Essex County, Massachusetts
Ipswich Homes For Sale
MA
$0K
Avg. Sale Price (2026 YTD)
0
Active Single-Family Listings
0
Months of Supply
0
Incorporated
Location
Where Ipswich is Located
Live Listings
Homes For Sale in Ipswich, MA
Listing information is provided by the MLS. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Listings displayed may be subject to prior sale or withdrawal.
A Local's Perspective
The North Shore's First Period Capital
Ipswich sits on the Ipswich River where it meets Plum Island Sound, in Essex County, Massachusetts. Settled in 1633 by a party led by John Winthrop the Younger on land the Agawam people called by the same name, it was incorporated in 1634 and is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts. In 1687, Rev. John Wise led Ipswich residents in refusing a tax levied without colonial representation — an episode still cited locally as an early precursor to "no taxation without representation."
Ipswich's defining architectural character comes from its First Period houses — timber-frame homes built roughly between 1625 and 1725. Historic Ipswich counts more surviving First Period houses here than in any other American town, centered on the historic streetscapes of Meeting House Green, High Street, the East End, and the South Green. The 1677 Captain John Whipple House, now a house museum, is a nationally noted example. The 19th century brought industry too: the Ipswich Mills complex, purchased in 1868 by textile magnate Amos A. Lawrence, grew into one of the largest hosiery mills in the country, and its mill buildings and worker housing still stand along the river today.
That layered history sits alongside a market that has tightened sharply. Bentley's own market data shows Ipswich's active single-family listings down to just 9 today from 28 in 2015, with the 2026-YTD average sale price at $947K — up 82% since 2015 — and roughly one month of supply, among the most inventory-starved markets on the North Shore.
At a Glance
- Population
- 13,785 (2020 Census)
- Land Area
- 32.1 sq mi
- County
- Essex, MA
- FY2026 Tax Rate
- $10.78 / $1,000
- Downtown Walk Score
- 86 / 100
Source-verified as of 2026-07-23.
Highlights
Why People Choose Ipswich
Crane Beach on the Crane Estate
A roughly four-mile barrier beach backed by dunes and the Great Marsh, managed by The Trustees of Reservations as part of the 2,100-plus-acre Crane Estate.
Castle Hill & The Great House
A National Historic Landmark — the 59-room Gilded Age mansion built for plumbing magnate Richard T. Crane Jr., anchoring the Crane Estate's grounds and gardens.
Appleton Farms
Often cited as America's oldest continuously operating farm, deeded to The Trustees in 1998 — working dairy, CSA, and roughly 12 miles of trails.
The 1677 John Whipple House
A nationally noted First Period timber-frame house museum on South Village Green, open since 1899 and run today by the Ipswich Museum.
The Clam Box of Ipswich
A roadside institution since 1935 on High Street, built in the shape of an open clam-box carton — synonymous with Ipswich's famous fried clams.
The Great Marsh
New England's largest salt marsh — more than 20,000 acres of marsh, barrier beach, and estuary running from Gloucester to Salisbury, with Ipswich at its heart.
Neighborhoods
Ipswich's Neighborhoods & Villages
Great Neck
A glacial drumlin peninsula reportedly purchased from local Native Americans in 1623, a decade before Ipswich's own settlement — now a residential waterfront neighborhood.
Little Neck
A separate peninsula acquired by the Paine brothers in 1639, historically a summer-cottage colony, overlooking the mouth of the Ipswich River and Plum Island Sound.
Downtown / Town Center
The compact, walkable core around the MBTA station and the Ipswich River near Market Street — restaurants, shops, and the focus of the town's current zoning discussions.
South Green & High Street Historic District
Preserved 17th-to-19th-century streetscapes around Meeting House Green, High Street, and the East End — among the highest concentrations of First Period houses in the country.
Argilla Road Corridor
A scenic historic road running from the South Green out past farms and woods to the Great Marsh and Crane Beach.
