Living in Beverly, MA: A Local Realtor’s Guide to Beverly Farms, West Beach and the Garden City

Drive east on Hale Street and Beverly slowly changes around you. The busy blocks of downtown give way to stone walls and old estates, the ocean starts showing up between the trees, and then the road bends into a little village center with a fire station, a bookshop, a tavern and a train stop, all a short walk from one of the prettiest beaches on the North Shore. That village is Beverly Farms, and it is the reason a lot of people start looking at Beverly in the first place.

I’m Jodi Crowley, a REALTOR® with Lamacchia Realty based in Woburn, and I help buyers and sellers across the communities north of Boston. This guide is the one I wish every buyer had before their first Beverly showing: what each part of the city actually feels like, what homes cost, how the commute works, and the honest tradeoffs, with extra attention on Beverly Farms and West Beach because those are the places people ask me about most.

Beverly at a Glance

2026 is a big year to be paying attention to Beverly. The city is celebrating its 400th anniversary with a yearlong program of events called Beverly 400+, from walking tours and film screenings to Porchfest, Harborfest and the Holiday Parade.

Is Beverly, MA a Good Place to Live? The Honest Pros and Cons

National relocation guides that actually help people tend to do one thing well: they tell you the downsides too. So here is the straight version.

What people love about living in Beverly

You get the ocean without giving up a real city. Beverly has a working downtown with two historic theaters, an art college, coffee shops and restaurants, and it also has public beaches, waterfront parks and conservation land. Very few North Shore towns give you both in one place.

The train is a genuine option. Beverly Depot sits at the junction where the Newburyport and Rockport branches split, so every train on the line stops there. Most trips to North Station take roughly 35 to 45 minutes, and the city has several other stations, including one right in Beverly Farms village.

The tax rate is reasonable for the coast. Beverly’s FY2026 residential rate is $10.81 per $1,000, which sits below the 2026 statewide average of about $12.18. Beverly also uses a split rate, so businesses carry a larger share of the levy than homeowners do.

Every neighborhood has a different personality. You can choose a walkable condo near the Depot, a family street in North Beverly, a waterfront home in Beverly Cove, or an antique colonial a few blocks from West Beach, all within the same school district.

What to know before you commit

Beverly Farms inventory is thin. Homes in the Farms simply do not come up often, and when a well-priced one does, buyers move fast. If the Farms is your goal, plan on patience and on being ready to act.

West Beach is not open to everyone. The beach is owned by the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing. If you buy elsewhere in Beverly, you will not get a West Beach sticker, so look carefully at which side of the line a property sits on.

Coastal homes come with coastal questions. Some properties near the water sit in FEMA flood zones and hurricane evacuation areas, which can affect insurance costs and lending. Always pull the flood map before you write an offer.

Outside the village centers, you will drive. Downtown and the area around Beverly Depot are very walkable, and Beverly Farms village is too, but many of the larger lots in the Farms, Prides Crossing and Centerville are car-dependent.

Summer is busy. Lynch Park, Dane Street Beach and the Hale Street corridor draw crowds on warm weekends, and nonresidents pay to park at Lynch Park in season. Residents park free, which is a nice perk once you live here.

Beverly Farms: The Village Everyone Asks About

Beverly Farms sits at the eastern end of the city, stretching toward the Manchester-by-the-Sea line, with Prides Crossing between it and the rest of Beverly. In the late 1800s and early 1900s this stretch of coast became a summer retreat for wealthy Boston families, and the estates they built are a big part of why the area is still called the Gold Coast. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes and novelist John Updike both called it home at different points.

What makes the Farms feel different from the rest of Beverly is its village center. West Street and Hale Street meet at a small commercial district that still feels like its own town, with the century-old fire station anchoring one end, the Beverly Farms Branch Library tucked in behind it, and a handful of locally owned shops and restaurants lining the sidewalks. The Beverly Farms commuter rail station is on Oak Street, right in the village, and West Beach is roughly half a mile away on foot.

West Beach

West Beach is the heart of summer in the Farms. The land was originally deeded to John West in 1666, and he left it to the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing. The organization that manages it has been incorporated since 1852, and it still operates as a members’ beach today: residents of the Farms and Prides purchase a pass and parking sticker, and people from outside the area can apply for a limited subscriber pass.

The beach itself is a long, sandy stretch running from the rocks near Lees Crossing west toward Prides Crossing, with calm water, swimming and boating lessons for members, and views that inspired a well-known Fitz Henry Lane painting in the mid 1800s. For many families, access to West Beach is the single biggest reason they set their sights on the Farms, and you will see it mentioned in nearly every Beverly Farms listing.

