Historical Census of Housing Tables

Home Values

Median home values adjusted for inflation nearly quadrupled over the 60-year period since the first housing census in 1940.  The median value of single-family homes in the United States rose from $30,600 in 1940 to $119,600 in 2000, after adjusting for inflation (see graph).  Median home value increased in each decade of this 60-year period, rising fastest (43 percent) in the 1970s and slowest (8.2 percent) in the 1980s.  Both home values adjusted and unadjusted for inflation are presented.  These values refer to owner-occupied single-family housing units on less than 10 acres without a business or medical office on the property. 

Among states, the District of Columbia (treated as a state in these tabulations) had the highest median home value from 1940 to 1950.  In 1960, Hawaii became the leader and has remained there through 2000 (Hawaii became a state in 1959).  Over this 60-year period, the lowest median home values were generally found in southern states, such as Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.  However, these states were joined by a couple of western states in earlier decades and Midwestern states in later decades.  For example: New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Arizona had the lowest median home values in 1940.  In 2000, the southern states remained at the bottom, but were joined by North Dakota and South Dakota, in the Midwest.  Home values for those western states had increased considerably.  For example, Arizona´s median home value increased from well below the national median in 1940 to above it by 1980 and remained above the national level in 2000.

Median Home Values                     2000      1990      1980      1970     1960     1950    1940                          Adjusted to 2000 dollarsUnited States     $119,600  $101,100   $93,400   $65,300  $58,600  $44,600  $30,600Alabama            $85,100   $68,600   $67,100   $46,900  $42,400  $27,100  $16,800Alaska            $144,200  $120,600  $151,000   $87,200  $44,800  $21,100     NAArizona           $121,300  $102,300  $108,500   $62,600  $54,700  $36,000  $14,600Arkansas           $72,800   $59,200   $61,600   $40,300  $33,000  $24,800  $11,400California        $211,500  $249,800  $167,300   $88,700  $74,400  $57,900  $36,700Colorado          $166,600  $105,700  $126,900   $66,400  $60,600  $43,300  $21,800Connecticut       $166,900  $227,200  $129,900   $97,900  $82,300  $71,900  $48,000Delaware          $130,400  $127,900   $87,900   $65,700  $61,100  $55,000  $43,300Dist. of Columbia $157,200  $158,300  $136,200   $81,800  $75,900  $87,800  $78,800Florida           $105,500   $98,500   $89,300   $57,600  $58,100  $40,100  $23,100Georgia           $111,200   $91,100   $73,000   $56,100  $46,800  $31,700  $20,400Hawaii            $272,700  $313,400  $233,800  $134,800 $103,000  $74,400      NAIdaho             $106,300   $74,400   $90,300   $54,200  $52,200  $35,500  $16,700Illinois          $130,800  $103,400  $104,500   $76,000  $72,400  $52,400  $34,100Indiana            $94,300   $68,900   $73,600   $53,000  $50,300  $37,700  $25,000Iowa               $82,500   $58,600   $80,400   $53,400  $48,800  $38,300  $23,400Kansas             $83,500   $66,700   $74,800   $46,500  $45,800  $33,100  $18,000Kentucky           $86,700   $64,500   $67,700   $48,400  $43,400  $32,000  $21,600Louisiana          $85,000   $74,700   $85,100   $56,100  $52,700  $31,100  $14,700Maine              $98,700  $111,700   $75,000   $49,200  $43,400  $29,400  $20,900Maryland          $146,000  $148,800  $115,400   $71,800  $58,600  $48,700  $31,500Massachusetts     $185,700  $208,000   $95,800   $79,100  $68,000  $55,400  $39,900Michigan          $115,600   $77,400   $77,200   $67,200  $59,100  $45,400  $29,800Minnesota         $122,400   $94,500  $105,100   $69,100  $63,100  $47,300  $31,500Mississippi        $71,400   $58,300   $62,200   $43,000  $38,900  $25,200  $12,400Missouri           $89,900   $76,400   $72,600   $55,300  $53,700  $38,800  $24,900Montana            $99,500   $72,300   $92,000   $53,800  $53,700  $35,100  $17,200Nebraska           $88,000   $64,400   $75,200   $47,600  $46,300  $35,900  $22,400Nevada            $142,000  $122,300  $136,000   $86,000  $74,900  $53,700  $20,700New Hampshire     $133,300  $165,300   $95,000   $63,000  $52,700  $37,600  $26,100New Jersey        $170,800  $207,400  $119,200   $89,900  $76,900  $63,100  $47,100New Mexico        $108,100   $89,600   $89,700   $49,900  $52,700  $34,500   $6,800New York          $148,700  $168,100   $90,300   $86,400  $75,400  $61,500  $45,700North Carolina    $108,300   $84,100   $71,300   $49,200  $39,400  $29,700  $18,800North Dakota       $74,400   $64,900   $86,900   $49,900  $48,300  $32,700  $16,900Ohio              $103,700   $81,100   $88,900   $67,600  $66,000  $50,300  $35,500Oklahoma           $70,700   $61,500   $70,500   $42,600  $38,900  $31,700  $13,500Oregon            $152,100   $85,700  $112,600   $59,100  $51,700  $41,500  $24,400Pennsylvania       $97,000   $89,100   $77,400   $52,200  $50,300  $42,400  $33,400Rhode Island      $133,000  $170,600   $92,600   $69,900  $60,600  $59,200  $40,000South Carolina     $94,900   $78,100   $69,500   $49,900  $37,000  $31,000  $22,300South Dakota       $79,600   $57,700   $72,400   $43,800  $43,400  $32,800  $16,800Tennessee          $93,000   $74,600   $70,500   $48,000  $40,900  $31,900  $19,000Texas              $82,500   $76,100   $77,400   $46,100  $43,400  $35,200  $17,600Utah              $146,100   $88,000  $113,400   $64,500  $62,100  $44,900  $24,100Vermont           $111,500  $122,000   $83,500   $63,000  $47,800  $38,000  $29,500Virginia          $125,400  $116,300   $95,000   $65,700  $53,200  $39,900  $27,400Washington        $168,300  $119,300  $118,600   $71,100  $57,700  $43,400  $24,500West Virginia      $72,800   $61,200   $76,200   $43,400  $37,400  $33,200  $24,500Wisconsin         $112,200   $79,900   $96,200   $66,400  $62,100  $48,000  $33,600Wyoming            $96,600   $78,700  $118,400   $58,800  $60,600  $41,300  $22,600Note:  To adjust for inflation, the 1940 to 1990 median home values were adjusted to 2000       dollars using the appropriate CPI-U-RS adjustment factor.                               Year:       1940      1950     1960     1970     1980      1990                  Adjustment factor:   10.406639  6.057971  4.927308 3.840735 1.979479  1.277636Median Home Values: Unadjusted                     2000      1990      1980      1970     1960     1950    1940United States     $119,600   $79,100   $47,200   $17,000  $11,900   $7,354  $2,938Alabama            $85,100   $53,700   $33,900   $12,200   $8,600   $4,473  $1,610Alaska            $144,200   $94,400   $76,300   $22,700   $9,100   $3,477     NAArizona           $121,300   $80,100   $54,800   $16,300  $11,100   $5,935  $1,400Arkansas           $72,800   $46,300   $31,100   $10,500   $6,700   $4,087  $1,100California        $211,500  $195,500   $84,500   $23,100  $15,100   $9,564  $3,527Colorado          $166,600   $82,700   $64,100   $17,300  $12,300   $7,151  $2,091Connecticut       $166,900  $177,800   $65,600   $25,500  $16,700  $11,862  $4,615Delaware          $130,400  $100,100   $44,400   $17,100  $12,400   $9,079  $4,159Dist. of Columbia $157,200  $123,900   $68,800   $21,300  $15,400  $14,498  $7,568Florida           $105,500   $77,100   $45,100   $15,000  $11,800   $6,612  $2,218Georgia           $111,200   $71,300   $36,900   $14,600   $9,500   $5,235  $1,957Hawaii            $272,700  $245,300  $118,100   $35,100  $20,900  $12,283     NAIdaho             $106,300   $58,200   $45,600   $14,100  $10,600   $5,852  $1,600Illinois          $130,800   $80,900   $52,800   $19,800  $14,700   $8,646  $3,277Indiana            $94,300   $53,900   $37,200   $13,800  $10,200   $6,226  $2,406Iowa               $82,500   $45,900   $40,600   $13,900   $9,900   $6,320  $2,253Kansas             $83,500   $52,200   $37,800   $12,100   $9,300   $5,462  $1,733Kentucky           $86,700   $50,500   $34,200   $12,600   $8,800   $5,283  $2,074Louisiana          $85,000   $58,500   $43,000   $14,600  $10,700   $5,141  $1,414Maine              $98,700   $87,400   $37,900   $12,800   $8,800   $4,856  $2,008Maryland          $146,000  $116,500   $58,300   $18,700  $11,900   $8,033  $3,031Massachusetts     $185,700  $162,800   $48,400   $20,600  $13,800   $9,144  $3,837Michigan          $115,600   $60,600   $39,000   $17,500  $12,000   $7,496  $2,863Minnesota         $122,400   $74,000   $53,100   $18,000  $12,800   $7,806  $3,024Mississippi        $71,400   $45,600   $31,400   $11,200   $7,900   $4,159  $1,189Missouri           $89,900   $59,800   $36,700   $14,400  $10,900   $6,399  $2,392Montana            $99,500   $56,600   $46,500   $14,000  $10,900   $5,797  $1,651Nebraska           $88,000   $50,400   $38,000   $12,400   $9,400   $5,918  $2,156Nevada            $142,000   $95,700   $68,700   $22,400  $15,200   $8,859  $1,987New Hampshire     $133,300  $129,400   $48,000   $16,400  $10,700   $6,199  $2,505New Jersey        $170,800  $162,300   $60,200   $23,400  $15,600  $10,408  $4,528New Mexico        $108,100   $70,100   $45,300   $13,000  $10,700   $5,697    $656New York          $148,700  $131,600   $45,600   $22,500  $15,300  $10,152  $4,389North Carolina    $108,300   $65,800   $36,000   $12,800   $8,000   $4,901  $1,802North Dakota       $74,400   $50,800   $43,900   $13,000   $9,800   $5,396  $1,626Ohio              $103,700   $63,500   $44,900   $17,600  $13,400   $8,304  $3,415Oklahoma           $70,700   $48,100   $35,600   $11,100   $7,900   $5,228  $1,293Oregon            $152,100   $67,100   $56,900   $15,400  $10,500   $6,846  $2,343Pennsylvania       $97,000   $69,700   $39,100   $13,600  $10,200   $6,992  $3,205Rhode Island      $133,000  $133,500   $46,800   $18,200  $12,300   $9,767  $3,848South Carolina     $94,900   $61,100   $35,100   $13,000   $7,500   $5,112  $2,145South Dakota       $79,600   $45,200   $36,600   $11,400   $8,800   $5,410  $1,618Tennessee          $93,000   $58,400   $35,600   $12,500   $8,300   $5,268  $1,826Texas              $82,500   $59,600   $39,100   $12,000   $8,800   $5,805  $1,693Utah              $146,100   $68,900   $57,300   $16,800  $12,600   $7,409  $2,320Vermont           $111,500   $95,500   $42,200   $16,400   $9,700   $6,277  $2,836Virginia          $125,400   $91,000   $48,000   $17,100  $10,800   $6,581  $2,633Washington        $168,300   $93,400   $59,900   $18,500  $11,700   $7,169  $2,359West Virginia      $72,800   $47,900   $38,500   $11,300   $7,600   $5,473  $2,350Wisconsin         $112,200   $62,500   $48,600   $17,300  $12,600   $7,927  $3,232Wyoming            $96,600   $61,600   $59,800   $15,300  $12,300   $6,811  $2,174NA:  Not AvailableSource:  U.S. Census Bureau

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