown | $5,501 | $562,426 | +$234 | $9.78 |
| Dartmouth | $5,276 | $657,047 | +$245 | $8.03 |
| Acushnet | $5,244 | $501,817 | +$154 | $10.45 |
| Westport | $4,931 | $677,349 | +$153 | $7.28 |
| New Bedford | $4,653 | $424,920 | +$161 | $10.95 |
| Fall River | $4,651 | $405,164 | +$236 | $11.48 |
| Fairhaven | $4,374 | $475,941 | +$140 | $9.19 |
| Wareham | $4,087 | $477,438 | +$126 | $8.56 |
Source: Mass. Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Municipal Databank. Read Oct. 18, 2026.
How to look up a sale or a deed
Every recorded sale, mortgage and deed in our towns is public at the county registry of deeds, free to search online. Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Wareham are in Plymouth County. The other 11 towns are in Bristol County, which keeps three registry districts.