Fourth of July in the Farms

If you want to understand Beverly Farms in one day, come on the Fourth of July. The Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing Fourth of July Committee has run the celebration since the 1880s, and it fills the whole holiday. A free family cookout and house decorating contest kick things off at the Hastings House on July 3. On the Fourth, a morning parade forms on Oak Street, the old-timers softball game takes over Dix Park, kids’ races and games fill West Beach in the afternoon, and live music leads up to fireworks over the water after dark. Before 5 p.m. the beach is for sticker holders; after that, anyone with a wristband can come in for the fireworks. Wristbands have been sold in advance at village shops, including the Book Shop and Prides Crossing Confections.

Where to eat and shop in Beverly Farms

• Hale Street Tavern & Oyster Bar (717 Hale St.) is the village gathering spot, part of the Serenitee restaurant group, known for oysters, sushi and comfort food, with a family-friendly room and seasonal outdoor seating.
• Andalin Thai Kitchen & Bar (24 West St.) serves Thai classics for dine-in or takeout, just steps from the train.
• The Avocado Pit (36 West St.) is a casual lunch spot in the village, popular with Endicott students and locals alike.
• West Street Cafe (1 West St.) is where you will find coffee, breakfast and lunch at the corner of the village.
• The Book Shop of Beverly Farms (40 West St.) has been a neighborhood gathering place since 1968 and is exactly the kind of independent bookstore people hope a seaside village will have.
• Vidalia’s on West Street is the village market for produce, gourmet groceries, sandwiches and baked treats.
• Prides Crossing Confections (590 Hale St.) makes candy and chocolate by hand in copper kettles, inside the old Prides Crossing train depot. It is a local tradition and an easy stop on the way home from the beach.

For bigger grocery runs, Farms residents head into the rest of Beverly, where there are full-size supermarkets including Shaw’s and Whole Foods Market.

Parks and trails in the Farms

• Dix Park is the neighborhood playground and ball field, with a basketball court, tennis and pickleball.
• Beverly Commons Conservation Area covers more than 400 acres of maple and hemlock woods with walking trails. Locals sometimes call it Witches Woods, a nod to stories that families hid there during the Salem witch trials.
• The Hastings House at 14 Oak Street serves as a community center for meetings and neighborhood events.

Homes in Beverly Farms

Housing in the Farms covers a wide range. Near the village center, homes sit closer together on sidewalk-lined streets, and you will find classic Capes, colonials and Dutch colonials, many built in the 1800s and early 1900s. Farther out, properties spread across larger wooded lots separated by stone walls, and along the water you will find true oceanfront estates with private beach frontage. Since 2024, the median Beverly Farms single family home has sold for about $1.21 million, with a median size of roughly 3,300 square feet. Smaller homes near the village can still come in under $1 million, while larger and waterfront properties regularly sell for $2 million or more, and the occasional legacy estate lists far above that. Condos and townhouses near the village offer a lower entry point and still come with West Beach eligibility.

Prides Crossing: The Quiet Stretch of the Gold Coast

Prides Crossing sits between Beverly Cove and Beverly Farms along Hale Street. It was a favorite of Gilded Age families who built grand summer homes here, and many of those estates are still standing behind long driveways and old trees. Today it is mostly residential and very private, with large lots, waterfront properties and a handful of landmarks, including Prides Crossing Confections and the Landmark School campus. Prides residents share West Beach rights with the Farms, which is part of what keeps demand high.

Beverly Neighborhoods: Finding Your Fit

Downtown Beverly. The most walkable part of the city, centered on Cabot and Rantoul Streets near Beverly Depot. You will find condos, multifamilies and older single families within walking distance of restaurants, coffee shops, The Cabot, the Larcom Theatre and Montserrat College of Art. Great for commuters and anyone who wants to leave the car at home.

Beverly Cove. A coastal neighborhood along Beverly Harbor with stately homes, water views and easy access to beaches. Endicott College’s campus is here, and Montserrat station is close by.

Montserrat. Just north of downtown, with New England style homes, its own commuter rail station and quick access to both downtown and the beaches of the Cove. A popular choice for buyers who want train access without living right downtown.

North Beverly. A suburban feel with a mix of capes, ranches, split levels and colonials. Home to the North Beverly train station and Beverly Regional Airport, plus sub-neighborhoods like Raymond Farms and Folly Hill.

Ryal Side. On the western side of the city along the Danvers River, mostly residential with shopping on Bridge and Elliott Streets and the Beverly Port Marina for boaters.

Centerville. An established neighborhood with stately homes, more green space and a larger inventory of single families. It is close to Gordon College and not far from the North Shore Music Theatre.

