Quick answer: The US median existing-home price is $417,500 (September 2026, NAR), up 1.3% from a year earlier. Hawaii is most expensive ($823,970), West Virginia is most affordable ($169,780). Use the mortgage affordability calculator to see what you can afford.
The median existing-home sales price in the USA was $417,500 in September 2026 according to the National Association of Realtors, up 1.3% from a year earlier. Home prices remain elevated compared to historical levels, and many first-time buyers rely on financial gifts from parents or family members to afford down payments.
If you are looking to purchase a home one of the first questions you are likely to ask is how much house can i afford? One of the key factors in answering this question is looking at the purchase price of homes which can look drastically different depending on where you are looking to purchase a home. The median home price in the US serves as a good indicator for what you can expect the cost of a typical home to be.
What is the median home price in the USA?
The median existing-home sales price in the USA was $417,500 in September 2026 according to the National Association of Realtors, up 1.3% from a year ago. Sales were slow: NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said “August and September marked the two slowest months for home sales this year.”
Historical home prices in the US
It is important to consider the seasonality of home prices when looking at home price trends. When the market activity increases, so do the home prices. Home price trends tend to be the highest from April through June.
Median home price in each state
While the median home price in the US can be used as a metric to see the overall trend of home prices at a quick glance, home prices vary greatly based on the state, county, and city they are purchased in. The map below shows the median house prices by state in the USA. The home prices in this map are based on the most recent comprehensive state-level data from Zillow (February 2026).
Median Home Price by State (February 2026)
This table breaks down all of the median home prices by state as of February 2026 (most recent comprehensive state-level data available):
| State | Median Home Price |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | $169,780 |
| Mississippi | $189,895 |
| Louisiana | $208,930 |
| Oklahoma | $216,242 |
| Arkansas | $219,754 |
| Iowa | $227,764 |
| Kentucky | $228,840 |
| Alabama | $232,106 |
| Ohio | $237,200 |
| Kansas | $239,111 |
| Indiana | $249,724 |
| Michigan | $254,230 |
| Missouri | $258,099 |
| Nebraska | $271,338 |
| Pennsylvania | $278,429 |
| North Dakota | $280,510 |
| Illinois | $281,547 |
| Texas | $297,592 |
| South Carolina | $300,562 |
| New Mexico | $310,375 |
| South Dakota | $312,005 |
| Wisconsin | $322,641 |
| Tennessee | $327,696 |
| Georgia | $328,277 |
| North Carolina | $331,413 |
| Minnesota | $341,308 |
| Wyoming | $355,667 |
| Florida | $372,755 |
| Alaska | $380,987 |
| Vermont | $381,496 |
| Delaware | $396,207 |
| Maine | $396,938 |
| Virginia | $405,474 |
| Arizona | $420,906 |
| Maryland | $423,956 |
| Connecticut | $425,333 |
| Nevada | $442,655 |
| Montana | $455,364 |
| Idaho | $468,156 |
| Rhode Island | $488,738 |
| Oregon | $492,347 |
| New Hampshire | $495,256 |
| New York | $502,162 |
| Utah | $533,118 |
| Colorado | $535,507 |
| New Jersey | $558,900 |
| District of Columbia | $574,199 |
| Washington | $592,562 |
| Massachusetts | $642,387 |
| California | $765,036 |
| Hawaii | $823,970 |
States with the most expensive homes
Hawaii: $823,970
The state with the most expensive homes is Hawaii with a median home price of $823,970. The median price of a home in Hawaii is 97.4% more than NAR’s September 2026 national median.
California: $765,036
California is the state with the second most expensive homes with a median home price of $765,036. The median home price in California is 83.2% above NAR’s September 2026 national median.
Massachusetts: $642,387
Massachusetts has a median home price of $642,387. This median home price is 53.9% higher than NAR’s September 2026 national median.
Washington: $592,562
The median home price in Washington is $592,562 which is 41.9% above NAR’s September 2026 national median.
