Commercial Real Estate Market in Lowell, MA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
216 active listings and 1,747 off-market properties in Lowell, MA. Commercial property asks $189/SF to buy and $17.02/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Lowell, MA spans 13.5 square miles in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Lowell, MA runs 19.9% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 13.1% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Lowell, MA runs 6% across the Northeast region in 2025, little changed from 6% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 7.1%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Lowell, MA runs 7.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 5.4% in 2019. Nearly 2.4x the 2021 low of 3.2%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Lowell, MA asks $318/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 4% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 71.5%
- Mixed use 10.2%
- Industrial 6.9%
- Commercial 6.3%
- Civic 3.4%
- Open space 0.7%
- Planned_development 0.7%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Suburban Neighborhood Single Family
Traditional Neighborhood Single Family
Traditional Neighborhood Two Family
Light Industry Manufacturing And Storage
Traditional Neighborhood Multifamily
Lowell, MA zones 9,286 acres across 20 districts. Commercial zoning covers 6.3% of zoned land, residential 71.5%, open space 0.7% and industrial 6.9%. The largest single district is Suburban Neighborhood Single Family at 34.1%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 13.2% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Suburban Neighborhood Single Family (SSF)
Suburban Neighborhood Residential Districts are designed to preserve, promote, and enhance the neighborhood character of Lowell newer residential areas. The SSF district emphasizes single family homes
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Lowell, MA has 115,630 residents in 44,110 households. Density runs 8,551 people per square mile. Median household income here is $77,072 and median gross rent $1,592 a month.
115,630
Population
44,110
Households
2.6
Avg Household Size
35
Median Age
30%
College-Educated
83%
High-School Grad
13.5 sq mi
ZIP Area
8,551
Density / Sq Mi
$77,072
Median Household Income
$44,757
Median Earnings
$1,592
Median Rent
$393,360
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $17.02/SF/Yr lease vs $189/SF buy → buying wins if held > 1.7 years.
At a 9% gross asking yield the payback reads short relative to leasing. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Tyngsborough | — | — |
| Chelmsford | — | $31.40 |
| Dracut | — | $16.04 |
| Westford | — | $28.87 |
Commercial property in Lowell, MA asks $189/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Lowell?
Commercial property in Lowell, MA asks an average of $189 per square foot. The 6 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $193/SF. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $318/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Lowell?
Asking lease rates in Lowell, MA average $17.02 per square foot per year.
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Lowell?
Buying beats leasing in Lowell, MA if the property is held longer than 1.7 years, comparing $17.02/SF/Yr asking rent with $189/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Lowell?
Lowell, MA zones 9,286 acres across 20 districts, of which 6.3% is commercial and 6.9% industrial. The largest single district is Suburban Neighborhood Single Family at 34.1% of zoned land. Suburban Neighborhood Residential Districts are designed to preserve, promote, and enhance the neighborhood character of Lowell newer residential areas. The SSF district emphasizes single family homes Residential zoning covers 71.5% and open space 0.7%.
Where does Realmo's Lowell market data come from?
Realmo compiles Lowell, MA figures from 8 recent recorded sales, 129 active sale listings, 87 active lease listings, 1,747 tracked off-market properties, the current Lowell zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 129 active for-sale and 87 active for-lease listings in Lowell, MA. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 9,286 zoned acres across 20 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at Northeast region level, retail vacancy is reported at Northeast region level and industrial vacancy is reported at Northeast region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
