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

Norfolk County · Boston-Cambridge-Newton · population 31,611

Renter-friendlySmall-town feel
View watchlist →
60
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Norwood stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $738,098
1-year +0.1%
5-yr CAGR +4.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.4%

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-01$738k$399k$523k$647k$771k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
67/100
Strong remote-work fit
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
$2,622/mo$2,090$2,494$2,899202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent120118100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 23.5
Lean rent

At a 23.5 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Norwood. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
50 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
63 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Rent YoY
27 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
65 · w10%
Long thesis

Norwood has held up across the cycle: home values at $738,098 with +4.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Norwood's rents are softening (-3.6% YoY) while home values stall (+0.1%). When rents fall, the cap-rate math gets ugly for investors and the 'rent vs buy' equation tilts toward renting — neither helps prices.

About Norwood

Norwood is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with an estimated population of 31,611. It anchors the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area. The median home value in Norwood is $738,098 as of 2026-04, up 0.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Norwood average $2,622 per month, down 3.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 60 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

Bull case

Held the highs: currently -0.4% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
The data is the data: Norwood has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

Bear case

Expensive AND not growing: median home $738,098 with only +0.1% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

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

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

Cities like Norwood

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 Norwood listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

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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