Published October 1, 2026 in Market Update

Greater Lowell sales rose even with rates above 7%

By Jeremy smith

Real estate, Greater Lowell

Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025. Rates surged nearly 40 basis points in September 2026 alone. That is a real cost for anyone borrowing right now. Yet demand did not stop here.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 340 homes sold across Greater Lowell in the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 4% from the same months of 2025. Pending sales also rose, up 2.8%, to 362. Buyers kept moving even as borrowing got more expensive.

More homes to choose from, but still moving fast

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows inventory is up 14.1% across Greater Lowell compared with a year ago. That gives buyers a bit more room. But homes are still selling in under a month in most ZIP codes. That is not a slow market.

Prices tell different stories in different ZIP codes

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Locally, the picture is mixed. Some ZIP codes rose, some dipped. One street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it.

Above-list sales: still common, but less so than a year ago

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows that in ZIP 01851, 67.5% of homes sold above list price. That is the highest share in Greater Lowell. In ZIP 01879, nearly 6 in 10 homes sold above list, up 15.9 points from a year ago. Not every ZIP saw gains, but sellers are still regularly getting over asking.

Dracut: steady prices, fast contracts

In ZIP 01826, which covers Dracut, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 91 homes sold. The median price rose 4.6% to $575,000. Nearly 66% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That pace is up 1.8 points from a year ago. Supply sits at just 1.9 months.

Lowell neighborhoods: volume up, prices mixed

ZIP 01852, which covers parts of Lowell including Belvidere and South Lowell, saw 95 homes sold, up 28.4% from a year ago. That is the biggest volume jump in Greater Lowell. The median price dipped 9.4% to $500,000. More homes sold, at prices a bit lower than last year.

ZIP 01851, covering areas including Highlands and Pawtucketville, had 40 homes sold at a median of $585,000, up 3.1%. The sale-to-list ratio came in at 102.6%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Homes there are still closing above asking.

ZIP 01854 saw 52 homes sold, up 6.1%. The median price fell 15.3% to $466,000. That dip is worth watching, though volume is clearly still there.

What the rate picture means right now

Realtor.com noted that median list prices fell 3.8% year over year in the Northeast region. Nationally, Redfin reported that 21% of sellers dropped their asking price in the four weeks ending September 20. Greater Lowell did not see that kind of retreat. Sales and pending contracts both rose here.

Every ZIP code above covers a wide range of streets and neighborhoods. One block in Belvidere reads differently from the next street over. The numbers above are a starting point, not the full picture for your address.