Eliza Theiss Key Takeaways:
- Massachusetts dominates New England with 40 zip codes in our top 50.
- Boston’s 02199 is most expensive New England zip at $3.7 million.
- Vermont’s most expensive zip code logs a $535,000 median.
- Middlesex County is New England’s priciest, originating 40% of its most expensive zips.
- Connecticut’s Gold Coast supplies the state’s priciest zips.
- Seven New England zip codes are among the 100 most expensive nationwide.
After releasing our traditional year-end report of the 100 most expensive zip codes in the U.S., we were curious about the 50 priciest New England zip codes in 2019. After all, the region placed seven zip codes among the 100 most expensive in the U.S. – including 02199 in Boston, the #6 most expensive zip code nationally at $3,699,000.
In order to create the most accurate benchmark, we analyzed residential sales that occurred in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont, and calculated the median sale price for each zip code. Due to three zip codes tying for the same median sale price, 52 zips made it into our New England top 50.
Massachusetts Dominates New England Real Estate Landscape with 77% of Its Priciest Zips
As expected, Massachusetts led the region in pricey zip codes, contributing 40 of the total 52 that ranked as New England’s most expensive zips. Connecticut followed from a comfortable distance with nine zips on the list, while New Hampshire contributed two zip codes and Rhode Island added one.
Maine and Vermont medians were not high enough to rank among New England’s most expensive zips. In 2019, Maine’s top zip had a $647,000 median, while Vermont’s priciest zip was at $535,000. The last entry in our New England top 50 was Boston’s 02109 with a median sale price of $800,000. For more details on Maine and Vermont, scroll down and explore their 10 priciest zip codes.
Of New England’s top 50 most expensive zips, 26 positions (representing 28 zips) registered medians greater than the $1 million mark, including seven entries that were among the 100 priciest zips in the country in 2019. The undisputed leader was Boston’s 02199, which was the most expensive zip code in New England with a median sale price of $3,669,000. Covering Back Bay’s Prudential Center area, 02199 ranked as the #3 most expensive zip code in the U.S. in 2018 but dropped to #6 in 2019 due to a 23% year-over-year contraction of its median.
Boston’s 02199 was the only New England zip to feature a median sale price higher than $3 million, with New Hampshire’s 03871 the next priciest at $1,900,000. Located in the small community of Rye Beach, 03871 was the #2 most expensive zip code in New England in 2019. Connecticut also had a strong showing, as Riverside’s 06878 scored the #3 most expensive zip in New England with a median sale price of $1,630,000. Both zips ranked nationally, of course, with Rye Beach landing at #46 and Riverside at #70.
Home to 40 of the 52 zip codes on our list, Massachusetts claimed 77% of New England’s priciest zip codes. Analyzing New England’s top zip codes from a county perspective, the concentration of affluence and pricey real estate is even clearer. Specifically, within Massachusetts, Middlesex County reigned supreme, originating 21 of New England’s top zips – a whopping 40%.
As such, Middlesex County was New England’s most expensive, followed by Massachusetts’ Norfolk County and Connecticut’s Fairfield County with nine zips each. Suffolk County – home to New England’s most expensive zip, 02199 –came in third place with eight of the region’s priciest zips.
At $3.7 Million, Back Bay Zip Code is Most Expensive in Massachusetts and New England
Massachusetts dominated our top of New England’s priciest zip codes, claiming 40 spots, including the #1 most expensive zip code in New England: 02199 in Boston’s Back Bay. With a median sale price of $3,669,000, Boston’s exclusive Back Bay 02199 zip was also among the 10 most expensive zip codes in the country, reaching #6. In fact, 02199 has consistently ranked among the 100 priciest zips in the U.S., achieving its highest position ever in 2018, when it reigned as the third-most expensive with a $4,772,500 median sale price.
Massachusetts’ #2 most expensive zip code in 2019 was 02481 in Wellesley Hills. With a median sale price of $1,474,000, the Norfolk County zip also ranked as the fifth-most expensive New England zip. Wellesley Hills’ pricey median also meant that 02481 was among the 100 most expensive zip codes in the U.S. for its third consecutive year, settling at #90 in 2019.
