Massachusetts vs. Rhode Island Housing Supply: Days on Market, Inventory & Absorption Trends (2024–2025)
I was doing a weekly review with a client over the weekend. I wanted to share important data so they had a sense of what’s happening in the market. I noticed a few things and ended up diving a bit deeper (because that’s what I do!).
Across the whole of Massachusetts, single-family supply is up ~19% year over year and Months of Inventory nudged from 1.51 → 1.75. DOM crept from 75 → 78. That’s still a seller-leaning market, but clearly less tight than a year ago.
Rhode Island (Statewide MLS) shows a similar rhythm: inventory built from winter into summer, DOM rose off winter lows, and absorption strengthened late summer as buyers resurfaced. Pricing remains firm in both states, which says cooling, not cracking.
Massachusetts (MLSPIN, Single-Family | 2025 vs. 2024, as of Aug 31)
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Overall, there is more choice for buyers (+19% inventory) and slightly slower absorption (1.51 → 1.75) means fewer homes are going under contract as rapidly which means marketing times are up by a hair (+3 days). Yet prices are still ~5% higher year over year—quality listings, priced to the last 30 days, continue to win.
Rhode Island (Statewide MLS, Single-Family | Aug ’24 → Aug ’25)
The RI MLS isn’t as easy to pull data from and it doesn’t offer as much rich data as MLSPIN in MA.
How to read this table: Absorption Rate is Sales ÷ Active Listings × 100 each month. Months of Inventory is the MLS metric you provided. DOM is the monthly average “Days to Sell.”
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Read: Rhode Island’s single-family market saw supply peak in the fall and winter, reaching 3.6 to 4.2 months of inventory, which temporarily tilted leverage toward buyers. But by the summer of 2025, that cushion had tightened sharply, dropping to just 2.2 months in August—a clear return to a seller-leaning environment. Average days on market held mostly between 27 and 42 days, giving buyers a little more breathing room than in the ultra-competitive 2021–2022 market, but still leaving well-priced homes moving quickly.
MA vs. RI: What’s the signal?
Directionally similar: Both Massachusetts and Rhode Island show higher inventory than last year, translating into slightly longer marketing times. In both states, though, supply levels remain well under the 5–6 months that typically define a balanced market.
Massachusetts: Inventory climbed nearly 20% year over year, nudging Months of Supply from 1.51 → 1.75. That’s a meaningful easing, but still firmly seller-leaning.
Rhode Island: Supply moved seasonally, peaking at 4.2 months in February before tightening back to 2.2 months by August. The summer rebound in absorption confirms sellers regained the upper hand quickly, even as DOM stretched a bit compared to the frenzied pace of 2021–2022.
Takeaway for pricing: This is a skills market—homes still sell, but pricing accuracy and payment framing matter more than ever. Sellers can succeed at or above list if they position well, while buyers gain leverage on listings that linger past 30 days or go through a price cut.
What this means right now
For Sellers
Sellers still have the advantage, it just doesn’t feel like it and it is dependent on the price point in the specific municipality. In MA, you’re competing with ~19% more listings than last year; in RI, absorption is strong but buyers are payment-sensitive. I know I can feel a shift in the market, so you’ll need to bracket pricing to the last-30-day comps (if you can gather enough comparable sales) and pair your listing with a payment illustration (and buydown scenario) to widen your buyer pool. There are more younger buyers out there – make it easy for them to comprehend it all. If your home is sitting, consider a Rate Buydown instead of a price cut - it could be more attractive for both parties.
For Buyers
Use this breathing room. In MA, more inventory + slightly longer DOM creates negotiation windows. You’ll want to ask your agent for that data, broken down by price bracket. In RI, move quickly on well-priced homes (MoI ≈ 2), but be ready to ask for credits or rate buydowns—sellers respond to payment math that keeps their top-line price intact.
For Agents
Lead with DOM + Months of Inventory in every CMA and buyer consult. Be sure to evaluate absorption rate. Just like we’re seeing for the RI data—those July/Aug bursts are the type of data that make for a great talking point about urgency and how it will affect offer/counter-offer strategy. Also, consider creating an Active + Pending status snapshot by town.
References
MLSPIN — Massachusetts Area Market Review, Single-Family, 2025 vs. 2024 as of Aug 31.
Statewide MLS (Rhode Island) — Single-Family monthly tables and charts, Aug 2024 → Aug 2025.