Prides Crossing and Beverly Farms. The Gold Coast end of the city, covered in detail above.

The Beverly Housing Market

To ground this section in real numbers rather than online estimates, I pulled every Beverly single family sale recorded in MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN) from 2001 through October 29, 2026, more than 7,000 closed sales in all. Here is what that 25-year history shows.

How Beverly home prices have changed since 2001

In 2001 the median Beverly single family home sold for $295,000. Prices climbed steadily to about $400,000 by 2004, then slipped during the housing downturn, bottoming out at $325,500 in 2011, roughly 19% below the earlier peak. From 2012 on, the story has been almost uninterrupted growth. The median crossed $500,000 in 2019, jumped to $607,500 in 2021, reached $770,l000 in 2025, and so far in 2026 sits at $825,000, about 7% higher than last year.

Put another way, the typical Beverly single family home is worth about 180% more than it was in 2001, more than two and a half times its 2011 low, and roughly 47% more than in 2020. Price per square foot tells the same story, rising from $186 in 2001 to $465 today.

Source: MLS PIN single family sales in Beverly, MA, analyzed by Jodi Crowley. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

What the numbers say about today’s market

Fewer homes are changing hands. Between 2013 and 2021, Beverly saw 300 or more single family sales most years, with a high of 360 in 2016. That number fell to just 206 in 2023, the lowest in this 25-year record, and has only partly recovered since. Many owners locked in low mortgage rates and are staying put, which keeps inventory tight and prices firm.

Homes still sell quickly, and often above asking. Back in 2008, the typical Beverly home sat for 67 days and sold for about 93% of its original price. Since 2021, the median time on market has held at around 18 to 20 days. In 2021, three out of four sales closed above the original asking price, and in 2026 so far it is still close to two out of three, with the typical home selling for about 103% of its original price.

The top of the market has grown. In 2008, only five Beverly single family homes sold for $1 million or more. In 2025 there were 47, and 2026 has already passed that with 55 through late October. Waterfront homes have sold for a median of about $1.28 million since 2024, compared with about $756,000 for homes without water frontage.

Prices by neighborhood

Not every MLS listing is tagged with a neighborhood, but the ones that are give a useful picture of how different parts of Beverly compare. These figures cover single family sales from January 2024 through October 2026.

Source: MLS PIN single family sales with a neighborhood listed, January 2024 to October 29, 2026. Prides Crossing has very few sales, so treat its figures as a rough guide.

Ryal Side and North Beverly are where most buyers find the city’s entry point for a single family home, while Montserrat commands some of the highest prices per square foot thanks to its train station and short walk to downtown and the Cove beaches. Beverly Farms stands out in two ways: homes there are much larger (a median of about 3,300 square feet, nearly double the citywide norm of about 1,800), and they take longer to sell, which reflects higher price points and a smaller pool of buyers rather than weak demand. The Farms median has risen from about $799,000 in 2016 to 2020 to about $1.2 million since 2024, an increase of roughly 50%.

What I tell buyers looking in Beverly

• Price per square foot varies a lot by distance to the water and the train. Two similar houses a mile apart can trade very differently.
• Expect the most competition between $600,000 and $900,000. That range accounts for more than half of Beverly’s single family sales since 2025, and about 7 in 10 of those homes sold above their original asking price. Being pre-approved and ready to move quickly matters.
• Older homes are the norm. The typical Beverly Farms home sold in recent years was built in the 1930s, and many are much older. Budget for inspections that look closely at foundations, roofs, heating systems and older wiring.
• Check West Beach eligibility in writing. If beach rights matter to you, confirm the property is within Beverly Farms or Prides Crossing before you fall in love with it. Some listings say so directly.
• Ask about flood zones and insurance early. For homes near the coast, an insurance quote belongs in your due diligence, not after closing.

If you are weighing Beverly against other towns north of Boston, I am happy to pull current sales for the exact neighborhoods you are considering.

Property Taxes in Beverly

Beverly’s FY2026 residential tax rate is $10.81 per $1,000 of assessed value. The commercial rate is $20.98. Here is what that looks like on a few common assessments:

Beverly also has a Community Preservation Act surcharge of 1% that applies on top of the base tax, with an exemption for the first $100,000 of residential value. Your exact bill depends on your assessment, and tax bills in Beverly are issued quarterly. For a side-by-side look at nearby towns, see my Massachusetts Property Tax Rates guide.

Getting Around: Commuting from Beverly

By train. Beverly is one of the best-served cities on the MBTA Newburyport/Rockport Line. Every train on both branches stops at Beverly Depot downtown, and most trips to North Station take roughly 35 to 45 minutes. Montserrat and North Beverly stations serve those neighborhoods, and the Beverly Farms station on Oak Street puts the village about 45 minutes to an hour from Boston depending on the train. Service from the Farms is less frequent than from the Depot, so check the schedule against your workday.

