Manchester-by-the-Sea is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, home to about 5,403 people across 9.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 01944.
Homes sold for a median of $608 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Manchester-by-the-Sea. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Manchester-by-the-Sea’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)19 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Boston, MA21 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY211 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Manchester-by-the-Sea; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Manchester-by-the-Sea had 5,395 residents in the 2020 census, up 3% since 2000.
It’s the 244th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.
Essex County grew from 357,030 residents in 1900 to 809,829 in 2020.
Essex County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
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.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Beverly, MA weather station (4 miles away).
287,960 jobs at 19,988 businesses in Essex County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
75 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 4 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 8 |
| Dentists | 5 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 21 |
| Mental health providers | 17 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 15 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
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.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2 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.
Established in 1629.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Manchester Essex Regional. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Memorial ElementaryManchester | Pre-K–5 | 304 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Manchester Essex Regional Middle SchoolManchester | 6–8 | 279 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Manchester Essex Regional High SchoolManchester | 9–12 | 392 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookwood SchoolManchester | Pre-K–8 | 262 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
| Landmark Elementarymiddle SchoolManchester | 2–8 | 174 | Nonsectarian | 1.5 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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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.