Worcester County homes continue prices gains as more homes sell

Photo | Grant Welker A home listed for sale on Metcalf Street in Worcester

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By Sam Bonacci

The steady price gains that have become a trademark of the Massachusetts housing market continued for the Worcester area in September, but the contracting sales numbers lifted for the month with the number of sales increasing by 1.5%.

According to Boston real estate data firm The Warren Group, the median price for a house in Worcester County was $299,000 in September, a rise of 4.2% over September 2018. For the year, median prices are up 5.5% to $290,000.

Condominium prices in the county, took a 2.3% year-over-year hit when compared to September 2018, with an average sale price of $215,000. However, condo prices still remained up 5.9% for the year at $216,000.

In Worcester city, the number of sales of single-family homes dropped slightly from 131 to 129 in September 2018 vs. 2019. The median sales price of those homes in the city rose to $253,000, a 3.1% increase.

These numbers compare favorably to the numbers for the state as a whole. The median single-family sale price rose 5% on a year-over-year basis to $399,000, which marked an all-time high for the month of September. Condominium sales were up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis for the state with a median sale price of $375,000.

The major shift occurred in the number of homes sold, with the state posting a growth in the number of single-family homes sold, a 1.4% year-over-year increase, for the first time since May. Worcester County experienced a single-family home year-over-year sales increase of 1.5% to 766 home sales in September, while condominiums experienced a 0.6% increase with 181 sales. However, both are still down in sales year-to-date by 4.9% for condominiums and 2.7% for single-family homes.