Home prices in 2004: US median, top cities and today's value
In 2004, the Zillow Home Value Index put the typical US home at $169,891, using the average of that year's twelve monthly values. As of September 2026 the same index shows $366,157: the typical home is worth more than twice what it was in 2004.
- 2004 typical home value
- $169,891Year average from Zillow ZHVI.
- Median price of new houses sold in 2004
- $218,150Reported by Census and HUD.
- Shift since 2004
- +115.5%. through September 2026, Zillow ZHVI.
House prices in 2004: median and average
Zillow's typical value includes homes of every age, while the Census and HUD figures cover new houses only. New houses had a median sale price of $218,150 in 2004 and an average of $272,125, 25% above the median. The higher average reflects how a few costly houses pull averages up. The FHFA index recorded its fastest annual rise since 1979 in 2004, at +9.4%.
| Year | Typical home (Zillow) | Median new house | Average new house | FHFA index, change on the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 2009 | $177,542 | $215,650 | $269,350 | −5.5% |
Zillow Home Value Index, averaged across the months of each year. The yearly figures for new houses sold come from U.S. Census Bureau and HUD (FRED MSPUS, ASPUS). Yearly average from the FHFA all-transactions index. Read more about both measures: median home prices and average home price in America.
2004, one month at a time
The typical US home rose 10.1% from January 2004 through December 2004. Its low was $162,129 in January 2004, and its high was $178,585 in December 2004.
| Month | Typical US home value | Change on the month |
|---|---|---|
| January 2004 | $162,129 | +0.61% |
| February 2004 | $163,182 | +0.65% |
| March 2004 | $164,343 | +0.71% |
| April 2004 | $165,642 | +0.79% |
| May 2004 | $167,104 | +0.88% |
| June 2004 | $168,696 | +0.95% |
| July 2004 | $170,412 | +1.02% |
| August 2004 | $172,152 | +1.02% |
| September 2004 | $173,871 | +1.00% |
| October 2004 | $175,517 | +0.95% |
| November 2004 | $177,063 | +0.88% |
| December 2004 | $178,585 | +0.86% |
Zillow Home Value Index for the United States, seasonally adjusted and smoothed. Zillow Research data
Home prices in 2004 by city
A value from 2004 and a page here are available for 240 cities, and one of them is still worth less than in 2004. Since 2004, Buffalo has recorded the largest increase at +290%, while Detroit has the smallest at −7%. The forty cities people search for most:
| City | Typical value, 2004 | Typical value, September 2026 | Shift since 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $208,154 | $491,960 | +136% |
| Seattle | $347,620 | $822,572 | +137% |
| San Francisco | $645,760 | $1,441,021 | +123% |
| Denver | $235,674 | $520,947 | +121% |
| Los Angeles | $424,457 | $927,891 | +119% |
| Dallas | $114,768 | $303,442 | +164% |
| Houston | $119,578 | $259,465 | +117% |
| San Diego | $460,538 | $980,490 | +113% |
| Chicago | $229,440 | $334,108 | +46% |
| Las Vegas | $239,928 | $417,475 | +74% |
| Portland, Oregon | $213,473 | $524,318 | +146% |
| Nashville | $155,268 | $425,889 | +174% |
| Atlanta | $206,322 | $380,331 | +84% |
| Boise | $142,135 | $500,215 | +252% |
| San Jose | $472,648 | $1,353,869 | +186% |
| Miami | $235,480 | $583,705 | +148% |
| San Antonio | $108,392 | $244,623 | +126% |
| Sacramento | $260,896 | $470,552 | +80% |
| Washington, DC | $286,862 | $566,961 | +98% |
| Boston | $369,038 | $761,236 | +106% |
| Tucson | $151,931 | $318,760 | +110% |
| Orlando | $161,214 | $372,775 | +131% |
| Colorado Springs | $200,163 | $439,542 | +120% |
| Charlotte | $158,598 | $389,648 | +146% |
| Philadelphia | $90,363 | $231,584 | +156% |
| New York City | $390,031 | $825,854 | +112% |
| Reno | $271,558 | $571,562 | +110% |
| Charleston, SC | $199,046 | $587,511 | +195% |
| Tampa | $143,289 | $375,619 | +162% |
| Pittsburgh | $92,338 | $234,620 | +154% |
| Cape Coral | $184,202 | $334,660 | +82% |
| Salt Lake City | $178,364 | $568,970 | +219% |
| Raleigh | $190,234 | $424,663 | +123% |
| Naples | $271,693 | $545,587 | +101% |
| Jacksonville | $133,339 | $284,832 | +114% |
| Detroit | $80,029 | $74,742 | −7% |
| Columbus, Ohio | $111,676 | $243,122 | +118% |
| Indianapolis | $84,268 | $227,445 | +170% |
| Santa Barbara | $892,732 | $1,805,649 | +102% |
| Scottsdale | $327,978 | $851,746 | +160% |
Zillow Home Value Index figures for the 2004 yearly average and September 2026. See every city today: home prices by city.
