Living inChatham, MA
Homes, costs, villages and what owners should know
Chatham sits at the elbow of Cape Cod, with the Atlantic on one side and Nantucket Sound on the other, a walkable Main Street, the fish pier and Chatham Light. It is the Lower Cape's most expensive town: the median home sold for $1,458,750 in the 12 months to 30 October 2026 (178 sales, Cape Cod & Islands MLS).
The fastest sales got the best prices.
100.8% of asking for homes that sold within 7 days94.4% for homes that sat
Free. Arthur visits, then writes your home value and a plan to sell it fast. Median sale price as % of original asking, five Lower Cape towns, Cape Cod & Islands MLS, Nov 2023 – Oct 2026.
By Arthur Radtke, Realtor, brokered by eXp Realty, MA licence #9582725. Updated .
- Homes sold, 12 months
- 178
- Median time to sell
- 16.5 days
- Tax rate, FY2026
- $3.67 per $1,000
- Beaches
- Atlantic, Sound, Pleasant Bay
More Chatham facts
- Villages
- Chatham, North, South, West, Chatham Port
- ZIP codes
- 02633, 02650, 02659, 02669
- Schools
- Monomoy Regional
- County
- Barnstable (Lower Cape)
- Seasonal homes
- 54.5% of housing units
- Sewer
- Expanding since 2012
- Town Hall
- 549 Main St
What is Chatham like year-round?
Chatham's Main Street holds Town Hall (549 Main Street) and Eldredge Public Library (564 Main Street), and the Center for Active Living on Stony Hill Road runs programs for older residents year-round. First Night Chatham marks New Year's Eve in town.
Chatham is one of the most seasonal towns on the Cape: about 54.5% of its housing units are seasonal or occasional-use homes, according to state data. Many shops and restaurants keep shorter hours or close for part of the winter, so some neighborhoods are very quiet from January to March.
Getting around Chatham
Chatham is at the end of Route 28 and Route 137; there is no Route 6 exit in town, so most drivers reach it from Route 6 through Harwich or Orleans. Main Street is walkable, and the Old Colony Rail Trail links Chatham to the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich.
What do homes cost in Chatham, MA?
Median sale price, 178 Chatham homes sold 31 Oct 2025 to 30 Oct 2026
- Single-family homes (156 sales)
- $1,535,000
- Condos (21 sales)
- $695,000
- Five Lower Cape towns
- $865,500
- Sale price vs first asking price
- 97.32%
See the full numbers
The median Chatham home sold for $1,458,750 in the 12 months to 30 October 2026. That is above the five-town Lower Cape median of $865,500 for the same period. In the 12 months before that, the median was $1,372,500 (174 sales). Medians move with the mix of homes that sell, so treat one year's change with care.
| Sale price | Chatham sales |
|---|---|
| Under $750,000 | 23 |
| $750,000 to $1.5 million | 71 |
| Over $1.5 million | 84 |
Source: Cape Cod & Islands MLS, residential (single-family and condo) sales in Chatham, sold 31 Oct 2025 – 30 Oct 2026, n = 178; analysis by The Celebrate Team, checked with two separate methods. Medians. Market-wide figures, not Arthur's own sales. Estimate what you'd keep from a sale.
The fastest sales got the best prices.
Lower Cape homes that sold within 7 days got a median 100.8% of their asking price. Homes that sat got 94.4%. On a $1,458,750 home, that gap is about $92,000. Arthur's free Chatham home value and selling plan are built to help you land on the right side of that gap.
Arthur visits your home. Within a week of the visit, you get a plan written for it alone:
- Your home value. The price most likely to sell your home fast, with the recent Chatham sales it rests on and why each sold for what it did.
- What you'd walk away with. Your estimated proceeds after commission, deed tax and closing costs.
- Your property check. Sewer or septic, flood zone and any sewer betterment for your address, so nothing surprises a buyer.
- Fix or skip. What's worth doing before you list, and what isn't worth the money.
- A marketing plan for your home, not a template. Who your likely buyer is and where they're looking from, which features to lead with, the photo, video and drone shot list, and the launch schedule.
Live off-Cape? Arthur can walk through by video call, with you or your caretaker at the house.
What are the villages of Chatham?
Chatham's villages include Chatham Center, North Chatham, West Chatham, South Chatham and Chatham Port, with Stage Harbor and Old Harbor as named areas. ZIP codes: 02633 (Chatham), 02650 (North Chatham), 02659 (South Chatham) and 02669 (West Chatham).
