# Cambridge Neighborhood Map Guide: Which of the 13 Areas Should You Know First?
Key Takeaways
•The short answer: Cambridge really has three menus — condos (118 active listings in April 2026, per the Santana Team), multi-families (24), and single-family homes (19). Pick your menu first, then the neighborhood.
•The myth: You pick a name (Huron Village, Cambridgeport, Inman Square), then find a home there.
•The reality: Realtor.com counted 243 active listings citywide in September 2026. Inventory is the binding constraint. In the house tier, the neighborhood largely picks itself.
•The bottom line: Set your price range and get pre-approved before you tour. Condition can move your cost more than the neighborhood name does.
In Cambridge, "which neighborhood?" is usually answered by "which housing type, at which price?"
Realtor.com puts Cambridge at 243 active listings in September 2026, with a median sold price of $962,500 and a median 58 days on market.
Cambridge Market Pulse: Price, Inventory, Rent and Pace
A hero snapshot of Cambridge’s September 2026 housing market using citywide Realtor.com metrics across pricing, supply, marketing time, and rents.
September 2026 citywide
Median listing $$899,000
Median sold $$962,500
Active listings243
Median days on market58 days
Median rent$3,596/mo
In a small, built-out city, that is a thin menu. Spread across 13 neighborhoods, choices get narrow fast.
Which Cambridge neighborhoods should be on your map?
The City of Cambridge's neighborhood profiles cover 13 areas, summarized below. Use this to see which housing types actually show up in each one. Detached houses cluster in a few neighborhoods, so picking that tier often picks your neighborhood for you.
Cambridge Area Listing Expectations
Compares the expected housing types and listing characteristics across Cambridge's 13 city-designated neighborhoods for buyer orientation in the article's September 2026 market context.
| Category | What to expect to see listed |
|---|---|
| East Cambridge | Condos, strong transit access |
| Area 2/MIT | Condos, investor-owned units |
| Wellington-Harrington | Condos and two-families |
| The Port | Condos and multi-families |
| Cambridgeport | Condos, two-families, walkable |
| Mid-Cambridge | Mostly condos near Harvard/Central |
| Riverside | Condos and multi-families |
| Baldwin (formerly Agassiz) | Condos near Harvard/Porter |
| Neighborhood Nine | Condos and two-families |
| West Cambridge | Where detached houses most often appear |
| North Cambridge | Condos, two-families, Red Line |
| Cambridge Highlands | Smaller pocket, limited supply |
| Strawberry Hill | Condos, two-families, smaller houses |
Where do most Cambridge buyers actually shop?
Condos, because condos offer choice. The April 2026 Santana Team market update counted 118 active condominium listings, 24 multi-family, and 19 single-family.
Active Supply by Cambridge Property Type
Active listing counts by property segment from the April 2026 Cambridge market update.
| Series | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Active listings | Condo | 118 active listings |
| Active listings | Multi-Family | 24 active listings |
| Active listings | Single-Family | 19 active listings |
A condo buyer can compare several neighborhoods at once. A house buyer usually cannot.
Best for: first-time buyers, downsizers, and buyers who want Red Line access without a detached-house budget.
Pro tip: Condition can outweigh both the neighborhood name and the tier. Sarina Steinmetz's spring 2026 Cambridge report notes that a well-presented unit with an updated kitchen and bath can outperform a dated comparable by $50,000–$80,000. Rank condition alongside location.
When does a single-family home make sense?
In that same April 2026 update, single-family homes averaged $3.53M in asking price, multi-families $2.23M, and condos $1.25M.
Average Price by Cambridge Property Type
Average asking or market prices by property type from the April 2026 Cambridge market update.
| Series | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Avg price | Condo | $1.25M |
| Avg price | Multi-Family | $2.23M |
| Avg price | Single-Family | $3.53M |
If you are shopping near the condo average, the practical Cambridge answer is usually a condo or part of a two-family.
Best for: buyers with major equity, cash, or a long-term hold plan.
What tax number should buyers price in?
Cambridge's FY2026 residential tax rate is $6.67 per $1,000 of assessed value. Assessed value is the city's estimate of what your home is worth for tax purposes — not what you paid for it. The commercial rate is $14.07.
FY2026 Cambridge Tax Rates by Property Class
Residential and commercial/industrial property tax rates per $1,000 of assessed value for FY2026.
| Series | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 tax rate per $1,000 | Residential | $ 6.67 |
| FY2026 tax rate per $1,000 | Commercial/Industrial | $ 14.07 |
Cambridge Day reported on September 24, 2026 that City Manager Yi-An Huang's FY2027 memo proposes a residential rate of $6.95 per $1,000 — a proposal, not an adopted figure. Confirm the adopted rate with the City Assessor before you write an offer, and ask which exemptions you qualify for.
What are the strongest arguments against this approach?
"A neighborhood map needs neighborhood prices." Fair. Neighborhood-level sale prices change fast, so only a current MLS or city assessor pull will give you reliable numbers for Baldwin versus East Cambridge. What the map does deliver is the decision that comes first. With 19 active single-family listings against 118 condos, housing type and price band set your real options. The map narrows the search only after that.
"The price figures contradict each other." They do. Steinmetz reports a $1.65M spring 2026 single-family median. Centre Realty Group reports a $2.503M full-year 2025 median. NeighborhoodScout gives a $1,524,440 estimated median home value, not a sale price. Different periods, different methods. Budget from the most recent sale-based figure, then check recent sale prices for similar nearby homes (your agent can pull these).
"Homes move too fast, and condo inventory is down 12%." The April 2026 Santana Team update does show condo inventory down 12 percent. Steinmetz reports correctly priced single-family homes moving in 18–22 days. Concede the real part: in the house tier, with 19 active listings, neighborhood choice is largely unavailable. But the typical Cambridge listing takes 58 days to sell (Realtor.com, September 2026), and 118 active condo listings still give condo buyers genuine cross-neighborhood choice. Pace varies by tier — which is why your menu matters more than your map. Get pre-approved before touring, so you can act the same week the right home appears.
Decide whether you are shopping condos, two-families, or houses, and at what price. Then let the map break the tie.