With its $1,437,000 median sale price, Weston’s 02493 was the #3 most expensive zip code in Massachusetts. It, too, made it onto our list of the priciest zip codes in the U.S., albeit for only the second consecutive year. Weston’s 02493 was one of 19 Massachusetts zip codes to post medians higher than $1 million in 2019.
All in all, Boston originated four of New England’s 10 most expensive zips and eight of its top 50 zips. Consequently, Boston was New England’s #1 most expensive municipality. At the same time, Massachusetts was home to the top three most expensive counties; with Middlesex in the lead with 21 of the region’s priciest zips, followed by Norfolk with nine counties – a tie with Connecticut’s Fairfield County – and Suffolk with eight leading zip codes. All in all, Massachusetts was home to 77% of New England’s leading 50 zips.
| Rank | Zip Code | Location | Median Sale Price 2019 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02199 | Boston | $3,669,000 | Suffolk |
| 2 | 02481 | Wellesley Hills | $1,474,000 | Norfolk |
| 3 | 02493 | Weston | $1,437,000 | Middlesex |
| 4 | 02108 | Boston | $1,400,000 | Suffolk |
| 5 | 02210 | Boston | $1,399,000 | Suffolk |
| 6 | 02554 | Nantucket | $1,398,000 | Nantucket |
| 7 | 02468 | Waban | $1,341,000 | Middlesex |
| 8 | 02110 | Boston | $1,337,000 | Suffolk |
| 9 | 02142 | Cambridge | $1,329,000 | Middlesex |
| 10 | 02459 | Newton Center | $1,263,000 | Middlesex |
Connecticut’s Gold Coast Continues to Lead State in Expensive Real Estate
Not to be outdone, Connecticut gave Massachusetts a run for its money, contributing three zips to our national rankings, as well. Riverside’s 06878 was Connecticut’s #1 most expensive zip code with a median sale price of $1,630,000. That figure made 06878 New England’s third-most expensive zip code in 2019, as well as #70 nationally. In 2018, 06878 was #49 nationally, but a 12% year-over-over contraction of its median sale price and outsized appreciation of California medians pushed Riverside down into the second half our national top 100 in 2019.
In Old Greenwich, 06870 was Connecticut’s #2 most expensive zip code in 2019 with a median sale price of $1,625,000. As a result, 06870 came in as the 71st-priciest zip in the U.S. in 2019, down from #65 in 2018. That came as a result of a 2% year-over-year contraction of its median sale price.
Zip 06830 in Greenwich was Connecticut’s #3 most expensive zip code with a $1,450,000 median sale price, placing 95th in our national top 100. It, too, experienced negative growth, with its 2019 median finishing more than 10% lower than it did in the previous year. As a result, it dropped in our national top 100 from #74 in 2018 to #95 in 2019.
The decrease in median sale prices in Connecticut’s most expensive zip codes hit Cos Cob’s 06807 the hardest. While its 2018 median sale price was $1,442,500 – thus ranking as the 97th-most expensive zip nationally – a 34% year-over-year decrease meant it was nowhere near high enough to rank among the priciest zip codes in the country in 2019. In fact, with a median sale price of $945,000, Cos Cob barely made it into Connecticut’s top 10, checking in as the 9th-most expensive zip code in the state.
Overall, Connecticut was the second-priciest state in New England, securing nine spots in the region’s top 50. It was also the only state in New England where the top 10 most expensive zip codes all originated in one county: Fairfield. Hence, Fairfield County tied with Massachusetts’ Norfolk County for the second-priciest county in New England. In fact, the state’s 10 priciest zips were all from Connecticut’s notoriously pricey Gold Coast.
| Rank | Zip Code | Location | Median Sale Price 2019 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 06878 | Riverside | $1,630,000 | Fairfield |
| 2 | 06870 | Old Greenwich | $1,625,000 | Fairfield |
| 3 | 06830 | Greenwich | $1,450,000 | Fairfield |
| 4 | 06831 | Greenwich | $1,200,000 | Fairfield |
| 5 | 06820 | Darien | $1,178,000 | Fairfield |
| 6 | 06853 | Norwalk | $1,113,000 | Fairfield |
| 7 | 06840 | New Canaan | $1,099,000 | Fairfield |
| 8 | 06880 | Westport | $955,000 | Fairfield |
| 9 | 06807 | Cos Cob | $945,000 | Fairfield |
| 10 | 06890 | Southport | $734,000 | Fairfield |
New Hampshire Is Home to New England’s Second-Priciest Zip Code
Meanwhile, New Hampshire made two appearances among New England’s 50 most expensive zip codes. The state’s #1 most expensive zip code, 03871 in Rye Beach, was also New England’s #2 most expensive zip in 2019. With a median sale price of $1,900,000, the tiny community was also the 46th-most expensive zip code nationally in 2019, tied with zip 92651 in Laguna Beach, California. This marked the first time that a New Hampshire zip code ranked in our national top 100.
