Home prices in 1977: US median, states and today's value
Census and HUD put the US median new house at $48,900 for 1977, or about $271,851 in terms of September 2026 dollars. The FHFA house price index has grown about 9.8 times since then. As of September 2026, Zillow places the typical US home’s value at $366,157.
- Median sale price of a new house, 1977
- $48,900Data from Census and HUD.
- September 2026 dollars
- $271,851. CPI-U adjustment.
Median and average house price in 1977
In 1977 the median new house cost $48,900 while the average was $54,350, 11% above the median, since a handful of costly houses pull an average up. The FHFA index recorded a boom year in 1977, with a +12.0% change on the year.
| Year | Median new house | Average new house | FHFA index, change on the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | $27,525 | $30,075 | |
| 1973 | $32,600 | $35,100 | |
| 1974 | $36,050 | $38,725 | |
| 1975 | $39,275 | $42,525 | |
| 1976 | $44,225 | $48,050 | +7.2% |
| 1977 | $48,900 | $54,350 | +12.0% |
| 1978 | $55,850 | $62,700 | +13.9% |
| 1979 | $62,750 | $71,900 | +13.7% |
| 1980 | $64,750 | $76,375 | +7.9% |
| 1981 | $68,950 | $83,175 | +4.4% |
| 1982 | $69,225 | $83,850 | +1.0% |
Yearly figures for new houses sold come from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD (FRED MSPUS, ASPUS). The yearly average comes from the FHFA all-transactions index. Learn about these two measures: the median home price and the average home price in America.
Home prices in 1977 by state
Massachusetts recorded the largest FHFA index gain since 1977, at +1728%, while West Virginia recorded the smallest, at +388%. Not one state's FHFA index dropped in 1977 itself.
| State | Typical value, September 2026 | FHFA change in 1977 | FHFA change since 1977 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $238,614 | +11.0% | +543% |
| Alaska | $397,932 | +3.1% | +563% |
| Arizona | $416,733 | +7.9% | +1011% |
| Arkansas | $224,158 | +10.1% | +529% |
| California | $761,538 | +25.3% | +1401% |
| Colorado | $529,013 | +14.8% | +1153% |
| Connecticut | $447,319 | +4.7% | +965% |
| Delaware | $405,061 | 0% | +835% |
| District of Columbia | $567,271 | +17.2% | +1485% |
| Florida | $375,361 | +4.9% | +1011% |
| Georgia | $329,115 | +2.9% | +750% |
| Hawaii | $832,932 | +5.0% | +1527% |
| Idaho | $476,754 | +11.7% | +997% |
| Illinois | $295,943 | +18.0% | +572% |
| Indiana | $257,165 | +12.4% | +629% |
| Iowa | $236,623 | +11.8% | +484% |
| Kansas | $246,055 | +11.9% | +535% |
| Kentucky | $230,909 | +8.2% | +691% |
| Louisiana | $213,867 | +9.2% | +487% |
| Maine | $412,002 | +15.4% | +1201% |
| Maryland | $424,890 | +7.3% | +866% |
| Massachusetts | $655,219 | +5.5% | +1728% |
| Michigan | $263,760 | +8.6% | +736% |
| Minnesota | $348,778 | +11.7% | +767% |
| Mississippi | $194,531 | +7.0% | +444% |
| Missouri | $265,387 | +9.8% | +637% |
| Montana | $467,275 | +15.2% | +1069% |
| Nebraska | $278,299 | +11.4% | +624% |
| Nevada | $440,739 | +12.3% | +869% |
| New Hampshire | $510,937 | +3.7% | +1188% |
| New Jersey | $575,123 | +5.1% | +1347% |
| New Mexico | $315,812 | +15.4% | +677% |
| New York | $524,942 | +10.5% | +1348% |
| North Carolina | $332,159 | +9.4% | +819% |
| North Dakota | $290,657 | +11.5% | +562% |
| Ohio | $245,982 | +10.6% | +577% |
| Oklahoma | $220,801 | +11.7% | +503% |
| Oregon | $492,753 | +21.1% | +1086% |
| Pennsylvania | $287,078 | +6.0% | +811% |
| Rhode Island | $508,507 | +6.9% | +1344% |
| South Carolina | $304,319 | +5.5% | +810% |
| South Dakota | $317,874 | +11.2% | +779% |
| Tennessee | $330,844 | +9.7% | +814% |
| Texas | $296,424 | +12.9% | +657% |
| Utah | $532,920 | +15.8% | +1086% |
| Vermont | $391,900 | +3.5% | +940% |
| Virginia | $412,252 | +8.5% | +926% |
| Washington | $587,533 | +19.4% | +1485% |
| West Virginia | $176,576 | +15.5% | +388% |
| Wisconsin | $337,196 | +15.5% | +739% |
| Wyoming | $369,044 | +15.3% | +683% |
The FHFA change uses its all-transactions house price index, from the 1977 yearly average through Q2 2026. See FHFA HPI datasets.
Today's value of a 1977 home
Consider a house with the 1977 median new-house price of $48,900. With growth measured by the FHFA index, that home would now be worth about $479,390; consumer prices alone would bring it to $271,851. After adjusting for inflation, the median price of a new house today is 45% above its 1977 level.
| A $48,900 home from 1977 | Worth now | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Growth measured by the US FHFA house price index | $479,390 | Q2 2026 |
| Grown with consumer prices only (CPI-U) | $271,851 | September 2026 |
1977 and current values for each series:
| Series | 1977 | Now | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median new house sold, Census and HUD | $48,900 | $393,300 | Q3 2026 | +704% |
| Average new house sold, Census and HUD | $54,350 | $494,400 | Q3 2026 | +810% |
| FHFA house price index (an index, not dollars) | 73.4 | 719.9 | Q2 2026 | +880% |
| Consumer prices (CPI-U) | 60.6 | 336.9 | September 2026 | +456% |
The home appreciation calculator works with a selected city and purchase price.
1977 in historical context
The median new house appears as a steel line and the average as a grey line; a dashed line identifies 1977.
Before that: home prices in 1975. For a later year: home prices in 1980. All years appear together in home prices by year. The housing market crash history covers every fall since 1975. Use the home appreciation calculator to check today's value, city by city, of a home bought in 1977.