Haverhill & Andover, MA — Merrimack Valley
Two towns on the same commuter line. A price gap that changes everything. Waterfront revitalization versus established prestige — and an honest look at how everyday life actually feels in each one.
Haverhill vs. Andover: Andover is one of the most polished, well-resourced suburbs north of Boston with top-ranked schools, a prestigious address, and a 2025 median single-family price near $1,112,500. Haverhill offers direct MBTA access to the same Boston line, a downtown in active funded transformation, and a 2024 median single-family price around $560,000. Both have the Haverhill commuter rail line. The right choice comes down to whether you are buying for school district and prestige or for value, momentum, and room to grow. Compiled by Lisa Sevajian, Realtor — Lisa Sevajian Group, eXp Realty. Updated May 2026.
People ask me about Haverhill and Andover more often than you might expect, especially buyers who are coming in from out of state and researching the Merrimack Valley corridor without preconceptions about which town is "supposed" to be the answer.
What they notice first is that both towns have commuter rail. Both are in Essex County. Both are within the same general driving distance of Boston. The Haverhill Line runs through both of them on its way into North Station.
Then they look at prices. The conversation changes fast.
Andover runs about twice the price of Haverhill, sometimes more. That is not a rounding error. That is a different financial life. And yet both can genuinely work depending on what your priorities actually are.
| Category | Haverhill | Andover |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 Median Single-Family Price | ~$560,000 | ~$1,112,500 |
| FY2026 Property Tax Rate | $10.61/$1,000 | ~$12.10–$12.41/$1,000 |
| Population | ~67,415 | ~36,927 |
| Median Household Income | $87,675 | $167,591 |
| Boston Mag School Rank 2025 | #121 of 150 | #36 of 150 |
| MBTA Haverhill Line Zone | Zone 7 | Zone 5 |
| Owner-Occupied Rate | 61.3% | 80.5% |
These numbers tell part of the story. The rest lives in how each town actually feels when you are building a life there.
| Choose Haverhill if you want | Choose Andover if you want |
|---|---|
| Maximum value for the money | Top-ranked public schools |
| A city with genuine energy and diversity | Established prestige and community identity |
| Active downtown revitalization upside | Polished suburban charm |
| More house for the same payment | Phillips Academy and Merrimack College nearby |
| Waterfront access and riverwalk culture | Lower crime, high owner-occupancy |
| Financial breathing room in daily life | Strong long-term resale and market stability |
Haverhill is a real city. Not a suburb. A city, with all the energy, texture, diversity, and imperfection that the word carries.
It sits on a bend of the Merrimack River, and the downtown faces that river with a riverwalk that is genuinely beautiful. On a spring morning, walking along the water with the old mill buildings reflected in the current, you understand why people who love this city talk about it the way they do. There is something authentic here that is hard to manufacture.
The downtown has been in active revitalization for a decade, and the pace is accelerating. The Lupoli Companies' approved $160 million District Square development is bringing 370 apartments, a food hall, retail, and a new public plaza to the Merrimack Street corridor, according to Lupoli Companies' announcement. The city's Vision Haverhill 2035 master plan has the downtown and riverfront as its centerpiece, per the City of Haverhill's current projects page. This is not speculation about what might happen. The money is committed and construction is underway.
Haverhill is also genuinely diverse. Latino families, Portuguese-speaking communities, longtime Yankee families, and newer arrivals from across the country all exist side by side in a way that shapes the restaurants, the neighborhoods, and the texture of everyday life. If you want a community that reflects the actual complexity of America, Haverhill delivers that in a way Andover does not.
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Andover feels polished, established, and quietly confident. The town center has a beautiful common surrounded by well-kept historic architecture, independent restaurants and shops, and a sense of permanence that takes generations to develop.
Phillips Academy sits in the middle of town and gives Andover a collegiate energy that touches its restaurants, culture, and social mix. Merrimack College adds another layer. The public library is excellent. The parks are well-maintained. The neighborhoods feel cared-for in a way that reflects high homeownership rates — 80.5 percent of Andover residents own their homes, according to U.S. Census QuickFacts.
Andover High School ranked #36 of 150 in Boston Magazine's 2025 Greater Boston public high school rankings, per Boston Magazine, and holds a 10/10 GreatSchools rating. For families where school quality is the non-negotiable criterion, Andover is one of the stronger conversations in the entire Merrimack Valley.
Life in Andover feels comfortable, safe, and well-resourced. The tradeoff is price. Everything that makes Andover feel this way costs what it costs.
