Home prices in 2003: US median, top cities and today's value
According to the Zillow Home Value Index, a typical US home was valued at $155,308 in 2003. This figure averages the year's twelve months. By September 2026, that same index reached $366,157, putting the typical home at more than twice its 2003 level.
- 2003 typical home value
- $155,308Zillow ZHVI, average for the year.
- 2003 median new house sale price
- $192,125Source: Census and HUD.
- Amount of change since 2003
- +135.8%. Change measured to September 2026, Zillow ZHVI.
House price median and average, 2003
Homes of every age are covered by Zillow's typical value, while the Census and HUD figures cover new houses only. New houses sold in 2003 had a median price of $192,125. Their average price was $244,550, 27% above the median, since a few costly homes pulled it up. The FHFA index recorded a strong year in 2003, with a +6.2% change over the year.
| Year | Typical home (Zillow) | Median new house | Average new house | FHFA index, change on the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $151,925 | $181,150 | +5.1% | |
| 1999 | $160,125 | $194,675 | +4.9% | |
| 2000 | $125,745 | $167,550 | $205,375 | +6.4% |
| 2001 | $134,899 | $173,100 | $211,050 | +7.5% |
| 2002 | $144,276 | $186,025 | $226,700 | +6.3% |
| 2003 | $155,308 | $192,125 | $244,550 | +6.2% |
| 2004 | $169,891 | $218,150 | $272,125 | +9.4% |
| 2005 | $189,732 | $236,550 | $291,275 | +11.4% |
| 2006 | $206,531 | $243,750 | $303,900 | +7.2% |
| 2007 | $208,448 | $244,950 | $309,800 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | $195,574 | $229,550 | $289,075 | −5.1% |
Zillow Home Value Index, each year's average of the months. New houses sold, yearly, from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD (FRED MSPUS, ASPUS). FHFA all-transactions index, averaged over the year. Further reading on each measure: the median home price and the average home price across America.
A monthly look at 2003
Between January 2003 and December 2003, gains for the typical US home totaled 7.3%. The low was $150,117 in January 2003; the high was $161,144 in December 2003.
| Month | Typical US home value | Change on the month |
|---|---|---|
| January 2003 | $150,117 | +0.56% |
| February 2003 | $150,914 | +0.53% |
| March 2003 | $151,709 | +0.53% |
| April 2003 | $152,576 | +0.57% |
| May 2003 | $153,529 | +0.62% |
| June 2003 | $154,518 | +0.64% |
| July 2003 | $155,559 | +0.67% |
| August 2003 | $156,664 | +0.71% |
| September 2003 | $157,834 | +0.75% |
| October 2003 | $159,014 | +0.75% |
| November 2003 | $160,112 | +0.69% |
| December 2003 | $161,144 | +0.64% |
The Zillow Home Value Index for the United States is smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Zillow Research data
Home prices in 2003 by city
All 241 cities that have a page here and a 2003 value are worth more now. Since 2003 the biggest rise belongs to Buffalo at +286%, and the smallest to Detroit at 0%. The forty cities people search for most:
| City | Typical value, 2003 | Typical value, September 2026 | Amount of change since 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $204,550 | $491,960 | +141% |
| Seattle | $318,505 | $822,572 | +158% |
| San Francisco | $573,841 | $1,441,021 | +151% |
| Denver | $231,327 | $520,947 | +125% |
| Los Angeles | $341,340 | $927,891 | +172% |
| Dallas | $108,003 | $303,442 | +181% |
| Houston | $113,057 | $259,465 | +129% |
| San Diego | $376,434 | $980,490 | +160% |
| Phoenix | $144,499 | $404,067 | +180% |
| Chicago | $208,213 | $334,108 | +60% |
| Las Vegas | $189,977 | $417,475 | +120% |
| Portland, Oregon | $199,396 | $524,318 | +163% |
| Nashville | $150,408 | $425,889 | +183% |
| Atlanta | $200,013 | $380,331 | +90% |
| Boise | $138,719 | $500,215 | +261% |
| San Jose | $430,625 | $1,353,869 | +214% |
| Miami | $199,554 | $583,705 | +193% |
| San Antonio | $101,164 | $244,623 | +142% |
| Sacramento | $215,347 | $470,552 | +119% |
| Washington, DC | $244,372 | $566,961 | +132% |
| Boston | $339,410 | $761,236 | +124% |
| Tucson | $138,325 | $318,760 | +130% |
| Orlando | $144,803 | $372,775 | +157% |
| Colorado Springs | $194,138 | $439,542 | +126% |
| Charlotte | $156,827 | $389,648 | +148% |
| Philadelphia | $79,681 | $231,584 | +191% |
| New York City | $346,504 | $825,854 | +138% |
| Reno | $220,684 | $571,562 | +159% |
| Charleston, SC | $182,595 | $587,511 | +222% |
| Tampa | $124,696 | $375,619 | +201% |
| Pittsburgh | $89,723 | $234,620 | +161% |
| Cape Coral | $161,948 | $334,660 | +107% |
| Salt Lake City | $176,140 | $568,970 | +223% |
| Bend | $204,160 | $721,430 | +253% |
| Raleigh | $185,988 | $424,663 | +128% |
| Naples | $241,010 | $545,587 | +126% |
| Jacksonville | $120,460 | $284,832 | +136% |
| Detroit | $74,543 | $74,742 | 0% |
| Columbus, Ohio | $107,896 | $243,122 | +125% |
| Irvine | $459,162 | $1,481,490 | +223% |
Zillow Home Value Index, 2003 yearly average set beside September 2026. Current prices for every city: home prices by city.
