Home appreciation calculator: then vs now value by city
See the value now by answering three questions: the place, the year you bought, and what you paid.
- Place
- Purchase year
- What you paid
What a house is worth now, according to the index
Your house is not what the calculator looks at. A home price index for that location adjusts the amount you paid. If a typical home there has doubled since your purchase year, the estimate doubles your price. In September 2026, the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) puts the typical US home at $366,157. ZHVI is the value of a typical home, measured at the middle of the market.
- Value of the typical US home
- $366,157September 2026, Zillow ZHVI
- Purchase year 2000, value now
- ×2.91US, Zillow ZHVI
- Purchase year 2010, value now
- ×2.14US, Zillow ZHVI
- Purchase year 1975, value now
- ×11.8US, FHFA HPI through Q2 2026.
Beginning in 2000, the calculator applies Zillow's monthly index for a city, a state, or the whole country. For a state or the US before 2000 it uses the FHFA house price index (HPI), which tracks repeat sales of the same houses back to 1975. Zillow is the only series available for cities, whose years begin in 2000 or later.
Current home value compared with the price paid
Each figure divides the current value by the average for the purchase year, using the largest cities covered in the Zillow file. Apply that figure to your price for the estimate. A home in New York City bought in 2010 for $200,000 reaches about $366,000 in September 2026.
| City | Typical value now | Bought 2000 | Bought 2010 | Bought 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | $825,854 | ×3.26 | ×1.83 | ×1.14 |
| Los Angeles | $927,891 | ×4.04 | ×2.33 | ×1.27 |
| Chicago | $334,108 | ×2.15 | ×1.59 | ×1.24 |
| Houston | $259,465 | ×2.49 | ×2.10 | ×1.29 |
| Phoenix | $404,067 | ×3.35 | ×3.28 | ×1.40 |
| Philadelphia | $231,584 | ×3.62 | ×1.84 | ×1.21 |
| San Antonio | $244,623 | ×2.47 | ×1.97 | ×1.22 |
| San Diego | $980,490 | ×4.19 | ×2.47 | ×1.46 |
| United States | $366,157 | ×2.91 | ×2.14 | ×1.42 |
The Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026, compared with each year's twelve-month average. Zillow Research data
House value calculator or appraisal: what each one knows
Two facts feed this house value calculator: the amount you paid, and how prices for typical homes in your area have changed since then. Details such as the street, the lot size, the kitchen you redid, and the roof that needs work are unknown to it. Two houses bought at the same price and in the same year can differ greatly in value today.
| This calculator | An appraisal | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts from | Your price and the year | The house itself |
| Looks at | A price index for the area | Recent sales of similar homes nearby |
| Sees the condition | No | Yes, from a visit |
| Done by | Arithmetic, in your browser | A licensed appraiser |
| Good for | A first idea of the gain | A sale, a loan or a tax question |
Use the estimate to learn how far the market has pushed your price. If the figure affects money, ask a local agent or an appraiser who can give the house a walk-through.
Home value calculator method in four sentences
For your location, it uses the index value from the latest month, then divides that by the twelve-month average of your purchase year. Your price multiplied by that ratio gives the current value. Starting in 2000, the index used is Zillow's ZHVI for a city, a state, or the US. Before 2000, the FHFA all-transactions index covers a state or the US, with its yearly average compared against the latest quarter. The BLS consumer price index (CPI-U) carries the same price forward, which lets you see how much of the gain comes from general inflation.
Formula
Value now = price paid × (index for the latest month ÷ average index for the year of purchase)
Yearly rate = (value today ÷ original price) ^ (1 ÷ years held) − 1, measured from the midpoint of the purchase year
Today's dollar value = original price × (CPI-U in September 2026 ÷ CPI-U average for the year of purchase)
Each step and source: methodology. A side-by-side look at the indexes: ZHVI, FHFA HPI and Case-Shiller compared.
Share card for then vs now results
After the calculator answers, the button labeled "Download share card" saves for you a wide PNG picture of your result, showing the place, purchase year and price paid, the value now, and the local index line since 2000. It is created in your browser using the numbers shown on screen, and nothing is uploaded or stored. Because the card includes the source line, you can post it or message it right away.
Average appreciation for homes in each city
The yearly rate follows a compound rate running from January 2000 to September 2026, which is the rule the calculator applies. Nationally, the typical home gained 4.2% a year across the US.
| City | Typical value now | Multiple since 2000 | Per year since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $491,960 | ×2.52 | 3.5% |
| Seattle | $822,572 | ×3.21 | 4.5% |
| San Francisco | $1,441,021 | ×3.54 | 4.9% |
| Denver | $520,947 | ×2.97 | 4.2% |
| Los Angeles | $927,891 | ×4.22 | 5.5% |
| Dallas | $303,442 | ×3.11 | 4.3% |
| Houston | $259,465 | ×2.51 | 3.5% |
| San Diego | $980,490 | ×4.47 | 5.8% |
| Phoenix | $404,067 | ×3.45 | 4.8% |
| Chicago | $334,108 | ×2.23 | 3.0% |
| Las Vegas | $417,475 | ×2.71 | 3.8% |
| Portland, Oregon | $524,318 | ×3.16 | 4.4% |
| Nashville | $425,889 | ×3.10 | 4.3% |
| Atlanta | $380,331 | ×2.38 | 3.3% |
| San Jose | $1,353,869 | ×4.32 | 5.6% |
| United States | $366,157 | ×2.99 | 4.2% |
All 292 cities, with rates over five years and 10 years: average yearly home appreciation. See a city's full history as a chart in the housing market explorer or in the city list for home prices by city.