If you want to buy a house this year, you may well be paying around $199,200, the median price for a home in the U.S., according to Zillow.
That's far more than you'd have forked over 10, 20 or 50 years ago. In 1940, the median home value in the U.S. was just $2,938. In 1980, it was $47,200, and by 2000, it had risen to $119,600. Even adjusted for inflation, the median home price in 1940 would only have been $30,600 in 2000 dollars, according to data from the U.S. Census.
Of course, location matters. The median value for a house in New Mexico in 1940 was just $656 — or $6,800 when adjusted to 2000 dollars. The same year, the median value for a home in California clocked in at $3,527, or the equivalent of $36,700.
And prices haven't risen uniformly. The median home now costs about the same in Connecticut and Colorado, just under $167,000, but that's a significant shift upwards for Colorado since, half a century ago, the median Rocky Mountain home cost less than half as much as one in southern New England.
Read on to see how the cost of owning a home has changed in all 50 U.S. states since 1940.
Alabama
Median home price in 1940: $16,800
Median home price in 1980: $67,100
Median home price in 2000: $85,100
Alaska
Median home price in 1940: N/A
Median home price in 1980: $151,00
Median home price in 2000: $144,200
Arizona
Median home price in 1940: $14,600
Median home price in 1980: $108,500
Median home price in 2000: $121,300
Arkansas
Median home price in 1940: $11,400
Median home price in 1980: $61,600
Median home price in 2000: $72,800
California
Median home price in 1940: $36,700
Median home price in 1980: $167,300
Median home price in 2000: $211,500
Colorado
Median home price in 1940: $21,800
Median home price in 1980: $126,900
Median home price in 2000: $ $166,600
Connecticut
Median home price in 1940: $48,000
Median home price in 1980: $129,900
Median home price in 2000: $166,900
Delaware
Median home price in 1940: $43,300
Median home price in 1980: $87,900
Median home price in 2000: $130,400
Florida
Median home price in 1940: $23,100
Median home price in 1980: $89,300
Median home price in 2000: $105,500
Georgia
Median home price in 1940: $20,400
Median home price in 1980: $73,000
Median home price in 2000: $111,200
Hawaii
Median home price in 1940: N/A
Median home price in 1980: $233,800
Median home price in 2000: $272,700
Idaho
Median home price in 1940: $16,700
Median home price in 1980: $90,300
Median home price in 2000: $106,300
Illinois
Median home price in 1940: $34,100
Median home price in 1980: $104,500
Median home price in 2000: $130,800
Indiana
Median home price in 1940: $25,000
Median home price in 1980: $73,600
Median home price in 2000: $94,300
Iowa
Median home price in 1940: $23,400
Median home price in 1980: $80,400
Median home price in 2000: $82,500
Kansas
Median home price in 1940: $18,000
Median home price in 1980: $74,800
Median home price in 2000: $83,500
Kentucky
Median home price in 1940: $21,600
Median home price in 1980: $67,700
Median home price in 2000: $86,700
Louisiana
Median home price in 1940: $14,700
Median home price in 1980: $85,100
Median home price in 2000: $85,000
Maine
Median home price in 1940: $20,900
Median home price in 1980: $75,000
Median home price in 2000: $98,700
Maryland
Median home price in 1940: $31,500
Median home price in 1980: $115,400
Median home price in 2000: $146,000
Massachusetts
Median home price in 1940: $39,000
Median home price in 1980: $95,800
Median home price in 2000: $185,700
Michigan
Median home price in 1940: $29,800
Median home price in 1980: $77,200
Median home price in 2000: $115,600
Minnesota
Median home price in 1940: $31,500
Median home price in 1980: $105,100
Median home price in 2000: $122,400
Mississippi
Median home price in 1940: $12,400
Median home price in 1980: $62,200
Median home price in 2000: $122,400
Missouri
Median home price in 1940: $24,900
Median home price in 1980: $72,600
Median home price in 2000: $89,900
Montana
Median home price in 1940: $17,200
Median home price in 1980: $92,00
Median home price in 2000: $99,500
Nebraska
Median home price in 1940: $22,400
Median home price in 1980: $75,200
Median home price in 2000: $88,000
Nevada
Median home price in 1940: $20,700
Median home price in 1980: $136,000
Median home price in 2000: $142,000
New Hampshire
Median home price in 1940: $26,100
Median home price in 1980: $95,000
Median home price in 2000: $133,300
New Jersey
Median home price in 1940: $47,100
Median home price in 1980: $119,200
Median home price in 2000: $170,800
New Mexico
Median home price in 1940: $6,800
Median home price in 1980: $89,700
Median home price in 2000: $108,100
New York
Median home price in 1940: $45,700
Median home price in 1980: $90,300
Median home price in 2000: $148,700
North Carolina
Median home price in 1940: $18,800
Median home price in 1980: $71,300
Median home price in 2000: $108,300
North Dakota
Median home price in 1940: $16,900
Median home price in 1980: $86,900
Median home price in 2000: $74,400
Ohio
Median home price in 1940: $35,500
Median home price in 1980: $88,900
Median home price in 2000: $103,700
Oklahoma
Median home price in 1940: $13,500
Median home price in 1980: $70,500
Median home price in 2000: $70, 700
Oregon
Median home price in 1940: $24,400
Median home price in 1980: $112,600
Median home price in 2000: $152,100
Pennsylvania
Median home price in 1940: $33,400
Median home price in 1980: $77,400
Median home price in 2000: $97,000
Rhode Island
Median home price in 1940: $40,000
Median home price in 1980: $92,600
Median home price in 2000: $133,000
South Carolina
Median home price in 1940: $22,300
Median home price in 1980: $69,500
Median home price in 2000: $94,900
South Dakota
Median home price in 1940: $16,800
Median home price in 1980: $72,400
Median home price in 2000: $79,600
Tennessee
Median home price in 1940: $19,000
Median home price in 1980: $70,500
Median home price in 2000: $93,000
Texas
Median home price in 1940: $17,600
Median home price in 1980: $77,400
Median home price in 2000: $82,500
Utah
Median home price in 1940: $24,100
Median home price in 1980: $113,400
Median home price in 2000: $146,100
Vermont
Median home price in 1940: $29,500
Median home price in 1980: $83,500
Median home price in 2000: $111,500
Virginia
Median home price in 1940: $27,400
Median home price in 1980: $95,000
Median home price in 2000: $125,400
Washington
Median home price in 1940: $24,500
Median home price in 1980: $118,600
Median home price in 2000: $168,300
West Virginia
Median home price in 1940: $24,500
Median home price in 1980: $76,200
Median home price in 2000: $72,800
Wisconsin
Median home price in 1940: $33,600
Median home price in 1980: $96,200
Median home price in 2000: $112,200
Wyoming
Median home price in 1940: $22,600
Median home price in 1980: $118,400
Median home price in 2000: $96,600
Don't miss: Here's how much housing prices have skyrocketed over the last 50 years
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