Home prices in 2004 by state
Based on Zillow's typical value, Idaho has had the largest rise since 2004 at +231%, while Louisiana has had the smallest at +59%. During 2004, no state saw its FHFA index decline.
| State | Typical value, 2004 | Typical value, September 2026 | FHFA change in 2004 | FHFA change since 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $117,426 | $238,614 | +3.8% | +122% |
| Alaska | $194,359 | $397,932 | +10.0% | +123% |
| Arizona | $416,733 | +12.6% | +170% | |
| Arkansas | $108,066 | $224,158 | +5.8% | +123% |
| California | $356,780 | $761,538 | +22.7% | +107% |
| Colorado | $227,515 | $529,013 | +3.5% | +160% |
| Connecticut | $254,390 | $447,319 | +12.1% | +88% |
| Delaware | $211,532 | $405,061 | +13.8% | +104% |
| District of Columbia | $287,103 | $567,271 | +19.9% | +135% |
| Florida | $169,788 | $375,361 | +17.2% | +154% |
| Georgia | $155,639 | $329,115 | +4.5% | +131% |
| Hawaii | $311,571 | $832,932 | +22.8% | +165% |
| Idaho | $143,939 | $476,754 | +7.4% | +243% |
| Illinois | $179,778 | $295,943 | +8.4% | +78% |
| Indiana | $108,523 | $257,165 | +2.8% | +125% |
| Iowa | $110,561 | $236,623 | +4.6% | +108% |
| Kansas | $106,627 | $246,055 | +4.3% | +126% |
| Kentucky | $106,968 | $230,909 | +4.7% | +127% |
| Louisiana | $134,522 | $213,867 | +5.5% | +94% |
| Maine | $176,723 | $412,002 | +12.5% | +149% |
| Maryland | $239,140 | $424,890 | +18.1% | +90% |
| Massachusetts | $337,844 | $655,219 | +11.3% | +106% |
| Michigan | $144,320 | $263,760 | +3.9% | +91% |
| Minnesota | $193,486 | $348,778 | +9.2% | +86% |
| Mississippi | $106,036 | $194,531 | +3.9% | +103% |
| Missouri | $128,579 | $265,387 | +6.3% | +118% |
| Montana | $467,275 | +9.8% | +211% | |
| Nebraska | $123,224 | $278,299 | +4.8% | +135% |
| Nevada | $244,956 | $440,739 | +28.7% | +109% |
| New Hampshire | $229,139 | $510,937 | +11.3% | +126% |
| New Jersey | $287,218 | $575,123 | +15.0% | +114% |
| New Mexico | $146,176 | $315,812 | +7.2% | +130% |
| New York | $227,910 | $524,942 | +12.8% | +126% |
| North Carolina | $147,101 | $332,159 | +3.9% | +156% |
| North Dakota | $290,657 | +7.1% | +171% | |
| Ohio | $124,826 | $245,982 | +3.5% | +104% |
| Oklahoma | $99,444 | $220,801 | +4.1% | +129% |
| Oregon | $188,831 | $492,753 | +9.5% | +170% |
| Pennsylvania | $135,718 | $287,078 | +10.3% | +128% |
| Rhode Island | $253,498 | $508,507 | +18.7% | +111% |
| South Carolina | $136,578 | $304,319 | +4.5% | +159% |
| South Dakota | $123,203 | $317,874 | +5.7% | +164% |
| Tennessee | $128,784 | $330,844 | +4.1% | +182% |
| Texas | $129,021 | $296,424 | +2.7% | +179% |
| Utah | $181,388 | $532,920 | +3.1% | +227% |
| Vermont | $168,951 | $391,900 | +13.4% | +149% |
| Virginia | $195,164 | $412,252 | +15.0% | +126% |
| Washington | $223,129 | $587,533 | +9.5% | +198% |
| West Virginia | $90,784 | $176,576 | +6.3% | +105% |
| Wisconsin | $158,272 | $337,196 | +8.1% | +124% |
| Wyoming | $157,192 | $369,044 | +9.3% | +162% |
Typical value from the Zillow Home Value Index, using the 2004 average and September 2026. FHFA change: from the 2004 yearly average of the FHFA all-transactions house price index through Q2 2026. FHFA HPI datasets
Current value of a 2004 home
Consider a home priced at $169,891 in 2004, which was the typical US value that year. If it grew with the Zillow index, it would now be worth about $366,157. With consumer prices alone, it would be worth $303,061. Once inflation is taken into account, the median new house today costs 1% more than the one from 2004.
| A $169,891 home from 2004 | Worth now | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Grown with the Zillow index for the US | $366,157 | September 2026 |
| Increase based on the US FHFA house price index | $390,683 | Q2 2026 |
| Grown with consumer prices only (CPI-U) | $303,061 | September 2026 |
Each series is compared with itself in 2004 and now:
| Series | 2004 | Now | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median new house sold, Census and HUD | $218,150 | $393,300 | Q3 2026 | +80% |
| Average new house sold, Census and HUD | $272,125 | $494,400 | Q3 2026 | +82% |
| Typical home value, Zillow ZHVI | $169,891 | $366,157 | September 2026 | +116% |
| FHFA house price index (an index, not dollars) | 313.0 | 719.9 | Q2 2026 | +130% |
| Consumer prices (CPI-U) | 188.9 | 336.9 | September 2026 | +78% |
For a selected city and purchase price, use the home appreciation calculator.
Putting 2004 in perspective
The dashed line identifies 2004 on the Zillow line for the entire country.
See the preceding year: home prices in 2003. See the following year: home prices in 2005. All years, one page: home prices by year. For every fall since 1975: history of housing market crashes. See the current city-by-city value of a home purchased in 2004 with the appreciation calculator.