New Hampshire’s #2 most expensive zip originated from another Rockingham County community. New Castle’s 03854 ended 2019 with a median sale price of $1,200,000, earning the designation as the 16th-most expensive zip code in New England and tying with 06831 in Greenwich, Connecticut, and 02421 in Lexington, Massachusetts.
The #3 most expensive zip code in New Hampshire, however, was far from seven-figure territory. In fact, at a median sale price of $650,000, Rye’s 03870 was about one-third of that of its neighbor Rye Beach, home to the state’s priciest zip. Rye’s 03870 was one of seven Rockingham County zip codes to make into New Hampshire’s top 10 priciest zip codes.
Additionally, Grafton County provided two zip codes, with its most expensive being Etna’s 03750 at #4 with a median sale price of $560,000. Hillsborough County rounded out the list with 03049 in Hollis, New Hampshire’s eighth-most expensive zip code at $481,000.
| Rank | Zip Code | Location | Median Sale Price 2019 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 03871 | Rye Beach | $1,900,000 | Rockingham |
| 2 | 03854 | New Castle | $1,200,000 | Rockingham |
| 3 | 03870 | Rye | $650,000 | Rockingham |
| 4 | 03750 | Etna | $560,000 | Grafton |
| 5 | 03862 | North Hampton | $554,000 | Rockingham |
| 6 | 03856 | Newfields | $551,000 | Rockingham |
| 7 | 03755 | Hanover | $550,000 | Grafton |
| 8 | 03049 | Hollis | $481,000 | Hillsborough |
| 9 | 03087 | Windham | $450,000 | Rockingham |
| 10 | 03801 | Portsmouth | $447,000 | Rockingham |
$860K Median Ranks Top Rhode Island Zip Code 42nd Regionally
Unlike Connecticut, where all 10 of the state’s most expensive zip codes were from one small area in Fairfield County – Connecticut’s Gold Coast – Rhode Island’s 10 priciest zips were located in four counties; the counties of Washington, Newport and Kent each provided three zips and Bristol County had one zip on the list. Because the medians of the state’s most expensive zips ranged between $386,000 and $860,000, no Rhode Island zip code ranked nationally in 2019.
Furthermore, Rhode Island was represented by just one zip code in our ranking of New England’s 50 most expensive. With a median sale price of $860,000, Block Island’s 02807 ranked 42nd among the region’s priciest 50 zip codes and was thus the #1 most expensive Rhode Island zip code in 2019.
Block Island was followed by Jamestown’s 02835, which at a median sale price of $527,000, was Rhode Island’s #2 most expensive zip code. Next was Newport’s 02840 as Rhode Island’s #3 most expensive zip code with a median sale price of $475,000. The rest of Rhode Island’s top 10 priciest zips posted medians within a close price range, closing the list with 02831 – in Hope in Kent County – at #10 with a $386,000 median.
| Rank | Zip Code | Location | Median Sale Price | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02807 | Block Island | $860,000 | Washington |
| 2 | 02835 | Jamestown | $527,000 | Newport |
| 3 | 02840 | Newport | $475,000 | Newport |
| 4 | 02837 | Little Compton | $462,000 | Newport |
| 5 | 02874 | Saunderstown | $460,000 | Washington |
| 6 | 02882 | Narragansett | $448,000 | Washington |
| 7 | 02806 | Barrington | $435,000 | Bristol |
| 8 | 02818 | East Greenwich | $425,000 | Kent |
| 9 | 02817 | West Greenwich | $390,000 | Kent |
| 10 | 02831 | Hope | $386,000 | Kent |
Cumberland County Boasts Highest Number of Expensive Maine Zips
Rhode Island was the last New England state to contribute zips to our top 50 ranking of the region, as no Maine or Vermont zips’ medians were higher than $800,000, the median posted by Boston’s 02109, New England’s #50 most expensive zip code in 2019 on our list. Maine’s top 10 priciest zips posted medians ranging from the low $400,000s to mid-$600,000s, suggesting a far more balanced real estate market than in Massachusetts or Connecticut, where the difference between the #1 zip in the state and the #10 zip was as large as $2.4 million.