Sales by MLS village
| MLS village, 12 months to 30 Oct 2026 | Sales | Median price |
|---|---|---|
| Chatham | 127 | $1,495,000 |
| North Chatham | 27 | $2,232,500 |
| South Chatham | 24 | $1,112,500 |
Chatham Center
Main Street's shops and restaurants, Town Hall, Eldredge Public Library and the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge visitor center.
Stage Harbor
A working harbor area off Bridge Street and Stage Harbor Road; the historic Coast Guard boathouse returned here in 2026.
West Chatham
The Route 28 approach from Harwich, with everyday shops and services.
South Chatham
The Nantucket Sound side next to Harwich, home of Cockle Cove Beach and Marion's Pie Shop.
Which beaches and waters are in Chatham?
Chatham has water on three sides: the Atlantic, Nantucket Sound and Pleasant Bay, plus Stage Harbor, Oyster Pond and many smaller ponds.
Each beach, and beach stickers
- Lighthouse Beach below Chatham Light, facing the Atlantic (parking on Bridge Street needs a pass).
- Harding's, Ridgevale and Cockle Cove beaches on Nantucket Sound.
- Schoolhouse Pond, a freshwater beach for taxpayer sticker holders only.
- Pleasant Bay and Stage Harbor for boating; North Beach is reached by boat and has seasonal shorebird closures.
Chatham beach stickers
Beach stickers are sold by the town Sticker Office. Visitor passes for 2026 are $30 a day, $90 a week or $190 for the season. Resident and taxpayer stickers are by application; 2025–26 stickers expired on 30 June 2026, and the 2026–27 application is posted on the town site.
Before you buy, check the deed for any private beach or water rights; town stickers and deeded rights are separate things.
Beach news, events and local spots, every week, in the free Celebrate Lower Cape newsletter
How much are property taxes in Chatham?
Chatham has the lowest property tax rate on the Lower Cape: $3.67 per $1,000 of assessed value for FY2026, as reported by the Cape Cod Chronicle (confirm on the town assessor's page). In September 2026 the Select Board voted to adopt a 20% residential exemption, which is expected to apply from FY2027 and lower bills on primary residences while raising the rate for everyone.
Example tax bills
| Assessed value | Approx. annual tax at $3.67 |
|---|---|
| $750,000 | $2,752 |
| $1,458,750 (the median sale price) | $5,354 |
| $1,500,000 | $5,505 |
Assessed value isn't what your home would sell for. What could waiting cost me? Lower Cape homes that sat sold for a median 94.4% of asking.
Sewer, septic, flood zones and rental rules in Chatham
Before buying in Chatham, check four things: whether the house is on town sewer or a septic system, whether it sits in a FEMA flood zone, whether a sewer betterment applies, and what rules apply if you plan to rent it out. Each can change the cost of owning by thousands of dollars a year.
Sewer
Chatham has a municipal sewer system that has been expanding since 2012. Phases 1A through 1E-1 and 1D-2A are complete; phases 1C-5 and 1E-2 were due to finish in 2026, and Phase 1F-1 (Cedar Street neighborhoods and areas off Route 28) is next. Check the sewer construction page for any address.
Septic
Homes not yet on sewer use septic systems. A Title 5 inspection is normally required when the house is sold.
Flood zones
Waterfront and low-lying streets can fall in FEMA flood zones. Look the address up on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and get an insurance quote before you make an offer.
Short-term rentals
Stays of 31 days or less must be registered with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and pay room occupancy excise (5.7% state, a local option of up to 6%, and up to 2.75% for the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund). Chatham also requires a rental certificate from the Health Division: $200 a year, valid 1 March to 28 February, with every rental to be inspected by the end of 2027. The fee has been under review; check the town's rental certificate page for 2027.
Schools
Chatham and Harwich share the Monomoy Regional School District; Chatham Elementary is in town.
Live off-Cape, or inherited a house in Chatham?
Arthur's free guides cover what to do first: The Out-of-State Seller's Playbook and The Inherited Cape Property Starter Guide (PDFs; large-print versions on the Sell page).
Selling a home in Chatham: what the numbers say
Across the five Lower Cape towns over three years, homes that sold within 7 days got a median 100.77% of their original asking price; homes that took longer got 94.44%. In Chatham, 24.7% of sales in the last 12 months had a price cut first, and one in five listings (21.2%, 91 of 429) came off the market without selling. The launch price and the first two weeks matter more than the month you list.
Your plan is built for your home, not a template. The take-home estimate takes 2 minutes: no visit, no phone number.
