Short answer. U.S. median existing-home prices have risen from $20,100 in 1968 to $408,000 in 2024 — a 20× nominal increase over 56 years. Median new-construction prices rose from $24,700 to $458,200 over the same period.
The Almanac tracks two complementary U.S. median home-price series:
- Median existing-home sale price — National Association of Realtors, 1968 to today
- Median new single-family sale price — U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Construction, 1963 to today
Both are nominal — not adjusted for inflation. Both report median (not mean) sale prices, which means a more expensive market mix in any given year (more sales of $1M homes, etc.) will lift the median.
Selected milestones — median existing home
- 1968: $20,100
- 1978: $48,700 (1978 sales peak)
- 1985: $75,500 (Volcker recovery)
- 1995: $110,500
- 2005: $219,000 (cycle peak)
- 2011: $166,200 (trough after 2008)
- 2021: $357,100 (pandemic surge)
- 2024: $408,000 (current record)
What about inflation-adjusted prices?
Adjusted for CPI, U.S. median existing-home prices in 2024 dollars look something like this: 1968 ≈ $190K, 1978 ≈ $238K, 1991 ≈ $235K, 2005 ≈ $360K (peak before 2024), 2011 ≈ $235K (trough), 2024 ≈ $408K. The 2024 reading is a real all-time high — meaningfully above 2005.
Visit the prices dashboard for the full annual chart, or pick a year from the archive.
Sources
U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Construction; National Association of Realtors Existing Home Sales report; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey; National Bureau of Economic Research Business Cycle Dating Committee.