Belmont

Belmont sits about 5 to 6 miles west of downtown Boston, bordered by Cambridge to the east, Arlington to the north, Waltham to the west, and Watertown to the south. It is a town of around 27,000 residents covering roughly 4.7 square miles, dense enough to feel suburban rather than rural, with a historic identity as the so called Town of Homes and a residential character that has attracted the same kinds of professional families for decades. Belmont does not have a major commercial strip, a viral neighborhood moment, or a flashy development story. What it has is durable: top tier schools, two commuter rail stations, and an unusually consistent residential character across most of the town.

The Market

Belmont's housing stock is dominated by single family homes, with a smaller but meaningful supply of two and three family homes, and a growing condo segment near the commuter rail stations. The median sale price runs around $1.25 million in recent months, having corrected from a 2025 peak near $1.65 million as the interest rate environment cooled bidding. Homes typically sell in two to four weeks when correctly priced, with overpriced listings sitting longer. Belmont Hill, the high ground in the north, anchors the top of the market with the largest lots and most expensive homes, while Waverley Square and Cushing Square are more accessible entry points. The town is structurally supply constrained, with limited land and conservative zoning historically, which means inventory rarely floods, and even in a correction the market does not see broad price collapses.

Getting Around

Belmont has two MBTA commuter rail stations on the Fitchburg Line within the town: Belmont Center and Waverley Square. From those, the trip to North Station runs about 15 to 20 minutes. MBTA bus service connects Belmont to Harvard Square and Watertown, including routes 73, 74, and 75. For drivers, Belmont sits between Routes 2 and 60, with the Mass Pike accessible via Watertown to the south. The town's location is unusually central among the western inner ring, putting Cambridge, Boston, and the Route 128 employment cluster all within roughly 15 to 30 minutes.

Schools

Belmont Public Schools rank among the top public school districts in Massachusetts, with Belmont High School recognized as one of the top six districts in the state. The town opened a new high school facility in 2023, replacing the aging building, and the public elementary schools rate 8 or 9 out of 10 on GreatSchools. School quality is the single largest reason families pay a premium to live here, and lots within different elementary feeder boundaries can trade at meaningful price differences. In addition to the public schools, Belmont is home to the Belmont Hill School, a well known private school for boys, and Belmont Day School, an independent K through 8.

Neighborhood Character

Belmont has several distinct neighborhoods, each with its own character and price point. Belmont Hill, in the north, is the prestige neighborhood with the largest homes, deepest lots, and highest prices. Belmont Center, anchored by the Fitchburg Line station and Leonard Street, is the walkable commercial heart of the town with restaurants, shops, and town services. Waverley Square, on the Watertown line, is the more affordable commuter rail neighborhood, with its own train station and a different price point. Cushing Square sits between Belmont Center and Waverley Square along Trapelo Road, a small commercial node with its own character. Strawberry Hill, in the south near the Watertown border, is a quieter residential pocket with strong family demand.

Who Lives Here

Belmont's population of around 27,000 skews highly educated, professional, and family oriented. Median household income is well above the Massachusetts average, and the town is known for its dense concentration of academics, doctors, lawyers, and professionals who value the combination of school quality, transit access, and proximity to Cambridge and Boston. Crime is among the lowest in the region. The town has a notably engaged civic culture, with active Town Meeting government, and families often stay through their kids' school years and into retirement, which keeps inventory tight.

MBTA 3A Zoning

Belmont's Town Meeting adopted MBTA 3A zoning in November 2024 by a vote of 213 to 8, and the state gave final approval in April 2025. The zoning creates two compliance districts, Belmont Center and Waverley Square, with Waverley Square as the larger contiguity district. Inside the districts, multifamily housing is allowed by right at a minimum density of 15 units per acre, a meaningful change from Belmont's traditionally restrictive zoning. For owners and investors, parcels in the overlay can now support multifamily by right where the old zoning required a special permit or blocked it entirely. We wrote a full breakdown of Belmont's MBTA 3A zoning and what it means for parcels.

For Buyers and Investors

Belmont combines top tier schools, two commuter rail stations, and structural supply scarcity, which has historically produced one of the most defensible value retentions in Greater Boston. The 2025 to 2026 price correction has created negotiating room that has not existed here in years, and well advised buyers can find real opportunity in this window. For sellers, correctly priced homes still move quickly, and Belmont's school district and transit fundamentals have not changed. For investors, the 2024 3A zoning is the meaningful change, opening by right multifamily in Belmont Center and Waverley Square, in a market where multifamily was historically very hard to develop.

PH Realty Group works with buyers, sellers, and investors across Belmont. If you are evaluating a purchase, looking to sell, or trying to understand what your property is worth in the current market, reach out directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median home price in Belmont? The median sale price in Belmont runs around $1.25 million in recent months, having corrected from a 2025 peak near $1.65 million. Homes typically sell in two to four weeks when correctly priced.

How are Belmont Public Schools rated? Belmont Public Schools rank among the top six public school districts in Massachusetts, with Belmont High School the flagship and public elementary schools rating 8 or 9 out of 10 on GreatSchools. The town opened a new high school facility in 2023.

Does Belmont have commuter rail service? Yes. Belmont has two MBTA commuter rail stations on the Fitchburg Line, Belmont Center and Waverley Square. The trip to North Station runs about 15 to 20 minutes. MBTA bus service also connects Belmont to Harvard Square and Watertown.

What are the best neighborhoods in Belmont? Distinct neighborhoods include Belmont Hill, Belmont Center, Waverley Square, Cushing Square, and Strawberry Hill. Belmont Hill commands the highest prices for the largest lots, Belmont Center is the walkable commercial core with its commuter rail station, and Waverley Square offers a more accessible entry to commuter rail walkability.

Is Belmont a good investment market? Yes, with two complementary opportunities. The traditional single family market has structurally tight supply and durable school driven demand, with the 2025 to 2026 correction creating an unusual buying window. For multifamily, the new 2024 3A zoning opens by right multifamily in the Belmont Center and Waverley Square districts, which had historically been very hard to develop.