South Shore Real Estate Market Report — Mid-Year 2026

Published July 8, 2026 | Data source: MLSPIN | Single family home sales, January 1 – June 30, 2026

By Charles King, Charles King Group

South Shore Single Family Market Report: What the Numbers Tell Us Right Now

The South Shore's single family market delivered a clear story through the first half of 2026: strong demand in the flagship towns, tight inventory keeping days on market low almost everywhere, and a widening price gap between the region's premium waterfront communities and its higher-volume suburban towns. Across Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover, and the surrounding South Shore towns, 1,385 single family homes sold between January 1 and June 30, 2026. Here's what buyers and sellers need to know.

The Headline Numbers

• Highest median sale price: Cohasset — $1,625,000
• Highest price per square foot: Hingham — $585.06/sq ft
• Fastest-moving markets: Hingham and Scituate — both at 18 days on market
• Most active anchor town by volume: Hingham — 90 units sold
• Hingham: $1,535,000 median | 18 days on market
• Cohasset: $1,625,000 median | 27 days on market
• Scituate: $1,062,500 median | 18 days on market
• Norwell: $1,025,000 median | 21 days on market
• Hanover: $930,000 median | 19 days on market

Town-by-Town Breakdown 

What Stands Out — and What It Means

Hingham is doing double duty as the region's speed leader and its price-per-square-foot leader. At $585.06/sq ft and just 18 days on market, Hingham buyers are competing hardest on a per-square-foot basis anywhere on the South Shore — even ahead of Cohasset's higher headline price. What it means: if you're pricing a Hingham listing, per-square-foot comps matter more than round-number comparisons to neighboring towns. A home priced on Cohasset's dollar-per-square-foot logic will likely undervalue a Hingham property.

Cohasset's median price is the highest on the South Shore, but it's also the slowest-moving of the five anchor towns at 27 days. That combination — top dollar, longer runway — is typical of a smaller, higher-end inventory pool where the right buyer takes a little more time to find. What it means: Cohasset sellers should expect strong final numbers but shouldn't panic if a well-priced home takes a few extra weeks past the South Shore average to go under agreement.

Scituate is quietly matching Hingham's 18-day pace at a lower price point. With 76 sales and a $1,062,500 median, Scituate is proving that speed isn't limited to the highest-priced towns — it's showing up wherever inventory is genuinely scarce relative to demand. What it means: Scituate buyers need to be pre-approved and ready to move the moment a listing hits, regardless of price tier.

Norwell had the lowest sales volume among the five anchor towns — just 33 transactions — while still posting a $1,025,000 median. Low volume with a strong price point usually points to limited new inventory rather than soft demand. What it means: Norwell sellers are in a genuine seller's market with less competition from other listings, and buyers should expect to see fewer options but firm pricing.

Hanover sits in the middle of the pack on every metric — $930,000 median, 19 days on market, $404.93/sq ft — making it the most "average" of the five anchor towns in the best sense: consistent demand without the price extremes of Hingham or Cohasset. What it means: Hanover remains one of the more accessible entry points into a South Shore anchor town for move-up buyers.

Outside the anchor towns, Plymouth's volume (267 sales) dwarfs everything else on this list, while Hull's 33-day median stands out as the slowest market in the region. Plymouth's scale reflects its size and broader price range; Hull's longer timeline likely reflects a smaller, more seasonal buyer pool. What it means: Plymouth offers buyers the most choice on the South Shore right now, while Hull sellers should build in more patience than the regional average.

Featured Town Spotlight: Cohasset

Cohasset's $1,625,000 median and $551.62/sq ft make it the priciest town on this report, but the more interesting number is the 27-day median — nearly 50% longer than Hingham or Scituate. With only 38 sales in six months, Cohasset's inventory pool is thin, and much of what sells is competing less on speed and more on being genuinely distinctive: water proximity, lot size, and updated systems all carry outsized weight here. Sellers with move-in-ready, well-located homes are still commanding top dollar; homes that need work or sit off the water are the ones adding days to that median. Buyers who find the right Cohasset property shouldn't expect a bidding-war sprint the way they would in Hingham — but they also shouldn't expect a discount for the extra time on market.