Home prices in 2003 by state
Under Zillow's typical value measure, Idaho recorded the largest rise since 2003, at +246%. Louisiana had the smallest, at +67%. In 2003 itself, no state's FHFA index fell.
| State | Typical value, 2003 | Typical value, September 2026 | FHFA change in 2003 | FHFA change since 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $113,384 | $238,614 | +4.0% | +131% |
| Alaska | $180,369 | $397,932 | +4.9% | +146% |
| Arizona | $163,121 | $416,733 | +5.7% | +203% |
| Arkansas | $102,338 | $224,158 | +4.1% | +136% |
| California | $294,079 | $761,538 | +12.5% | +154% |
| Colorado | $223,051 | $529,013 | +2.6% | +169% |
| Connecticut | $227,073 | $447,319 | +8.5% | +111% |
| Delaware | $189,228 | $405,061 | +8.6% | +132% |
| District of Columbia | $244,576 | $567,271 | +12.6% | +182% |
| Florida | $148,462 | $375,361 | +10.6% | +198% |
| Georgia | $151,074 | $329,115 | +3.8% | +141% |
| Hawaii | $256,273 | $832,932 | +11.1% | +226% |
| Idaho | $137,914 | $476,754 | +4.0% | +268% |
| Illinois | $166,549 | $295,943 | +5.4% | +93% |
| Indiana | $105,570 | $257,165 | +2.7% | +132% |
| Iowa | $106,147 | $236,623 | +3.6% | +117% |
| Kansas | $101,951 | $246,055 | +3.4% | +136% |
| Kentucky | $103,580 | $230,909 | +3.7% | +138% |
| Louisiana | $128,294 | $213,867 | +5.0% | +105% |
| Maine | $154,880 | $412,002 | +9.2% | +180% |
| Maryland | $204,665 | $424,890 | +10.7% | +125% |
| Massachusetts | $306,660 | $655,219 | +9.6% | +129% |
| Michigan | $138,829 | $263,760 | +3.4% | +98% |
| Minnesota | $178,922 | $348,778 | +7.4% | +103% |
| Mississippi | $102,627 | $194,531 | +3.3% | +111% |
| Missouri | $121,758 | $265,387 | +4.5% | +131% |
| Montana | $467,275 | +6.4% | +242% | |
| Nebraska | $117,121 | $278,299 | +3.1% | +146% |
| Nevada | $193,900 | $440,739 | +8.9% | +169% |
| New Hampshire | $205,601 | $510,937 | +9.4% | +152% |
| New Jersey | $251,837 | $575,123 | +10.7% | +145% |
| New Mexico | $138,679 | $315,812 | +5.1% | +147% |
| New York | $205,639 | $524,942 | +10.3% | +155% |
| North Carolina | $143,250 | $332,159 | +3.1% | +166% |
| North Dakota | $290,657 | +5.2% | +190% | |
| Ohio | $120,271 | $245,982 | +3.2% | +111% |
| Oklahoma | $96,045 | $220,801 | +4.1% | +139% |
| Oregon | $174,820 | $492,753 | +4.8% | +195% |
| Pennsylvania | $123,800 | $287,078 | +6.8% | +152% |
| Rhode Island | $214,491 | $508,507 | +14.7% | +150% |
| South Carolina | $130,544 | $304,319 | +3.5% | +171% |
| South Dakota | $116,421 | $317,874 | +4.2% | +180% |
| Tennessee | $124,334 | $330,844 | +3.4% | +194% |
| Texas | $122,409 | $296,424 | +3.1% | +187% |
| Utah | $178,900 | $532,920 | +1.7% | +237% |
| Vermont | $151,510 | $391,900 | +7.3% | +182% |
| Virginia | $168,320 | $412,252 | +8.2% | +159% |
| Washington | $205,245 | $587,533 | +4.3% | +226% |
| West Virginia | $85,406 | $176,576 | +3.8% | +118% |
| Wisconsin | $145,993 | $337,196 | +4.8% | +142% |
| Wyoming | $147,225 | $369,044 | +6.1% | +187% |
Zillow Home Value Index figures provide the typical values: the 2003 average and September 2026. Change figures use the FHFA all-transactions house price index, from its 2003 yearly average through Q2 2026. FHFA HPI datasets
What a home from 2003 is worth today
Consider a home priced at $155,308 in 2003, which was the typical US value that year. Using the Zillow index, that home would be worth about $366,157 now. Consumer prices alone would put it at $284,464. Once adjusted for inflation, today's median new house price is 12% above the 2003 level.
| A $155,308 home from 2003 | Worth now | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Grown with the Zillow index for the US | $366,157 | September 2026 |
| Grown with the FHFA house price index for the US | $390,628 | Q2 2026 |
| Grown with consumer prices only (CPI-U) | $284,464 | September 2026 |
Comparing each series with itself, 2003 and now:
| Series | 2003 | Now | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median new house sold, Census and HUD | $192,125 | $393,300 | Q3 2026 | +105% |
| Average new house sold, Census and HUD | $244,550 | $494,400 | Q3 2026 | +102% |
| Typical home value, Zillow ZHVI | $155,308 | $366,157 | September 2026 | +136% |
| FHFA house price index (an index, not dollars) | 286.2 | 719.9 | Q2 2026 | +152% |
| Consumer prices (CPI-U) | 184.0 | 336.9 | September 2026 | +83% |
The home appreciation calculator works with a specified city and price paid.
The year 2003 in context
A dashed marker on the countrywide Zillow line identifies 2003.
Earlier data: home prices in 2002. Later: 2004 home prices. All years on one page: yearly home prices. Every fall since 1975: history of housing crashes. Current values city by city for a home bought in 2003: the home appreciation calculator.