Town guide

Ipswich, Massachusetts

Ipswich is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, home to about 13,930 people across 32 square miles. Its ZIP code is 01938.

Homes sold for a median of $421 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population13,930434 per sq mi
Median home value$745,400Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$421Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking51%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Ipswich

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ipswich. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Ipswich

Distances

Nearest major airportBoston Logan International Airport (BOS)23 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Boston, MA25 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY212 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Ipswich; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Ipswich

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Ipswich had 13,785 residents in the 2020 census, up 6% since 2000.

It’s the 148th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.

Essex County grew from 357,030 residents in 1900 to 809,829 in 2020.

Ipswich population by census2000: 12,987, 2010: 13,175, 2020: 13,78512,987200013,175201013,7852020

Essex County, 1900–2020

Essex County population, 1900 to 20201900: 357,030, 1910: 436,477, 1920: 482,156, 1930: 498,040, 1940: 496,313, 1950: 522,384, 1960: 568,831, 1970: 637,887, 1980: 633,632, 1990: 670,080, 2000: 723,419, 2010: 743,159, 2020: 809,829357K’00’10482K’20’30496K’40’50569K’60’70634K’80’90723K’00’10810K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 80°F in summer, and winter lows average 18°F. About 48 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 51 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near IpswichJan: high 37°F, low 18°F, 3.7 in; Feb: high 39°F, low 18°F, 3.6 in; Mar: high 45°F, low 25°F, 4.6 in; Apr: high 57°F, low 34°F, 4.2 in; May: high 66°F, low 44°F, 3.5 in; Jun: high 75°F, low 54°F, 4 in; Jul: high 80°F, low 60°F, 3.4 in; Aug: high 79°F, low 58°F, 3.4 in; Sep: high 72°F, low 51°F, 3.8 in; Oct: high 61°F, low 40°F, 5 in; Nov: high 51°F, low 31°F, 4 in; Dec: high 42°F, low 24°F, 4.8 in37°18°Jan3.739°18°Feb3.645°25°Mar4.657°34°Apr4.266°44°May3.575°54°Jun4.080°60°Jul3.479°58°Aug3.472°51°Sep3.861°40°Oct5.051°31°Nov4.042°24°Dec4.8Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Beverly, MA weather station (6 miles away).

Jobs in Essex County

287,960 jobs at 19,988 businesses in Essex County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Essex CountyHealth care and social assistance: 53,794 jobs; Manufacturing: 41,328 jobs; Retail trade: 37,451 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 29,235 jobs; Professional services: 17,105 jobs; Administrative and support: 16,773 jobs; Construction: 15,293 jobs; Other services: 11,962 jobsHealth care and social assistance 19% Manufacturing 14% Retail trade 13% Hotels and restaurants 10% Professional services 6% Administrative and support 6% Construction 5% Other services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

150 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ipswich.

Nearest hospitals

  • Northeast Hospital CorporationGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Beverly8.1 miles
  • Anna Jaques HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Newburyport9.5 miles
  • North Shore Medical Center -General hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Salem12.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors13
Specialist doctors2
Dentists7
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants4
Mental health providers96
Physical and occupational therapists22
Optometrists2
Chiropractors4
Pharmacies4

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Ipswich

Parks (12 nearby)

  • Daniel Boone Park · 65 acres0.8 mi
  • Pony Express Farm Athletic Fields · 30 acres2.7 mi
  • Bialek Park · 14 acres0.3 mi
  • Raymond Fields · 7 acres2.0 mi
  • Sally's Pond · 4 acres0.7 mi
  • North Town Green · 3 acres0.7 mi

Grocery stores (2 nearby)

  • Ipswich Green Grocer0.5 mi
  • Market Basket3.4 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • CVS Pharmacy0.3 mi

Libraries (2 nearby)

  • Ipswich Public Library0.7 mi
  • Rowley Public Library2.8 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Ipswich Museum0.7 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Byfield Community Arts Center7.3 mi
  • North Shore Music Theatre7.3 mi

Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1633.

Colleges and universities

  • Ipswich Female Seminary

Notable people born here

  • Arthur Wesley Dow (1857) · American painter and photographer (1857–1922)
  • Rufus Choate (1799) · American politician (1799–1859)
  • Melissa Ferrick (1970) · American musician

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Ipswich

Public schools here are run by Ipswich. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (4)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Paul F Doyon MemorialIpswichPre-K–5366Public1.7 mi
WinthropIpswichPre-K–5373Public0.5 mi
Ipswich Middle SchoolIpswich6–8377Public0.5 mi
Ipswich HighIpswich9–12447Public0.5 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Cuvilly Arts & Earth CenterIpswichPre-K–K3Roman Catholic1.2 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Ipswich is

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Towns near Ipswich

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.