What a house cost in 1970, then and now
For US homeowners, the Census of Housing recorded a median value of $17,000 in 1970, based on their own estimates. That amount equals about $147,533 when expressed in September 2026 dollars, compared with a typical US home worth $366,157 in September 2026 according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
- Home value median in 1970
- $17,000Census of Housing
- Dollars as of September 2026
- $147,533 after CPI-U adjustment.
1970 home value median by state
In 1970, the census included home values for 50 states and DC. Hawaii recorded the highest median at $35,100, while Arkansas had the lowest at $10,500; the national median was $17,000. Neither Alaska nor Hawaii had become states in 1970, so neither has a figure for that year.
| State | Median value, 1970 | Dollars as of September 2026 | Median value, 2000 | Typical value, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $35,100 | $304,613 | $272,700 | $832,932 |
| Connecticut | $25,500 | $221,300 | $166,900 | $447,319 |
| New Jersey | $23,400 | $203,075 | $170,800 | $575,123 |
| California | $23,100 | $200,472 | $211,500 | $761,538 |
| Alaska | $22,700 | $197,000 | $144,200 | $397,932 |
| New York | $22,500 | $195,265 | $148,700 | $524,942 |
| Nevada | $22,400 | $194,397 | $142,000 | $440,739 |
| Massachusetts | $20,600 | $178,776 | $185,700 | $655,219 |
| Illinois | $19,800 | $171,833 | $130,800 | $295,943 |
| Maryland | $18,700 | $162,287 | $146,000 | $424,890 |
| Washington | $18,500 | $160,551 | $168,300 | $587,533 |
| Rhode Island | $18,200 | $157,947 | $133,000 | $508,507 |
| Minnesota | $18,000 | $156,212 | $122,400 | $348,778 |
| Ohio | $17,600 | $152,740 | $103,700 | $245,982 |
| Michigan | $17,500 | $151,873 | $115,600 | $263,760 |
| Colorado | $17,300 | $150,137 | $166,600 | $529,013 |
| Wisconsin | $17,300 | $150,137 | $112,200 | $337,196 |
| Delaware | $17,100 | $148,401 | $130,400 | $405,061 |
| Virginia | $17,100 | $148,401 | $125,400 | $412,252 |
| Utah | $16,800 | $145,798 | $146,100 | $532,920 |
| New Hampshire | $16,400 | $142,326 | $133,300 | $510,937 |
| Vermont | $16,400 | $142,326 | $111,500 | $391,900 |
| Arizona | $16,300 | $141,458 | $121,300 | $416,733 |
| Oregon | $15,400 | $133,648 | $152,100 | $492,753 |
| Wyoming | $15,300 | $132,780 | $96,600 | $369,044 |
| Florida | $15,000 | $130,176 | $105,500 | $375,361 |
| Georgia | $14,600 | $126,705 | $111,200 | $329,115 |
| Louisiana | $14,600 | $126,705 | $85,000 | $213,867 |
| Missouri | $14,400 | $124,969 | $89,900 | $265,387 |
| Idaho | $14,100 | $122,366 | $106,300 | $476,754 |
| Montana | $14,000 | $121,498 | $99,500 | $467,275 |
| Iowa | $13,900 | $120,630 | $82,500 | $236,623 |
| Indiana | $13,800 | $119,762 | $94,300 | $257,165 |
| Pennsylvania | $13,600 | $118,027 | $97,000 | $287,078 |
| New Mexico | $13,000 | $112,820 | $108,100 | $315,812 |
| North Dakota | $13,000 | $112,820 | $74,400 | $290,657 |
| South Carolina | $13,000 | $112,820 | $94,900 | $304,319 |
| Maine | $12,800 | $111,084 | $98,700 | $412,002 |
| North Carolina | $12,800 | $111,084 | $108,300 | $332,159 |
| Kentucky | $12,600 | $109,348 | $86,700 | $230,909 |
| Tennessee | $12,500 | $108,480 | $93,000 | $330,844 |
| Nebraska | $12,400 | $107,613 | $88,000 | $278,299 |
| Alabama | $12,200 | $105,877 | $85,100 | $238,614 |
| Kansas | $12,100 | $105,009 | $83,500 | $246,055 |
| Texas | $12,000 | $104,141 | $82,500 | $296,424 |
| South Dakota | $11,400 | $98,934 | $79,600 | $317,874 |
| West Virginia | $11,300 | $98,066 | $72,800 | $176,576 |
| Mississippi | $11,200 | $97,198 | $71,400 | $194,531 |
| Oklahoma | $11,100 | $96,331 | $70,700 | $220,801 |
| Arkansas | $10,500 | $91,124 | $72,800 | $224,158 |
The figures come from the Historical Census of Housing Tables: Home Values, published by the United States Census Bureau; they cover owner-occupied single-family homes on parcels under ten acres and are not adjusted for inflation (Census tables). Current dollar values rely on the yearly average from CPI-U. The final column uses the Zillow Home Value Index, which measures home values differently.
A 1970 home in current dollars
According to the consumer price index (CPI-U), prices overall have increased about 8.7 times since 1970. The 1970 median of $17,000 therefore equals about $147,533 in September 2026 dollars. In the census series alone, the US median climbed to $119,600 by 2000, or 1.6 times its inflation-adjusted 1970 value.
| Measure | 1970 | Dollars as of September 2026 | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (Census of Housing, then ACS) | $17,000 | $147,533 | $360,600 2024 |
| Median new house sold (Census and HUD) | $23,475 | $203,726 | $393,300 Q3 2026 |
| Average new house sold (Census and HUD) | $26,650 | $231,280 | $494,400 Q3 2026 |
The 2024 figure is sourced from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. That survey counts every owner-occupied home, while the old census counted only single-family homes. Taking that caveat into account, current median home value is 2.4 times the inflation-adjusted 1970 median. Across the full series, the new-house median has risen 93% after inflation since 1970.
The 1970 average house price and its surrounding decade
New houses sold have both a median and an average recorded by the Census Bureau and HUD. The 1970 median was $23,475, compared with an average of $26,650. A few high-priced homes raise the average. The decades around 1970 have these census figures:
| Census year | US median value | Change on the decade | Dollars as of September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $7,354 | +150% | $102,957 |
| 1960 | $11,900 | +62% | $135,573 |
| 1970 | $17,000 | +43% | $147,533 |
| 1980 | $47,200 | +178% | $192,986 |
| 1990 | $79,100 | +68% | $203,983 |
Since 1963, the Census Bureau and HUD have also reported yearly prices for newly sold homes:
| Year | Median new house | Change on the year | Average new house |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | $20,125 | +6.3% | $21,450 |
| 1966 | $21,500 | +6.8% | $22,925 |
| 1967 | $22,750 | +5.8% | $24,125 |
| 1968 | $24,800 | +9.0% | $26,425 |
| 1969 | $25,600 | +3.2% | $27,725 |
| 1970 | $23,475 | −8.3% | $26,650 |
| 1971 | $25,225 | +7.5% | $28,100 |
| 1972 | $27,525 | +9.1% | $30,075 |
| 1973 | $32,600 | +18.4% | $35,100 |
| 1974 | $36,050 | +10.6% | $38,725 |
| 1975 | $39,275 | +8.9% | $42,525 |
1970 shown in context
On the chart, steel represents the median new house, grey represents the average, and a dashed line identifies 1970.
Earlier: 1960 home prices. In a later period: 1975 home prices. All years appear on one page: home prices by year. For each city, the home appreciation calculator shows what a home purchased in 1970 is worth now.