District of Columbia: $574,199
District of Columbia is the fifth most expensive region with a median home price of $574,199. The median DC home price is 37.5% above NAR’s September 2026 national median.
States with the least expensive homes
West Virginia: $169,780
The least expensive state in the United States for home price is West Virginia with a median home price of $169,780. The median home price in West Virginia is 40.7% of NAR’s September 2026 national median.
Mississippi: $189,895
Mississippi has a median home price of $189,895 which makes it the second cheapest state for home prices.
Louisiana: $208,930
Louisiana has a median home price of $208,930. The median home price in Louisiana is 50.0% of NAR’s September 2026 national median.
Oklahoma: $216,242
The median home price in Oklahoma is $216,242 which is the fourth cheapest state. The median home price in Oklahoma is 51.8% of NAR’s September 2026 national median.
Arkansas: $219,754
Arkansas has a median home price of $219,754 which is 52.6% of NAR’s September 2026 national median.
To see how much home you can afford based on your income, use our mortgage affordability calculator. You can also check the income needed to afford a home in each state or explore the mortgage affordability gap to see how median incomes compare to the income needed to purchase a home.
If you are looking to purchase a home, consider using a mortgage payment calculator to estimate your monthly payments, or review historical mortgage rates to understand how rates have changed over time. You can also check out the average down payment to help plan for your home purchase.
Why Median Is Better Than Average for Home Prices
The median price (the middle value in a sorted list) is a more useful benchmark than the average because it isn’t skewed by a small number of ultra-expensive luxury home sales. A single $10 million sale in a market where 99 homes sold for $300,000 would push the average to $397,000 — distorting the picture. The median would remain $300,000.
For this reason, economists, policymakers, and housing analysts universally use median home prices to track affordability and market trends. The National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau all report median rather than average home prices in their official statistics.
Home Affordability at the Median Price (2026)
The median home price of $417,500 (NAR, September 2026) is only half the story. What matters is whether you can afford that price — and affordability depends on your income, down payment, and the current mortgage rate.
Monthly Payment at Median Home Price
$417,500 home, 20% down ($83,500), 30-year fixed:
| Mortgage Rate | Loan Amount | Principal & Interest | Estimated Total (PITI)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.00% | $334,000 | $2,002 | $2,540 |
| 6.50% | $334,000 | $2,111 | $2,650 |
| 7.00% | $334,000 | $2,222 | $2,760 |
| 7.50% | $334,000 | $2,335 | $2,880 |
PITI (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) estimates add an assumed ~$540/month for property tax and homeowner’s insurance; actual costs vary widely by location. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.40% in the week of October 8, 2026.
Income Required to Buy the Median Home
Lenders typically require housing costs to stay below 28% of gross monthly income (front-end DTI). At a 7% mortgage rate, the income needed to qualify for the median-priced home:
| Down Payment | Loan Amount | Monthly P&I | Required Annual Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5% ($14,613) | $402,888 | $2,680 | $114,900 |
| 10% ($41,750) | $375,750 | $2,500 | $107,100 |
| 20% ($83,500) | $334,000 | $2,222 | $95,200 |
Against a median household income of $80,734 (Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate), the median-priced US home requires income roughly 18–42% above what the typical household earns — explaining why homeownership has become increasingly difficult for first-time buyers without family assistance or dual incomes.
The Down Payment Barrier
The biggest obstacle for most first-time buyers is the down payment. Saving $40,000-$80,000 while paying rent takes years for most households. Options to bridge the gap:
- FHA loans: 3.5% down with credit scores as low as 580
- Conventional 97: 3% down (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) for first-time buyers
- State and local DPA programs: Down payment assistance grants or loans (amounts vary widely)
- USDA loans: 0% down for rural and some suburban areas
- VA loans: 0% down for eligible veterans and active military
Source: National Association of Realtors (NAR) for current month data; Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) series MSPUS for historical quarterly data; Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) for state-level data
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