What This Means for Sellers in Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell & Hanover

If you're selling in Hingham or Scituate, you're in the fastest-moving segment of the South Shore — homes priced correctly are going under agreement in about 18 days. Price to the per-square-foot comps in your immediate neighborhood, not just the town median, and be ready for a compressed negotiation window. In Cohasset, pricing power is strong but expect a longer runway; don't read a few extra weeks on market as a sign of a soft listing. Norwell sellers are working with limited competing inventory, which supports firm pricing — but that also means buyers have fewer alternatives to compare you against, so presentation still matters. Hanover remains a steady, dependable seller's market: homes that are priced in line with the $930,000 median and shown well are moving in line with the regional average. Across all five towns, well-prepared listings — updated photos, pre-inspection where appropriate, and realistic initial pricing — are what's separating 18-day sales from 30-day sales.

What This Means for Buyers

Speed is the defining factor across most of the South Shore right now. With Hingham and Scituate both moving in 18 days, buyers need financing pre-approval in hand before touring, not after finding a home they like. Norwell and Hanover buyers should expect fewer active listings at any given time, which means being ready to act decisively when the right property appears rather than waiting for a "better" option to surface. Cohasset is the one anchor town where buyers have a bit more breathing room — the 27-day median gives more time to evaluate a property before competing offers close the window, though well-priced, move-in-ready Cohasset homes still move quickly. Outside the anchor towns, Plymouth's high sales volume (267 units) means more inventory and more negotiating room, while towns like Hull, with its 33-day median, may offer buyers slightly more leverage on price or terms.

Mid-Year 2026 Outlook

Inventory remains the defining constraint across most of the South Shore's premier towns, and that scarcity is keeping days on market low even as prices continue to climb in Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate. Expect the back half of 2026 to follow a similar pattern — well-priced, well-prepared listings in the anchor towns moving quickly, with more negotiating room available in higher-volume markets like Plymouth and Weymouth. If you're thinking about buying or selling anywhere on the South Shore this year, let's talk through what these numbers mean for your specific town and timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many single family homes have sold on the South Shore in 2026?

Across the 16 South Shore towns tracked in this report, 1,385 single family homes sold between January 1 and June 30, 2026. Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, and Hanover — the region's anchor towns — accounted for 290 of those sales. Source: MLSPIN, January 1–June 30, 2026.

What is the median home price in Hingham right now?

Hingham's median single family sale price was $1,535,000 through the first half of 2026, with homes selling at a median of $585.06 per square foot and going under agreement in about 18 days. That 18-day median ties Hingham with Scituate as the fastest-moving anchor town on the South Shore. Source: MLSPIN, January 1–June 30, 2026.

How much do homes in Cohasset sell for?

Cohasset posted the highest median sale price on the South Shore at $1,625,000, based on 38 single family sales in the first half of 2026. Homes there took a median of 27 days to sell, longer than the other anchor towns, reflecting Cohasset's smaller, higher-end inventory pool. Source: MLSPIN, January 1–June 30, 2026.

Are homes in Scituate selling quickly?

Yes — Scituate homes had a median of 18 days on market in the first half of 2026, matching Hingham for the fastest pace among South Shore anchor towns. With 76 sales and a $1,062,500 median price, Scituate is proving that speed isn't limited to the highest price points. Source: MLSPIN, January 1–June 30, 2026.

What's the housing market like in Norwell?

Norwell had the lowest sales volume of the five South Shore anchor towns, with just 33 single family homes selling in the first half of 2026 at a median price of $1,025,000. Homes took a median of 21 days to sell, and the limited volume suggests inventory scarcity rather than weak demand. Source: MLSPIN, January 1–June 30, 2026.

What are home prices doing in Hanover?

Hanover's median single family sale price was $930,000 through the first half of 2026, with a median of 19 days on market and $404.93 per square foot. Hanover sits in the middle of the South Shore's anchor towns on price, offering a comparatively accessible entry point without the extended timelines seen elsewhere. Source: MLSPIN, January 1–June 30, 2026.

Is it a good time to sell a home on the South Shore?

For most South Shore towns, yes — the majority of towns in this report posted median days on market between 18 and 21 days, a strong indicator of a seller's market driven by limited inventory. Hingham and Scituate sellers in particular are seeing some of the fastest sale timelines in the region, while even slower-moving towns like Cohasset are still commanding top-dollar prices. Source: MLSPIN, January 1–June 30, 2026.

Ready to Talk Through Your South Shore Move?

Whether you're buying or selling in Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover, or anywhere else on the South Shore, these numbers only tell part of the story — your specific street, your specific home, and current buyer activity matter just as much. Let's connect and put this data to work for you.