Newton, MA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Massachusetts·Newton

Middlesex County · Boston-Cambridge-Newton · population 90,700

Newton, MA
Image: Wikipedia · Newton, Massachusetts
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Newton stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $1,552,051
1-year +2.2%
5-yr CAGR +5.9%
vs 5-yr peak -0.5%
Population +0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-01$1552k$867k$1119k$1371k$1623k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
52/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$3,545/mo$2,487$3,122$3,758202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent133134100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 36.5
Rent

At a 36.5 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Newton for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
61 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
69 · w22%
Distance from peak
87 · w18%
Population growth
55 · w16%
Rent YoY
63 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
63 · w10%
Long thesis

Newton has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,552,051 with +5.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Newton's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Newton

Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with an estimated population of 90,700. It anchors the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area. The median home value in Newton is $1,552,051 as of 2026-04, up 2.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Newton average $3,545 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.6%). The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.2% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently -0.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Premium territory: $1,552,051 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Newton (Wikipedia)

Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly 8 miles (13 km) west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast, Brookline to the east, Watertown and Waltham to the north, and Weston, Wellesley, and Needham to the west. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Newton was 88,923.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorMarc Laredo
Area18.16 sq mi
Elevation100 ft
Settled1630
Nickname"The Garden City"
Motto"Liberty and Union"
Density4987.83/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Middlesex County right now.

NWS active alerts (MA)Massachusetts Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Middlesex County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Newton

13 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Waban$2,183,211+4.4%
2Newton Centre$1,993,987+2.0%
3Oak Hill$1,950,610+1.7%
4Newton Highlands$1,868,537+2.5%
5Newton Corner$1,645,024-2.3%
6Chestnut Hill$1,554,177-6.1%
7Newtonville$1,504,193+1.7%
8Auburndale$1,436,214-0.3%
9West Newton$1,422,877+3.4%
10Newton Lower Falls$1,356,163+4.2%
11Newton Upper Falls$1,291,218-1.7%
12Nonantum$1,093,160+1.9%
13Thompsonville$1,091,232+2.2%

Cities like Newton

Haverhill, MA68 · RisingAttleboro, MA71 · RisingGloucester, MA72 · RisingLawrence, MA69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Newton

ToolCan I afford Newton?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Newton rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Newton to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolNewton cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
81° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
200
~55% of year
Annual precip
48″ rain
43″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Newton listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$96,500
Massachusetts state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechBiotechEducation/Healthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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