Living inEastham, MA
Homes, costs, villages and what owners should know
Eastham is the gateway to the Cape Cod National Seashore, with Nauset Light and Coast Guard Beach on the Atlantic and calm bay beaches such as First Encounter on Cape Cod Bay. In the 12 months to 30 October 2026, the median Eastham home sold for $828,000 (102 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
- 102
- Median time to sell
- 24 days
- Tax rate, FY2026
- $7.71 per $1,000
- Beaches
- Bay and National Seashore
More Eastham facts
- Areas
- Eastham, North Eastham
- ZIP codes
- 02642, 02651
- Schools
- Nauset Public Schools
- County
- Barnstable (Lower Cape)
- Seasonal homes
- 57.1% of housing units
- Sewer
- None yet; Phase 1 planned
- Town Hall
- 2500 State Hwy
What is Eastham like year-round?
About a third of Eastham lies within the Cape Cod National Seashore, founded in 1961. Route 6 runs through the middle of town, with Town Hall at 2500 State Highway, the Eastham Public Library on Samoset Road and the Senior Center on Nauset Road.
Eastham is the most seasonal of the five Lower Cape towns: about 57.1% of its housing units are seasonal or occasional-use homes, according to state data. Many summer businesses, and the town's museums, close after the season, so winter is quiet.
Getting around Eastham
Route 6 runs the length of Eastham, from the Orleans rotary north toward Wellfleet and Provincetown. The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs parallel to it through town, and the Nauset Bike Trail leads from Salt Pond Visitor Center to Coast Guard Beach.
What do homes cost in Eastham, MA?
Median sale price, 102 Eastham homes sold 31 Oct 2025 to 30 Oct 2026
- Single-family homes (94 sales)
- $840,250
- Five Lower Cape towns
- $865,500
- Sale price vs first asking price
- 96.85%
See the full numbers
The median Eastham home sold for $828,000 in the 12 months to 30 October 2026. That is below the five-town Lower Cape median of $865,500 for the same period. In the 12 months before that, the median was $800,000 (125 sales). Medians move with the mix of homes that sell, so treat one year's change with care.
| Sale price | Eastham sales |
|---|---|
| Under $750,000 | 37 |
| $750,000 to $1.5 million | 55 |
| Over $1.5 million | 10 |
Source: Cape Cod & Islands MLS, residential (single-family and condo) sales in Eastham, sold 31 Oct 2025 – 30 Oct 2026, n = 102; 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 an $828,000 home, that gap is about $52,000. Arthur's free Eastham 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 Eastham 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 Eastham?
Eastham's two named areas are the village of Eastham, around the Eastham Center Historic District near Town Hall, and North Eastham, with its own post office. On the MLS, Eastham listings are filed under Eastham. ZIP codes: 02642 (Eastham) and 02651 (North Eastham).
Eastham Center
Town Hall, the Eastham Center Historic District and the one-room Eastham Schoolhouse Museum.
North Eastham
The northern part of town toward Wellfleet, with its own post office and ZIP code.
National Seashore
Salt Pond Visitor Center, Nauset Light, the Three Sisters lighthouses and Coast Guard Beach are on Seashore land.
Which beaches and waters are in Eastham?
Eastham has calm, shallow bay beaches on Cape Cod Bay to the west and Atlantic beaches on the National Seashore to the east, plus freshwater ponds in between.
Each beach, and beach stickers
- Bay beaches: Boat Meadow, Campground, Cole Road, Cooks Brook, First Encounter, Sunken Meadow, Thumpertown and Hemenway Landing.
- Atlantic beaches on the National Seashore: Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach (Seashore fees apply).
- Freshwater: Great Pond (Wiley Park) and Herring Pond.
Eastham beach stickers
Town beaches need a sticker or a day pass from 20 June to 7 September 2026. Day passes are $30 per vehicle, cash or check, sold at Campground, Cooks Brook, First Encounter and Wiley Park. See the town's beach sticker page for taxpayer and visitor stickers.
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 Eastham?
