Welcome to Monday Market Insyghts, our weekly look at the towns we serve southwest of Boston: Millis, Medfield, Medway, Franklin, Bellingham, Walpole, Norfolk, Ashland and Holliston. Each week we put one community in the spotlight and track the single-family home market across all nine, so you can see how your town compares. This week's spotlight: Bellingham, the most competitive market in our area, where Fall Annual Town Meeting on November 18 will decide how to pay for the rebuild of Hartford Avenue near I-495.
Nine-Town Market Snapshot
About these numbers: both tables cover single-family homes only. Condominiums and townhouses are not included.
Homes for sale now
Single-family homes listed for sale on MLS PIN as of November 9, 2026. Counts include homes that are under contract or coming soon.
| Town | Homes listed | Avg. list price | Avg. $/sq ft | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millis | 19 | $890,000 | $347 | $480K - $1.70M |
| Medfield | 18 | $1,092,000 | $423 | $550K - $1.93M |
| Medway | 25 | $739,000 | $327 | $450K - $1.25M |
| Franklin | 35 | $901,000 | $353 | $400K - $2.15M |
| Bellingham | 28 | $596,000 | $353 | $315K - $1.20M |
| Walpole | 27 | $1,022,000 | $399 | $565K - $2.00M |
| Norfolk | 16 | $1,200,000 | $377 | $360K - $2.70M |
| Ashland | 20 | $760,000 | $360 | $400K - $2.00M |
| Holliston | 29 | $972,000 | $349 | $495K - $2.38M |
Figures are rounded and change daily. Averages reflect asking prices, not sale prices.
Recent sales: last three months
Single-family homes that closed between August 10 and November 6, 2026.
| Town | Sales | Median sale price | Avg. sale-to-list | Sold at or above asking | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millis | 14 | $602,500 | 97.8% | 36% | 27 |
| Medfield | 18 | $1,085,000 | 100.4% | 50% | 24 |
| Medway | 32 | $762,500 | 100.6% | 56% | 31 |
| Franklin | 56 | $790,000 | 101.3% | 66% | 20 |
| Bellingham | 34 | $568,000 | 101.6% | 82% | 21 |
| Walpole | 56 | $800,000 | 101.5% | 61% | 20 |
| Norfolk | 37 | $954,000 | 101.1% | 70% | 22 |
| Ashland | 25 | $733,000 | 102.5% | 72% | 14 |
| Holliston | 31 | $790,000 | 99.3% | 55% | 22 |
Source: MLS PIN closed single-family sales. Medians in towns with fewer sales can move noticeably with just a few transactions.
What stands out
- Bellingham is the most competitive market in our area. 82% of Bellingham's 34 recent sales closed at or above asking, the highest share of any of our nine towns, well ahead of Ashland (72%) and Norfolk (70%). The average Bellingham sale came in at 101.6% of list price; only Ashland (102.5%) did better on sale-to-list.
- It is also the most affordable entry point. Bellingham's median sale price of $568,000 is the lowest of our nine towns, $34,500 below Millis and well below Franklin ($790,000) and Walpole ($800,000). Of the 28 single-family homes that sold for under $500,000 across all nine towns, 9 were in Bellingham.
- Inventory dipped slightly. There are 217 single-family homes for sale across all nine towns combined, down from 219 last week. Franklin rose from 31 to 35 listings, while Medway fell from 28 to 25, Holliston from 32 to 29 and Bellingham from 30 to 28. Norfolk's average asking price climbed from about $1,119,000 to $1,200,000.
- Where buyers have more room. Only 36% of recent Millis sales closed at or above asking, with an average of 97.8% of list price, and Holliston averaged 99.3%. Medway homes took the longest to sell, a median of 31 days.
Spotlight: Bellingham
Bellingham is where demand in our area is most concentrated. Over the last three months it recorded 34 single-family sales at a median price of $568,000, and 28 of those 34 closed at or above the asking price. Only 6 sold below list. The median home sold in about 21 days, close behind Franklin and Walpole (20) and Ashland (14).