By car. Route 128 runs through the city and connects to I-95 and Route 1, so Boston, the Burlington and Woburn job centers, and southern New Hampshire are all within reach. From Beverly Farms it is about 29 miles to Boston and about 26 miles to Logan Airport.

Locally. Beverly is also served by the MBTA 451 bus and a city shuttle, and Beverly Regional Airport in North Beverly handles private and general aviation.

Schools in Beverly

Beverly Public Schools serves the whole city, including Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing.

• Elementary (K to 4): Ayers/Ryal Side, Centerville, Cove, Hannah and North Beverly Elementary Schools. Beverly Farms students are typically assigned to Cove Elementary.
• Preschool: McKeown School.
• Middle (grades 5 to 8): Beverly Middle School on Cabot Street.
• High (grades 9 to 12): Beverly High School on Sohier Road, where seniors can join the Reach Senior Internship Program to work with a mentor on real career experience or an independent project.

Beverly also has an unusual number of private and independent options. Glen Urquhart School (pre-K through grade 8) is right in Beverly Farms, the Waring School serves grades 6 through 12, the Landmark School in Prides Crossing specializes in students with language-based learning differences, and the Waldorf School at Moraine Farm serves younger children. Three colleges sit in or right next to the city: Endicott College in Beverly Cove, Montserrat College of Art downtown, and Gordon College just over the line in Wenham.

Always confirm school assignments with the district for a specific address.

Beaches, Parks and the Outdoors

Beverly’s coastline is the reason it earned the name the Garden City. Beyond West Beach in the Farms, these are the places locals mention most.

• Lynch Park. Beverly’s crown jewel: a 16-acre oceanfront park with two beaches (Lynch Beach and the larger Woodbury Beach), a formal rose garden, a playground and splash pad, food concessions and a summer concert series. Beverly residents park free; nonresidents pay a seasonal parking fee.
• Dane Street Beach (Lyons Park). A big sandy beach overlooking Beverly Harbor and Salem, with lifeguards in summer, open grassy fields, one of the city’s most popular play structures, and free parking.
• Independence Park. A small sandy beach and lawn right near downtown with views across Beverly Harbor. Beverly 400+ is revitalizing it as a gift to the city.
• Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens. A 114-acre estate cared for by The Trustees, once the summer home of Atlantic Monthly editor Ellery Sedgwick, with formal gardens, a historic house and walking trails.
• Beverly Commons Conservation Area. More than 400 acres of wooded trails in Beverly Farms.
• Mingo Beach. A small public beach along Hale Street near Prides Crossing, handy for a quick swim or sunset walk.
• The Misery Islands. Managed by The Trustees and technically part of Salem, these islands sit just off the Beverly Farms and Manchester shoreline and are a favorite for kayakers and boaters.
• Hospital Point Light. A historic lighthouse established in 1871 that marks the channel into Beverly, Salem and Marblehead.
• Singing Beach. Just over the line in Manchester-by-the-Sea, about a 10 minute drive from the Farms.

Things to Do: Downtown, Arts and Events

Downtown Beverly

Cabot Street is the backbone of downtown, with Rantoul Street running parallel near the Depot. This is where Beverly’s arts scene lives.

• The Cabot opened in December 1920 and has been restored into a busy performing arts center with national touring acts, comedy, classic films and community events.
• The Larcom Theatre on Wallis Street dates to 1912 and is a family-owned theater for music and live performances, named for Beverly poet and teacher Lucy Larcom.
• North Shore Music Theatre on Dunham Road brings Broadway-style musicals and concerts to the North Shore.
• Montserrat College of Art hosts free contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year.
• Historic Beverly runs historic house museums including Hale Farm on Hale Street, which hosts concerts, lawn movies and seasonal events.

Downtown dining by vibe

• Coffee and a quick bite: Atomic Cafe on Cabot Street, Crave on Rantoul Street, and Kid Dream on West Dane Street.
• Casual and easy: A&B Burgers, Wrapture, The Indo pub, and Bonefish Harry’s for seafood and tiki drinks.
• Date night: Que Mas on Rantoul Street, Soma and Delphine’s on Cabot Street, Daniella’s on Cabot (a 2026 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner), and Ellis Square Social for craft cocktails.
• Global flavors: Kame for sushi and bento, Anmol for Indian, Soall Viet Kitchen, and Toscana Bar Italiano.
• Something different: The Castle, a board game restaurant and bar on Rantoul Street.