Eastham's FY2026 residential tax rate is $7.71 per $1,000 of assessed value ($7.66 for other property types). For FY2026 the Select Board adopted a 3% residential exemption, which lowers bills on primary residences. FY2026 assessments reflect values as of 1 January 2025.
Example tax bills
| Assessed value | Approx. annual tax at $7.71 |
|---|---|
| $750,000 | $5,782 |
| $828,000 (the median sale price) | $6,384 |
| $1,500,000 | $11,565 |
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 Eastham
Before buying in Eastham, 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
Eastham does not have a municipal sewer yet. Phase 1, with five collection-system contracts and a new treatment facility, was in pre-construction planning in late 2026. See the town's wastewater page.
Septic
Eastham homes use septic systems. A Title 5 inspection is normally required when the house is sold.
Town water
Eastham has a town water system; a $1,000 connection fee applies to all new water services from 1 January 2027. Ask whether a house is connected or on a private well.
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). Check with the Town of Eastham for local registration rules before counting on rental income.
National Seashore
Properties inside the Seashore boundary can have extra rules on building and use. Ask before you buy or plan an addition.
Schools
Eastham is part of Nauset Public Schools; Eastham Elementary is in town.
Live off-Cape, or inherited a house in Eastham?
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 Eastham: 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 Eastham, 30.4% of sales in the last 12 months had a price cut first, and one in five listings (21.3%, 62 of 291) 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 Eastham compare with nearby towns?
Eastham has the middle median sale price of the five Lower Cape towns: $828,000 in the 12 months to 30 October 2026, against $865,500 across all five. 34.3% of Eastham homes sold within 7 days (fewer than the five-town 34.9%), and 42.2% were bought with cash (less often than the five-town 42.3%). See all five towns compared
Compare all five towns
| 12 months to 30 Oct 2026 | Eastham | Harwich | Chatham | Brewster | Orleans | 5 towns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $828,000 | $760,000 | $1,458,750 | $750,000 | $899,900 | $865,500 |
| Sales | 102 | 220 | 178 | 193 | 127 | 820 |
| Sale price vs original ask | 96.85% | 97.65% | 97.32% | 98.48% | 95.83% | 97.32% |
| Sold within 7 days | 34.3% | 36.4% | 34.8% | 38.3% | 27.6% | 34.9% |
| Had a price cut first | 30.4% | 31.8% | 24.7% | 24.9% | 37.8% | 29.4% |
| Paid cash | 42.2% | 39.1% | 44.4% | 42.5% | 44.9% | 42.3% |
| Median days on market | 24 | 13.5 | 16.5 | 12 | 27 | 16 |
Questions people ask about Eastham, MA
What is the median home price in Eastham, MA?
$828,000. That is the median sale price of the 102 Eastham 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 Eastham sell quickly?
34.3% of Eastham sales (35 of 102) happened within 7 days of listing in the 12 months to 30 October 2026, and 30.4% (31) had a price reduction first. The median Eastham sale closed at 96.85% of its original asking price after 24 days on the market.
Which beaches are in Eastham, MA?
Bay beaches on Cape Cod Bay, including First Encounter, Campground, Cooks Brook and Thumpertown, and Atlantic beaches on the National Seashore, Coast Guard and Nauset Light. Town beach day passes were $30 per vehicle in 2026.
Does Eastham have town sewer or town water?
Eastham has a town water system, with a $1,000 connection fee for new services from 1 January 2027. It has no municipal sewer yet; Phase 1 was in pre-construction planning in late 2026, so homes use septic systems.
What is the property tax rate in Eastham, MA?
$7.71 per $1,000 of assessed value for residential property in FY2026, with a 3% residential exemption for primary residences.
Is Eastham in the Cape Cod National Seashore?
About a third of Eastham lies within the Cape Cod National Seashore, including Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Light and the Salt Pond Visitor Center.
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 (5)
- 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 Eastham, Assessing, beach stickers, daily passes, wastewater infrastructure and library (accessed 2 Nov 2026).
- Massachusetts Historical Commission, Eastham town report; National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore.
- 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.