In Maine, Cumberland County contributed half of the state’s 10 most expensive zip codes, including its #1 most expensive: 04110. With a median sale price of $647,000, Cumberland’s 04110 was followed closely by Maine’s #2 most expensive zip code, 03907 in Ogunquit. It posted a 2019 median of $630,000, making this zip code the priciest in York County.
York County was represented by three additional zip codes in our Maine top 10, including the state’s #10 priciest zip: 03909 in York, which featured a median sale price of $428,000. However, Maine’s #3 most expensive zip code was from Cumberland County, with Falmouth’s 04105 closing 2019 at a $512,000 median. Hancock County also made an appearance, albeit a solitary one, with Mount Desert’s 04660. The island zip code reached a $460,000 median sale price in 2019.
| Rank | Zip Code | Location | Median Sale Price 2019 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04110 | Cumberland | $647,000 | Cumberland |
| 2 | 03907 | Ogunquit | $630,000 | York |
| 3 | 04105 | Falmouth | $512,000 | Cumberland |
| 4 | 04107 | Cape Elizabeth | $506,000 | Cumberland |
| 5 | 03902 | Cape Neddick | $482,000 | York |
| 6 | 03905 | Kittery Point | $473,000 | York |
| 7 | 04096 | Yarmouth | $470,000 | Cumberland |
| 8 | 04660 | Mount Desert | $460,000 | Hancock |
| 9 | 04079 | Harpswell | $453,000 | Cumberland |
| 10 | 03909 | York | $428,000 | York |
Leading Vermont Zip Code Nearly 7 Times Cheaper Than Priciest Massachusetts Zip
Similar to Maine, Vermont’s price performance was not up to competing with heavy hitters like Connecticut and especially Massachusetts. After all, Vermont’s most expensive zip code was nearly seven times more affordable than Massachusetts’ top zip. Moreover, Vermont’s top zip was less than half as pricey as Massachusetts’ tenth-most expensive zip.
With a median sale price just above the half-million mark at $535,000, 05055 in Norwich was Vermont’s #1 most expensive zip code in 2019 and Windsor County’s priciest. However, it was also the lowest figure posted by any New England state’s #1 zip code. It was followed by fellow Windsor County zip 05091. Located in the Windsor County seat, Woodstock, zip code 05091’s median sale price was $488,000.
Lamoille County’s sole presence in our top 10 came in as the #3 most expensive Vermont zip code, claimed by 05672 in Stowe, which posted a $425,000 median. Vermont’s top 10 was further completed by zip codes from the counties of Chittenden, Bennington and Washington.
Chittenden County’s priciest zip was 05482 in Shelburne, claiming #4 with a $421,000 median, while Bennington’s most expensive zip was 05251 in Dorset. Its $418,000 median was Vermont’s fifth priciest. Washington County’s most expensive zip code was 05673 in Waitsfield, which claimed #7 statewide with its $371,000 median.