Events worth putting on your calendar

• Beverly Homecoming is the city’s big summer festival. The 61st Homecoming ran July 26 through August 9, 2026, with LobsterFest at Lynch Park, concerts, a kids’ carnival, the Lip Sync Extravaganza, a dog party and a fireworks finale.
• Lynch Park Summer Concert Series offers free outdoor concerts through the summer.
• Fourth of July in Beverly Farms, with the morning parade, games at West Beach and fireworks over the water.
• Beverly Holiday Parade down Cabot Street each fall.
• Beverly is over 400 years and held 400+ events throughout 2026, including Porchfest, Harborfest and neighborhood walking tours.

For weekly picks across all of our towns, check the North of Boston events calendar or get the best things to do delivered weekly.

A Little Beverly History

Beverly was first settled in 1626 as part of the same landing that founded Salem, which is why both cities are celebrating 400 years in 2026. It became its own town in 1668 and a city in 1894. Beverly has a long maritime history: early in the Revolutionary War the schooner Hannah sailed from here, and the city proudly calls itself a birthplace of the American Navy. Later, the Gold Coast estates of Prides Crossing and Beverly Farms made the area a summer address for some of the country’s wealthiest families, and President William Howard Taft spent the summers of 1909 and 1910 in a house on the land that is now Lynch Park.

Beverly vs. Nearby Towns

My Honest Take on Living in Beverly

Beverly is one of the few places north of Boston where you can genuinely choose your lifestyle without changing cities. If you want to walk to a show at The Cabot and take the train to work, downtown and Montserrat make that easy. If you want a yard and a neighborhood school, North Beverly and Centerville deliver. And if you dream of a village where you can walk to the bookshop, grab oysters at the tavern and spend summer evenings at a beach that feels like your own, Beverly Farms is exactly what people hope it will be. The tradeoff is that the Farms is small, in demand and rarely has more than a few homes for sale at once, so buyers who do best there are the ones who know the neighborhood before the right house appears.

If you are thinking about a move to Beverly, or comparing it with other towns north of Boston, I would love to help you sort through the options. You can read what my clients say in my reviews or learn more about me and reach out here. And if you are still exploring, browse my other community guides north of Boston.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living in Beverly, MA

Is Beverly, MA a good place to live? For many people, yes. Beverly combines a walkable downtown with an active arts scene, multiple commuter rail stations, a long coastline with public beaches, and neighborhoods that range from downtown condos to Gold Coast estates. The main tradeoffs are higher prices near the water, limited inventory in Beverly Farms, and busy summer weekends.

How far is Beverly from Boston? Beverly is about 20 to 30 miles from Boston depending on the neighborhood. By commuter rail, most trips from Beverly Depot to North Station take roughly 35 to 45 minutes, and trips from Beverly Farms take about 45 minutes to an hour.

What is Beverly Farms known for? Beverly Farms is known for its walkable village center on West and Hale Streets, its history as a Gilded Age summer retreat, its Fourth of July celebration dating to the 1880s, and West Beach, a beach owned by the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing.

Can anyone go to West Beach in Beverly Farms? West Beach is a members’ beach owned by the residents of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing, who purchase a pass and parking sticker. People from outside the area can apply for a limited subscriber pass, and on the Fourth of July the beach opens to wristband holders in the evening for fireworks.

How much do homes cost in Beverly, MA? The median single family home in Beverly sold for $825,000 in 2026 through October 29, according to MLS PIN data, up from $770,000 in 2025 and $560,000 in 2020. Neighborhood medians since 2024 range from about $695,000 in Ryal Side to about $1.21 million in Beverly Farms.

What is the property tax rate in Beverly, MA? Beverly’s FY2026 residential tax rate is $10.81 per $1,000 of assessed value, which is below the 2026 Massachusetts average. A home assessed at $1,000,000 would owe about $10,810 a year before the Community Preservation Act surcharge or any exemptions.

What are the best neighborhoods in Beverly? It depends on what you want. Downtown and Montserrat are best for walkability and the train, North Beverly and Centerville for a suburban feel, Beverly Cove for coastal living near Endicott College, and Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing for village charm, larger historic homes and West Beach access.

What schools serve Beverly Farms? Beverly Farms is part of Beverly Public Schools. Younger students typically attend Cove Elementary, then Beverly Middle School and Beverly High School. Glen Urquhart School, a private pre-K through grade 8 school, is located in the Farms.

What is happening in Beverly in 2026? Beverly is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2026 with Beverly 400+, a yearlong series of events including walking tours, Porchfest, Harborfest, an expanded 15-day Beverly Homecoming and the Holiday Parade.