Haverhill's food scene reflects the city's character: honest, diverse, unpretentious, and growing. Taqueria Jalisco draws lines for a reason — the food is genuinely excellent and deeply local. Haverhill Brewery has become a downtown social anchor with craft beer and a community taproom feel. Dena's Restaurant has served the city with consistency for years. The incoming District Square food hall will bring a new layer to the mix that does not yet exist.
Andover's restaurant scene feels more curated and suburban. Brick and Ember has become a local favorite for wood-fired pizza. The Andover Inn's dining room offers classic New England dinner elegance. Bouchee Restaurant draws loyalists for French-influenced bistro food. Coffee culture in Andover tends toward local cafes tucked near the town center and the train station.
Neither is better. Haverhill's scene is more diverse and more developing. Andover's is more polished and more consistent. Which version fits your life depends on what you actually want from the places you walk to.
Haverhill Brewery is the centerpiece of Haverhill's social life in the way that the better-known regional breweries hold that position in other Merrimack Valley towns. It has real community events, a downtown location that puts it within walking distance of the riverwalk, and an honest neighborhood-brewery energy.
Andover's weekend rhythm leans more toward the suburban pattern — families at the common, organized youth sports, restaurants on weekend evenings, trail walks at Harold Parker State Forest or the Andover town conservation areas. It is not a brewery town. It is a family-activity-Saturday-afternoon town, and that serves its community very well.
Starting with coffee along the riverwalk while the Merrimack moves slowly past. Walking through downtown while the city is still waking up. The old mill buildings and the water create a morning atmosphere that is genuinely beautiful and genuinely Haverhill's own.
A late morning walk up to Winnekenni Castle — the views of the surrounding landscape from the castle grounds are underappreciated by most people who have not been. Afternoon at Haverhill Brewery, relaxed and unhurried, the way weekend afternoons should feel. Dinner somewhere in the downtown, walking back along the river as the light shifts.
That day costs very little and gives a great deal.
Coffee on the town common in the morning while the historic architecture frames everything beautifully. A walk around the Phillips Academy campus, which remains one of the more striking pieces of New England campus architecture anywhere in the region.
Lunch downtown at one of the independent restaurants while the town center hums quietly. An afternoon hike at Harold Parker State Forest a few minutes away — quiet trails, no crowds, genuine New England woods. Dinner back in town, reservations, and the comfortable knowledge that tomorrow looks about the same.
Andover weekends have a settled quality. Everything works. That is worth paying for, for the right person.
Andover High School ranked #36 of 150 in Boston Magazine's 2025 Greater Boston public high school rankings and carries a 10/10 GreatSchools rating, according to Boston Magazine and Homes.com citing GreatSchools. Andover Public Schools has consistently strong MCAS performance, high graduation rates, and deep advanced course offerings. For families where school ranking is a true non-negotiable, this is the relevant data.
Haverhill High School ranked #121 of 150 in the same Boston Magazine list. Haverhill Public Schools serves a diverse and economically varied student population, which creates different challenges and different learning environments than Andover. The schools are improving — Haverhill has invested in programming — but the gap in current rankings is real and should be part of an honest conversation for families with school-age children.
School fit is always more nuanced than a single number. Children thrive in many different environments. I am glad to pull current MCAS data for both districts for any family who wants to look more carefully.
Haverhill's FY2026 residential rate is $10.61 per $1,000 of assessed value, per the City of Haverhill. On a $560,000 home, that is approximately $5,942 per year.
Andover's FY2026 residential rate is approximately $12.10 to $12.41 per $1,000, per the Andover FY2026 Tax Classification hearing. On a $1,112,500 home, that is approximately $13,460 to $13,796 per year — a meaningful difference in annual housing carrying costs.
The rate difference is small. The assessed value difference is enormous. That is the real tax story.
Both towns have MBTA Haverhill Line service to Boston's North Station. Andover's stations (Andover and Ballardvale) are at Zone 5, with typical travel times around 60 to 70 minutes. Haverhill's stations are at Zone 7, with typical travel times around 75 to 85 minutes. Neither is prohibitive for commuters who are comfortable with commuter rail.
By car, Andover sits slightly closer to Boston at roughly 45 to 60 minutes in normal traffic via I-93. Haverhill runs 55 to 70 minutes in normal traffic via I-495 south. Peak-hour conditions extend both significantly.