The reason is price. Bellingham offers the most accessible single-family prices in our nine-town area: 21 of its 34 recent sales closed under $600,000, and none closed at $1 million or more (the top sale was $887,500). Today's 28 listings range from about $315,000 to $1.2 million, with an average asking price of about $596,000, the lowest of our nine towns by a wide margin. Note that Bellingham's average asking price per square foot, about $353, is in line with Franklin and Holliston. Homes here are typically smaller, averaging about 1,770 square feet among current listings, so buyers are paying a comparable rate per foot for a lower total price.
For buyers stretching from Franklin, Medway or Millis, that makes Bellingham the natural alternative, and it shows in the competition. When better than four out of five homes sell at or above list, the asking price is often the starting point, not the ceiling.
The big stories that affect Bellingham home values
Fall Town Meeting will decide how to finish Hartford Avenue. The Town plans to rebuild Hartford Avenue from North Main Street to the I-495 southbound ramps, a town-owned road that runs through one of Bellingham's key commercial areas. According to the Town, more than $8.1 million in grants and committed financing has been secured, including $5.5 million in state funding and a $2.66 million commitment from WS Development. But when the project went out to bid in April 2026, bids came back at a construction cost of more than $13.3 million, leaving a funding gap of more than $5.8 million. To close it, the Select Board placed two articles on the warrant: Article 9 would designate a Hartford Ave/I-495 District Improvement Financing (DIF) district of 36 parcels covering 435.6 acres, and Article 10 would authorize borrowing up to $9 million for public infrastructure in the district, with the final amount expected to be lower once the WS Development contribution is applied. A DIF lets the town capture a share of the new tax revenue generated by private investment inside the district; under the Town's plan, half of that new revenue would go to the general fund and half to pay for the improvements. The Town's consultant projects $163.4 million to $288.7 million in net new growth within the district by 2056. The Town says that if the articles fail, it cannot proceed, expects the state funding would be clawed back, and would otherwise have to rely on a debt exclusion paid by Bellingham taxpayers. Coming after the school override residents approved earlier this year, Town officials say they looked for a way to avoid putting the cost on taxpayers.
When and where. Fall Annual Town Meeting is Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM in the Bellingham High School auditorium. The warrant, Finance Committee report and DIF materials are posted on the Town's Fall Town Meeting page. For homeowners, this is the vote to watch: it determines whether a major commercial corridor gets rebuilt with growth-funded financing or stalls.
A 58-unit age-restricted rental development approved. On September 3, 2026, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved a Chapter 40B comprehensive permit for a 58-unit age-restricted rental development, with conditions covering water-main protection, construction management and landscaping, and no land clearing before final approval. Projects like this add housing options for buyers who want to downsize without leaving town, and can free up single-family homes for the resale market over time.
A new way to follow town business. In late October the Town launched Bellingham In Focus, a podcast and short-video series. The first episode features Town Administrator Joe Laydon and State Representative Mike Soter discussing the Hartford Avenue project and the DIF proposal, a useful primer before Town Meeting.
Our take for buyers and sellers
Sellers: Bellingham is a seller's market by every measure we track. 82% of recent sales closed at or above asking, the median home sold in about three weeks, and inventory edged down this week. Homes priced in line with recent comparable sales are selling quickly and at or above list, so focus on presentation and a strong first two weeks rather than leaving room to negotiate down.
Buyers: Bellingham gives you the most house for the money in our nine-town area, but expect competition. With only 6 of 34 recent sales closing below list, come in with financing approved, know your comparable sales, and be ready to act quickly. If Bellingham feels too competitive, Millis and Holliston are currently giving buyers more negotiating room.
Wondering what your Bellingham home is worth today?
Text CMA to 508-686-0940 for a free Comparative Market Analysis, or send us a message. Browse current listings on our Bellingham homes for sale page.
Know a Bellingham business or non-profit that deserves the spotlight? Nominate it for an upcoming episode of The American Dream TV.
Sources: MLS PIN closed single-family sales, August 10 - November 6, 2026; MLS PIN single-family active listings via realinsyghts.com (November 9, 2026); Town of Bellingham, Hartford Ave / I-495 DIF; Town of Bellingham, November 18, 2026 Fall Annual Town Meeting; Town of Bellingham, Fall Annual Town Meeting notice; Town of Bellingham, Launching of Bellingham In Focus; Citizen Portal, Bellingham ZBA, September 3, 2026.