| Rank | Zip Code | Location | Median Sale Price 2019 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05055 | Norwich | $535,000 | Windsor |
| 2 | 05091 | Woodstock | $488,000 | Windsor |
| 3 | 05672 | Stowe | $425,000 | Lamoille |
| 4 | 05482 | Shelburne | $421,000 | Chittenden |
| 5 | 05251 | Dorset | $418,000 | Bennington |
| 6 | 05401 | Burlington | $375,000 | Chittenden |
| 7 | 05673 | Waitsfield | $371,000 | Washington |
| 8 | 05465 | Jericho | $370,000 | Chittenden |
| 9 | 05677 | Waterbury Center | $366,000 | Washington |
| 10 | 05495 | Williston | $358,000 | Chittenden |
Explore the table below for the full list of the top 50 most expensive New England zip codes in 2019:
| Rank | Zip Code | Location | County | State | Median Sale Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02199 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $3,669,000 |
| 2 | 03871 | Rye Beach | Rockingham | NH | $1,900,000 |
| 3 | 06878 | Riverside | Fairfield | CT | $1,630,000 |
| 4 | 06870 | Old Greenwich | Fairfield | CT | $1,625,000 |
| 5 | 02481 | Wellesley Hills | Norfolk | MA | $1,474,000 |
| 6 | 06830 | Greenwich | Fairfield | CT | $1,450,000 |
| 7 | 02493 | Weston | Middlesex | MA | $1,437,000 |
| 8 | 02108 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $1,400,000 |
| 9 | 02210 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $1,399,000 |
| 10 | 02554 | Nantucket | Nantucket | MA | $1,398,000 |
| 11 | 02468 | Waban | Middlesex | MA | $1,341,000 |
| 12 | 02110 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $1,337,000 |
| 13 | 02142 | Cambridge | Middlesex | MA | $1,329,000 |
| 14 | 02459 | Newton Center | Middlesex | MA | $1,263,000 |
| 15 | 02030 | Dover | Norfolk | MA | $1,250,000 |
| 16 | 06831 | Greenwich | Fairfield | CT | $1,200,000 |
| 16 | 02421 | Lexington | Middlesex | MA | $1,200,000 |
| 16 | 03854 | New Castle | Rockingham | NH | $1,200,000 |
| 17 | 06820 | Darien | Fairfield | CT | $1,178,000 |
| 18 | 02116 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $1,155,000 |
| 19 | 02482 | Wellesley | Norfolk | MA | $1,143,000 |
| 20 | 02492 | Needham | Norfolk | MA | $1,120,000 |
| 21 | 06853 | Norwalk | Fairfield | CT | $1,113,000 |
| 22 | 06840 | New Canaan | Fairfield | CT | $1,099,000 |
| 23 | 02535 | Chilmark | Dukes | MA | $1,050,000 |
| 24 | 02461 | Newton Highlands | Middlesex | MA | $1,020,000 |
| 25 | 01890 | Winchester | Middlesex | MA | $1,010,000 |
| 26 | 02467 | Chestnut Hill | Norfolk | MA | $1,000,000 |
| 27 | 02478 | Belmont | Middlesex | MA | $985,000 |
| 28 | 01773 | Lincoln | Middlesex | MA | $982,000 |
| 29 | 02466 | Auburndale | Middlesex | MA | $967,000 |
| 30 | 06880 | Westport | Fairfield | CT | $955,000 |
| 31 | 01742 | Concord | Middlesex | MA | $951,000 |
| 32 | 02111 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $948,000 |
| 33 | 06807 | Cos Cob | Fairfield | CT | $945,000 |
| 34 | 02420 | Lexington | Middlesex | MA | $940,000 |
| 35 | 02465 | West Newton | Middlesex | MA | $927,000 |
| 36 | 02446 | Brookline | Norfolk | MA | $925,000 |
| 37 | 02445 | Brookline | Norfolk | MA | $911,000 |
| 38 | 02460 | Newtonville | Middlesex | MA | $910,000 |
| 39 | 02118 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $902,000 |
| 40 | 02462 | Newton Lower Falls | Middlesex | MA | $875,000 |
| 41 | 01741 | Carlisle | Middlesex | MA | $865,000 |
| 42 | 02807 | Block Island | Washington | RI | $860,000 |
| 43 | 02138 | Cambridge | Middlesex | MA | $855,000 |
| 44 | 02025 | Cohasset | Norfolk | MA | $854,000 |
| 45 | 02458 | Newton | Middlesex | MA | $840,000 |
| 46 | 02494 | Needham Heights | Norfolk | MA | $839,000 |
| 47 | 02144 | Somerville | Middlesex | MA | $831,000 |
| 48 | 02139 | Cambridge | Middlesex | MA | $820,000 |
| 49 | 02143 | Somerville | Middlesex | MA | $801,000 |
| 50 | 02109 | Boston | Suffolk | MA | $800,000 |
Methodology
To determine the most expensive New England zip codes in 2019, we looked at residential transactions closed between January 1, 2019, and November 22, 2019, taking into account condo, co-ops and single- and two-family homes in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont. All package deals were excluded.
For an accurate representation, we only considered zip codes that registered a minimum of three residential transactions.
Due to three zip codes tying at the same median sale price, 52 zip codes made it onto our list of the top 50 most expensive New England zip codes in 2019.
Median sale prices were rounded to the nearest $1,000.
