What a house cost in 1960, then and now
In the Census of Housing, owners put the median value of a US home at $11,900 in 1960. In September 2026 dollars that comes to about $135,573, while a typical US home on the Zillow Home Value Index was valued at $366,157 in September 2026.
- 1960 median home value
- $11,900Census of Housing
- Value in September 2026 dollars
- $135,573, adjusted using CPI-U
State-by-state median home value in 1960
In 1960 the census recorded home values for 50 states and DC. Hawaii had the highest median at $20,900 and Arkansas the lowest at $6,700, while the country as a whole came to $11,900. Neither Alaska nor Hawaii was a state yet, so each has no 1960 figure.
| State | Median value, 1960 | Value in September 2026 dollars | Median value, 2000 | Typical value, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $20,900 | $238,108 | $272,700 | $832,932 |
| Connecticut | $16,700 | $190,259 | $166,900 | $447,319 |
| New Jersey | $15,600 | $177,727 | $170,800 | $575,123 |
| New York | $15,300 | $174,309 | $148,700 | $524,942 |
| Nevada | $15,200 | $173,170 | $142,000 | $440,739 |
| California | $15,100 | $172,030 | $211,500 | $761,538 |
| Illinois | $14,700 | $167,473 | $130,800 | $295,943 |
| Massachusetts | $13,800 | $157,220 | $185,700 | $655,219 |
| Ohio | $13,400 | $152,663 | $103,700 | $245,982 |
| Minnesota | $12,800 | $145,827 | $122,400 | $348,778 |
| Utah | $12,600 | $143,548 | $146,100 | $532,920 |
| Wisconsin | $12,600 | $143,548 | $112,200 | $337,196 |
| Delaware | $12,400 | $141,270 | $130,400 | $405,061 |
| Colorado | $12,300 | $140,131 | $166,600 | $529,013 |
| Rhode Island | $12,300 | $140,131 | $133,000 | $508,507 |
| Wyoming | $12,300 | $140,131 | $96,600 | $369,044 |
| Michigan | $12,000 | $136,713 | $115,600 | $263,760 |
| Maryland | $11,900 | $135,573 | $146,000 | $424,890 |
| Florida | $11,800 | $134,434 | $105,500 | $375,361 |
| Washington | $11,700 | $133,295 | $168,300 | $587,533 |
| Arizona | $11,100 | $126,459 | $121,300 | $416,733 |
| Missouri | $10,900 | $124,181 | $89,900 | $265,387 |
| Montana | $10,900 | $124,181 | $99,500 | $467,275 |
| Virginia | $10,800 | $123,041 | $125,400 | $412,252 |
| Louisiana | $10,700 | $121,902 | $85,000 | $213,867 |
| New Hampshire | $10,700 | $121,902 | $133,300 | $510,937 |
| New Mexico | $10,700 | $121,902 | $108,100 | $315,812 |
| Idaho | $10,600 | $120,763 | $106,300 | $476,754 |
| Oregon | $10,500 | $119,624 | $152,100 | $492,753 |
| Indiana | $10,200 | $116,206 | $94,300 | $257,165 |
| Pennsylvania | $10,200 | $116,206 | $97,000 | $287,078 |
| Iowa | $9,900 | $112,788 | $82,500 | $236,623 |
| North Dakota | $9,800 | $111,649 | $74,400 | $290,657 |
| Vermont | $9,700 | $110,509 | $111,500 | $391,900 |
| Georgia | $9,500 | $108,231 | $111,200 | $329,115 |
| Nebraska | $9,400 | $107,092 | $88,000 | $278,299 |
| Kansas | $9,300 | $105,952 | $83,500 | $246,055 |
| Alaska | $9,100 | $103,674 | $144,200 | $397,932 |
| Kentucky | $8,800 | $100,256 | $86,700 | $230,909 |
| Maine | $8,800 | $100,256 | $98,700 | $412,002 |
| South Dakota | $8,800 | $100,256 | $79,600 | $317,874 |
| Texas | $8,800 | $100,256 | $82,500 | $296,424 |
| Alabama | $8,600 | $97,977 | $85,100 | $238,614 |
| Tennessee | $8,300 | $94,560 | $93,000 | $330,844 |
| North Carolina | $8,000 | $91,142 | $108,300 | $332,159 |
| Mississippi | $7,900 | $90,003 | $71,400 | $194,531 |
| Oklahoma | $7,900 | $90,003 | $70,700 | $220,801 |
| West Virginia | $7,600 | $86,585 | $72,800 | $176,576 |
| South Carolina | $7,500 | $85,445 | $94,900 | $304,319 |
| Arkansas | $6,700 | $76,331 | $72,800 | $224,158 |
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Home Values tables (Bureau, Historical Census of Housing Tables), which cover owner-occupied single-family homes on plots of under ten acres and are not adjusted for inflation (Census). Current-dollar figures use the yearly CPI-U average. The final column comes from the Zillow Home Value Index, which measures things differently.
A 1960 house, measured in current dollars
Since 1960, the consumer price index (CPI-U) indicates that general prices have risen about 11.4 times. This puts the 1960 median of $11,900 at about $135,573 in September 2026 dollars. Looking only at the census series, the US median had reached $119,600 by 2000. After inflation, that was 1.7 times its 1960 value.
| Measure | 1960 | Value in September 2026 dollars | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (Census of Housing, then ACS) | $11,900 | $135,573 | $360,600 2024 |
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey produced the 2024 figure. It includes every owner-occupied home, unlike the earlier census, which covered only single-family homes. Subject to that caveat, inflation-adjusted value puts the median home at 2.7 times the 1960 median.
Average house price in 1960 and the decade around it
Rather than an average, the census of 1960 published a median, or the value of the middle home. The Census Bureau's average sales price for new houses begins in 1963. A few costly homes do not raise the median, which makes it a closer guide to an ordinary house's value. The census decades around 1960 appear here:
| Census year | US median value | Change on the decade | Value in September 2026 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $2,938 | $70,669 | |
| 1950 | $7,354 | +150% | $102,957 |
| 1960 | $11,900 | +62% | $135,573 |
| 1970 | $17,000 | +43% | $147,533 |
| 1980 | $47,200 | +178% | $192,986 |
The Census Bureau and HUD have also published annual prices for newly sold houses since 1963:
| Year | Median new house | Change on the year | Average new house |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | $18,050 | $19,375 | |
| 1964 | $18,925 | +4.8% | $20,300 |
| 1965 | $20,125 | +6.3% | $21,450 |
Putting 1960 in context
Points represent censuses spaced ten years apart, while a dashed line identifies 1960.
Go back to home prices for 1950. Move on to home prices for 1970. Every year, all on one page: home prices by year. The home appreciation calculator shows what a home purchased in 1960 is worth today, city by city.