Cape Ann Communities

MA

Ipswich

$800K–$970K · 33 miles north of Boston, home to Crane Beach

Founded 1634 — Crane Beach, Appleton Farms, and Castle Hill, with one of the North Shore's tightest housing markets (~1 month of supply). Ipswich has more surviving First Period (1625–1725) houses than any other town in America, alongside a centuries-old clam-fishing heritage. Population: 13,785 (2020 US Census).

MA

Rockport

$800K–$1.05M · 40 miles northeast of Boston, at the tip of Cape Ann

Cape Ann's iconic coastal village — granite quarries, Motif No. 1, and Bearskin Neck's galleries and studios. Incorporated in 1840, Rockport was long a fishing and granite-quarrying village before becoming a celebrated artists' colony in the 20th century. Population: 6,992 (2020 US Census).

MA

Peabody

$670K–$706K · 23 miles southeast of Newburyport, 15 miles from Boston

Named for philanthropist George Peabody in 1868, the city became the world's largest leather producer by 1919 and is still known locally as "The Leather City." Population: 54,481 (2020 US Census).

MA

Beverly

$734K–$760K · 20 miles south of Newburyport, on the Atlantic coast

Beverly is known as the "Birthplace of the American Navy" — the schooner Hannah, commissioned by George Washington, sailed from Beverly Harbor in 1775. It's now home to Endicott College and Montserrat College of Art. Population: 42,670 (2020 US Census).

MA

Essex

$820K–$913K · Cape Ann, north of Ipswich

Best known for antique shops, Woodman's fried-clam legacy, and salt marshes along the Essex River, Essex split from Ipswich in 1819 and remains one of Cape Ann's smallest, most rural towns. Population: 3,675 (2020 Census).

MA

Gloucester

$760K–$844K · Cape Ann's largest city, on Massachusetts Bay

America's oldest seaport, settled in 1623, Gloucester is Cape Ann's largest city and still home to a working fishing fleet, Rocky Neck's art colony, and the Fisherman's Memorial. Population: 29,729 (2020 Census).

MA

Hamilton

$823K–$882K · North Shore, bordering Wenham and Ipswich

Horse-country town on the North Shore, home to the Myopia Hunt Club and miles of bridle trails, Hamilton shares its school district and much of its identity with neighboring Wenham. Population: 7,561 (2020 Census).

MA

Manchester By The Sea

$1.3M–$1.76M · North Shore, between Gloucester and Beverly

A former Colonial fishing village turned one of the North Shore's most exclusive addresses, Manchester-by-the-Sea is known for Singing Beach, a walkable harbor village, and some of Cape Ann's priciest waterfront estates. Population: 5,395 (2020 Census).

MA

South Hamilton

$825K–$875K · Village within the Town of Hamilton

The village center of the Town of Hamilton, South Hamilton (ZIP 01982) is home to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the historic Asbury Grove camp-meeting community. Population: 7,561 (Town of Hamilton total, 2020 Census).

MA

Wenham

$1.09M–$1.5M · North Shore, home to Gordon College

One of the North Shore's smallest towns, Wenham is home to Gordon College and Wenham Lake — once famous for its "frozen gold" ice exports — and keeps a tightly built-out, small-town character. Population: 4,979 (2020 Census).

MA

Danvers

$650K–$733K · North Shore, bordering Peabody and Beverly

Once part of Salem Village of witch-trial fame, Danvers has grown into the North Shore's retail hub around Liberty Tree Mall while preserving historic districts near Endicott Park. Population: 28,087 (2020 Census).