Or watch the free 16-lesson Lower Cape Sellers Course before you talk to any agent, including Arthur.
Where these figures come from
Cape Cod & Islands MLS, residential, five Lower Cape towns. Sales 31 Oct 2023 – 30 Oct 2026 (6 records with negative days on market excluded). Did-not-sell: listings taken 1 Nov 2023 – 31 Oct 2025 that sold, expired or were cancelled by 1 Nov 2026 (expired or cancelled = did not sell). Medians. Not Arthur's own sales.
How does Chatham compare with nearby towns?
Chatham has the highest median sale price of the five Lower Cape towns: $1,458,750 in the 12 months to 30 October 2026, against $865,500 across all five. 34.8% of Chatham homes sold within 7 days (fewer than the five-town 34.9%), and 44.4% were bought with cash (more often than the five-town 42.3%). See all five towns compared
Compare all five towns
| 12 months to 30 Oct 2026 | Chatham | Harwich | Brewster | Orleans | Eastham | 5 towns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,458,750 | $760,000 | $750,000 | $899,900 | $828,000 | $865,500 |
| Sales | 178 | 220 | 193 | 127 | 102 | 820 |
| Sale price vs original ask | 97.32% | 97.65% | 98.48% | 95.83% | 96.85% | 97.32% |
| Sold within 7 days | 34.8% | 36.4% | 38.3% | 27.6% | 34.3% | 34.9% |
| Had a price cut first | 24.7% | 31.8% | 24.9% | 37.8% | 30.4% | 29.4% |
| Paid cash | 44.4% | 39.1% | 42.5% | 44.9% | 42.2% | 42.3% |
| Median days on market | 16.5 | 13.5 | 12 | 27 | 24 | 16 |
Questions people ask about Chatham, MA
What is the median home price in Chatham, MA?
$1,458,750. That is the median sale price of the 178 Chatham homes that sold on the Cape Cod & Islands MLS between 31 October 2025 and 30 October 2026. Across the five Lower Cape towns the median for the same 12 months was $865,500 (820 sales).
Do homes in Chatham sell quickly?
34.8% of Chatham sales (62 of 178) happened within 7 days of listing in the 12 months to 30 October 2026, and 24.7% (44) had a price reduction first. The median Chatham sale closed at 97.32% of its original asking price after 16.5 days on the market.
How much is a condo in Chatham, MA?
The median Chatham condo sold for $695,000 in the 12 months to 30 October 2026 (21 sales). The median single-family home sold for $1,535,000 (156 sales).
What are the villages of Chatham, MA?
Chatham Center, North Chatham, West Chatham, South Chatham and Chatham Port, with Stage Harbor and Old Harbor as named areas.
Which beaches are in Chatham, MA?
Lighthouse Beach on the Atlantic; Harding's, Ridgevale and Cockle Cove on Nantucket Sound; and Schoolhouse Pond for taxpayers. Visitor beach passes in 2026 are $30 a day, $90 a week or $190 for the season.
What is the property tax rate in Chatham, MA?
$3.67 per $1,000 of assessed value for FY2026, the lowest on the Lower Cape. The Select Board voted in September 2026 to adopt a 20% residential exemption, expected from FY2027.
Can I rent my Chatham home short-term?
Yes, with a state registration and a Chatham rental certificate from the Health Division, $200 a year in 2026. Every rental is to be inspected by the end of 2027, and the fee is under review for 2027.
About Arthur Radtke
Arthur is a Realtor with The Celebrate Team, brokered by eXp Realty (MA license #9582725), working in Brewster, Chatham, Harwich, Orleans and Eastham from 60 Munson Meeting Way, Chatham. He publishes the Celebrate Lower Cape newsletter and wrote Selling Your Lower Cape Home and The House After Probate Begins.
Call or text (774) 209-6032 or email arthur.radtke@exprealty.com
Sources for this page (6)
- Cape Cod & Islands MLS, residential closed sales and listings, Brewster, Chatham, Harwich, Orleans and Eastham; export of 2 Nov 2026, analysed by The Celebrate Team.
- Town of Chatham, Sticker Office, sewer construction project, short-term rental certificate and Center for Active Living (accessed 2 Nov 2026).
- Cape Cod Chronicle, Chatham Select Board approves residential tax exemption (2 Sep 2026).
- Eldredge Public Library; Celebrate Lower Cape, The refuge moved to Main Street.
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Seasonal Communities Advisory Council policy overview (Dec 2024; seasonal share of housing units, American Community Survey).
- FEMA, Flood Map Service Center; Massachusetts DOR, Room occupancy excise.