South Shore Real Estate Market 2026: Prices & Trends

South Shore Prices Are Up But the Rules May Have Changed

If you've been scrolling listings lately and wondering whether the South Shore market is cooling off, you're not alone. That question is showing up constantly in local forums and neighborhood groups. The short answer: prices are up in almost every town. But *how* homes are selling has shifted and that distinction matters whether you're buying or selling right now.

I pulled single-family closed sales for five South Shore towns including Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, Duxbury, and Norwell, comparing Q1 2025 to Q1 2026 (January through March 22). All figures use median sale price, which gives a more accurate read of typical market conditions than averages, which can be skewed by a handful of outlier sales at either end of the price spectrum.

Here's what the numbers show.

The Data: Town by Town

Hingham
**Median sale price: $1,252,500 → $1,550,000 (+23.8%)**
Avg days on market: 48 → 56 | Sold over asking: 39% → 41%

Hingham continues to be the benchmark town on the South Shore, and this data reinforces why. Nearly 24% median price growth year-over-year on single-family homes is significant, especially with the over-ask rate holding steady and even ticking slightly higher. The modest DOM increase doesn't concern me. What it tells me is that buyers are being more deliberate about which homes they pursue, but when the right one hits the market (potential sellers take note!) at the right price, it still moves fast and often above ask. Hingham isn't cooling, it's maturing. 

Cohasset
**Median sale price: $1,486,000 → $1,600,000 (+7.7%)**
Avg days on market: 30 → 92 | Sold over asking: 25% → 46%

This is the most interesting data set in the group. Median price growth is modest at 7.7%, but the over-ask rate nearly doubled from 25% to 46%. So what explains the DOM jumping from 30 to 92 days? Well-priced, well-presented homes are getting multiple offers and selling above ask. Properties that come in overpriced or need work are sitting and sitting long. At Cohasset's price point, buyers have done their homework and they have options. The days of everything selling quickly regardless of condition or pricing are over here.

Scituate
**Median sale price: $1,132,500 → $1,025,572 (-9.4%)**
Avg days on market: 62 → 41 | Sold over asking: 39% → 35%

The headline number looks like softening. It isn't. Here's what's actually happening: the 2025 data includes 20 Wood Island Road, a $5 million waterfront sale that closed in January 2025 after 314 days on market. That single transaction pulled the entire 2025 median higher. Remove it and the 2025 Scituate median drops to $1,105,000, nearly identical to this year's $1,025,572.

The real Scituate story is actually one of the most encouraging in this analysis. Homes are selling 21 days faster than last year. Price per square foot moved from $463 to $440 a modest shift, not a decline. And the buyer pool is broadening, with more activity in the sub-$1M segment alongside continued strength above $1M. Scituate is balanced, active, and moving. I have my thoughts on why if you want to discuss. 

Duxbury
**Median sale price: $976,000 → $1,310,700 (+34.3%)**
Avg days on market: 31 → 55 | Sold over asking: 65% → 33%

Duxbury posted the largest price increase of any town in this analysis, a 34% jump in median sale price. But paired with that is the sharpest drop in competitive bidding: sold-over-ask fell from 65% to 33%. That combination tells a specific story. Prices have reset higher, and buyers have accepted the new floor. What's gone is the frenzied overbidding that defined 2021-2023. Buyers are paying more, but they're not panicking. For sellers, this means pricing at market value is more important than ever.

Norwell
**Median sale price: $855,000 → $963,000 (+12.6%)**
Avg days on market: 26 → 47 | Sold over asking: 40% → 25%

Note: the 2026 Norwell sample includes only 8 closed single-family sales, compared to 15 in 2025. Treat these figures as directional rather than definitive, more closings over the next few weeks will sharpen this picture.

With that caveat on the table: prices are up 12.6%, but the other signals point to a buyer-friendlier environment than we've seen here in a while. Days on market nearly doubled, and the sold-over-ask rate dropped by 15 points. Norwell may be where buyers who've been priced out of Hingham and Cohasset find their best opportunity right now, prices are moving up, but there's still negotiating room that other towns have lost.

What This Means If You're Buying

The window of "just offer whatever it takes" is narrowing in most towns. You still need to be prepared to move quickly on well-priced properties. Hingham, Scituate, and Duxbury are not forgiving markets when the right home hits. But there's more room to be strategic than there was two years ago. Cohasset and Norwell in particular are giving buyers leverage they haven't had in a while.

Know your town. Do your homework on what has actually closed, not just what's listed. The gap between asking price and reality has widened in some of these markets, and that gap is where informed buyers find opportunity. I have a checklist of what buyers need to do before they start looking at homes and I can share that with you. 

What This Means If You're Selling

Pricing discipline is doing more work than it ever has. Across every town in this analysis, the homes sitting longest share one thing: they came to market overpriced. With days on market rising in four of five towns, buyers are more patient than they've been in years. If you price correctly from day one, the demand is here. If you don't, a price reduction 30 days in costs you more in both money and negotiating position than pricing right at the start.

Condition and presentation matter more now too. In a market where buyers have become more selective, the gap between a home that's been well-maintained and one that hasn't shows up directly in both price and time on market.

Data source: MLS single-family closed sales, January 1 – March 22, 2026 vs. January 1 – March 31, 2025. Median sale price used throughout. Sample sizes range from 8–38 sales per town per period. The Scituate 2025 median reflects a $5M outlier sale (20 Wood Island Road) that meaningfully affected the distribution; context provided within.

Don't see your town here? Reach out, I'm happy to pull the data. Contact me, there's a link at the top of the page.