The commuter rail advantage is real for Andover. The difference for most commuters is about 15 minutes each direction by train, which adds up but does not make Haverhill impractical.
| Population | ~67,415 (ACS 2024) [Census] |
| Median HHI | $87,675 (ACS 5-yr) [Census] |
| BM School Rank 2025 | #121 of 150 [Boston Mag] |
| Tax Rate | $10.61/$1,000 (FY2026) [Haverhill City] |
| 2024 Median Sale | ~$560,000 (SF, 2024) [Buyers Brokers] |
| Owner-Occupied | 61.3% [Census] |
| Transit | MBTA Haverhill Line (Zone 7) — Haverhill & Bradford Stations [MBTA] |
| Population | ~36,927 (2025 est.) [Census] |
| Median HHI | $167,591 [Census] |
| BM School Rank 2025 | #36 of 150 [Boston Mag] |
| Tax Rate | ~$12.10–$12.41/$1,000 (FY2026) [Andover Assessor] |
| 2025 Median Sale | ~$1,112,500 (SF, 7-mo YTD) [Buyers Brokers] |
| Owner-Occupied | 80.5% [Census] |
| Transit | MBTA Haverhill Line (Zone 5) — Andover & Ballardvale Stations [MassByTrain] |
Significantly more affordable, yes. The 2024 full-year median single-family sale price in Haverhill was approximately $560,000, while Andover's 2025 median ran close to $1,112,500 for single-family homes. That price gap changes monthly payments, renovation budgets, and everyday financial breathing room in very concrete ways.
Yes. Both sit on the MBTA Haverhill Line to Boston's North Station. Andover's stations are at Zone 5 with typical travel around 60 to 70 minutes. Haverhill's are Zone 7 with roughly 75 to 85 minutes. Both are real commuter options.
There is a meaningful gap. Andover High ranked #36 of 150 in Boston Magazine's 2025 rankings. Haverhill High ranked #121. For school-focused families, Andover holds a clear advantage. The distinction matters and should be part of any honest conversation.
Haverhill's FY2026 rate is $10.61 per $1,000. Andover's is approximately $12.10 to $12.41 per $1,000. The rates are closer than many people expect — but Andover's higher assessed values mean annual tax bills are typically much larger there in absolute terms.
Haverhill has genuine momentum. The $160 million District Square redevelopment, the Merrimack Street revitalization, the riverwalk, and Vision Haverhill 2035 are all active. Buying into a market that is improving carries different upside than buying into a market that has already priced in all its potential.
Lupoli Companies' approved District Square project brings 370 apartments, a food hall, retail, and a new public plaza to the Merrimack Street corridor, per the developer's announcement. Combined with existing riverwalk and Harbor Place development, downtown Haverhill is in funded, active transformation. That creates real buyer upside.
Very difficult. Andover's median is close to $1.1 million for single-family homes. Below $700K generally means condominiums or properties needing substantial work. Buyers in the $500K to $700K range seeking true single-family homes find far more in Haverhill.
In normal traffic, roughly 55 to 70 minutes via I-495 south and I-93. Peak-hour conditions extend that to 80 to 100 minutes. Most Haverhill Boston commuters find the MBTA Haverhill Line more reliable than driving daily.
Andover feels polished, established, and well-resourced. The town center, the town common, Phillips Academy, and the public school system create a community that feels genuinely invested in its own quality of life. It attracts buyers who want excellent schools, a prestigious address, and long-term market stability.
The town center area is genuinely walkable, with shops, restaurants, the train station, and the common all close together. Most residential neighborhoods require a car for everyday errands. Tour specific neighborhoods you are considering to understand the actual daily experience.
For buyers in the $400K to $650K range, Haverhill is typically the more realistic conversation. It offers true single-family homes at that price point, commuter rail access, and active downtown improvement. Andover is an aspirational market for many first-time buyers whose budgets start below $900K.
Haverhill is one of the more diverse communities in the Merrimack Valley with significant Latino, Portuguese-speaking, and immigrant-origin communities. Andover is a predominantly white, higher-income suburb. Neither is better — they simply reflect different community compositions that matter to different buyers.
Winnekenni Castle and grounds, the Merrimack River riverwalk, Plug Pond Recreation Area, and nearby Georgetown and Boxford conservation land all offer real outdoor access. Haverhill has more recreational variety than most buyers expect before visiting.
Haverhill has pockets of higher-priced single-family homes in the Bradford neighborhood and areas bordering Georgetown. Some waterfront and larger properties transact in the $700K to $900K range. Haverhill is not a luxury market — its strength is value, authenticity, and access.
Call or text me at 978-457-3406. I work both markets regularly and can show you current inventory, walk you through neighborhoods, and help you understand what your budget actually buys in each town right now — not six months ago.
Written by Lisa Sevajian, a licensed Massachusetts and New Hampshire Realtor with over 20 years of direct experience in these markets. All pricing ranges reflect general market conditions as of spring 2026 and are not guarantees of any specific property value.
I know both markets well and have sold homes in both. Tell me what your life needs and I will show you exactly where it fits right now.
Lisa Sevajian has been featured in industry publications, financial press, and local community coverage across her two-decade career. Verified profiles live on the platforms below.