How Much Did a House Cost the Year You Were Born?

The farther your birth year is from the 21st century, the less you or your parents paid for a house in the United States, at least on average. 

In 1965, a family buying a home with multiple bedrooms on a plot of land paid $21,500. In other words, a nice kitchen, a big backyard for your children and pet to run around in, and a white picket fence weren’t too far out of reach. 

According to the United States Census Bureau, the average American family earned a median income of $6,900 a year, meaning it would take just over three years of income to afford a home. By 2025, that same type of home cost $541,300, while the median household income was $68,450. That’s nearly eight years of income for the average American homebuyer. 

While salaries have increased over the years, so has the cost of living; some would say disproportionately. Of course, home prices and annual incomes depend largely on where you live and what you do for work. 

For example, a home in New York City costs substantially more than a similar space in small-town Montana, attributed to factors like land availability, buyer competition, and supply and demand. What one might pay for a studio in Manhattan, another pays for a three-bedroom home in rural regions. 

GoBankingRates analyzed the US Census’s New Residential Construction Average Home Sale Price to gauge average home prices from the 1960s to 2025, adjusting them to 2025 dollars. They discovered that no matter your generation (yes, even early Gen Z), home prices in the year you were born were hundreds of thousands of dollars lower than they are today, based on national averages.

From budget-friendly to eye-watering price tags, here’s how much the average American home cost the year you were born. 

THE AVERAGE COST OF A HOUSE THE YEAR YOU WERE BORN

1965

$21,500
$213,381

1966

$23,300
$223,514

1967

$24,600
$229,023

1968

$26,600
$236,481

1969

$27,900
$233,564

1970

$26,600
$210,932

1971

$28,300
$217,314

1972

$30,500
$226,493

1973

$35,500
$242,510

1974

$38,900
$236,552

1975

$42,600
$242,248

1976

$48,000
$260,293

1977

$54,200
$275,456

1978

$62,500
$291,364

1979

$71,800
$295,442

1980

$76,400
$279,400

1981

$83,000
$278,673

1982

$83,900
$271,304

1983

$89,800
$279,776

1984

$97,600
$292,527

1985

$100,800
$291,061

1986

$111,900
$319,604

1987

$127,200
$347,877

1988

$138,300
$362,225

1989

$148,800
$372,419

1990

$149,800
$353,346

1991

$147,200
$336,889

1992

$144,100
$320,498

1993

$147,700
$319,718

1994

$154,500
$325,725

1995

$158,700
$326,297

1996

$166,400
$331,127

1997

$176,200
$344,759

1998

$181,900
$350,266

1999

$195,600
$366,799

2000

$207,000
$375,461

2001

$213,200
$380,798

2002

$228,700
$398,999

2003

$246,300
$421,777

2004

$274,500
$455,247

2005

$297,000
$476,294

2006

$305,900
$478,412

2007

$313,600
$471,223

2008

$292,600
$439,266

2009

$270,900
$395,915

2010

$272,900
$392,960

2011

$267,900
$374,661

2012

$292,200
$401,652

2013

$324,500
$439,452

2014

$347,700
$467,335

2015

$352,700
$470,622

2016

$360,900
$471,776

2017

$384,900
$492,757

2018

$385,000
$483,646

2019

$383,900
$471,490

2020

$391,900
$474,485

2021

$464,200
$518,797

2022

$540,000
$554,547

2023

$513,800
$528,845

2024

$512,200
$526,993

2025

$541,300

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