Lifestyle
Life in Ipswich
Ipswich pairs the North Shore's deepest concentration of First Period history with working farms, barrier beaches, and its own Commuter Rail stop.
Parks & Recreation
Parks in Ipswich
Crane Beach & Crane Wildlife Refuge
- Roughly 4 miles of barrier beach
- Dunes and Great Marsh views
- 674-acre wildlife refuge across Ipswich and Essex
Appleton Farms
- ~12 miles of trails
- Working dairy farm and CSA
- Open pasture and woodland
Willowdale State Forest
- Multi-use trails
- Spans Ipswich, Topsfield, and Boxford
- Habitat for state-listed rare species
Sandy Point State Reservation
- Southern tip of Plum Island
- Accessed through Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
- Beach and dune trails
Schools
Schools Serving Ipswich
Public Schools
Paul F. Doyon Memorial School
Elementary
Winthrop Elementary School
Elementary
Ipswich Middle School
Grades 6–8
Ipswich High School
Grades 9–12
School assignments are subject to change — always verify directly with the school district before making a decision. Source (verified 2026-07-23)
HOA & Condo Communities
Ipswich Associations
The Residences at Turner Hill is Ipswich's best-known gated community — a roughly 300-acre former estate built around an 18-hole golf course and an early-1900s Elizabethan-style clubhouse mansion.
The Residences at Turner Hill
A gated community at 251 Topsfield Rd. mixing single-family estates, villas, and townhome-style condominiums around a golf course and the historic Turner Hill mansion clubhouse.
New Construction
Building in Ipswich
Like several Merrimack Valley and North Shore towns, Ipswich has been working through a multi-family zoning overlay required by the state's MBTA Communities Act.
MBTA Communities Section 3A Overlay
A proposed multi-family zoning district within roughly a half-mile of the downtown train station, sized for zoning capacity of about 971 units by right — a capacity figure, not a construction mandate. As of the most recent reporting available, the district had not yet been adopted at Town Meeting; confirm the current status before relying on it.
Nearby Communities
How Ipswich Compares
Newburyport
~13 miles north; the region's walkable small city with a restored waterfront downtown.
Rowley
Borders Ipswich directly to the north; smaller and more rural, with its own MBTA stop one stop up the line.
Essex
Adjacent to the southeast; tiny coastal shipbuilding town that shares the Great Marsh and Crane Wildlife Refuge with Ipswich.
Topsfield
Southwest neighbor and home of the Topsfield Fair, America's oldest agricultural fair.
FAQ
Ipswich Real Estate — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in Ipswich?
Ipswich's FY2026 residential tax rate is $10.78 per $1,000 of assessed value, per the town's own Assessor's Office.
How do I commute to Boston from Ipswich?
Ipswich has its own MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line into Boston's North Station. Driving to downtown Boston is roughly 29 miles and typically 45-60+ minutes depending on traffic.
Are there flood risks to consider?
Ipswich is a low-lying coastal town along the Ipswich River, Plum Island Sound, and the Great Marsh. Recent FEMA flood-map updates expanded flood zones near the marsh and sound — buyers near the river, Great or Little Neck, or Plum Island should check FEMA flood maps for the specific parcel.
Is Ipswich walkable?
It varies by location: the downtown area scores 86/100 ("Very Walkable") on Walk Score, while the town overall is considerably more car-dependent outside that compact core.
What's the current home price range in Ipswich?
Bentley's own market report shows a 2026-YTD average sale price of $947K against just 9 active single-family listings and roughly one month of supply — prices up 82% since 2015. Third-party estimates vary by methodology, from a Zillow typical value near $727K to higher medians on sites skewed toward larger recent sales.
Who provides water and sewer service?
Water and sewer utilities are municipally operated through the Town of Ipswich's Department of Public Works and Water Department.
What schools would my kids attend?
Ipswich Public Schools operates Paul F. Doyon Memorial School, Winthrop Elementary School, Ipswich Middle School, and Ipswich High School.
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