What’s the Average House Price in the USA?

As a homeowner, every mortgage payment you make is an investment in yourself. Even if only a small portion of it goes toward your principal loan balance, it’s typically better than paying rent. If you were to sell your home today, how would your investment stack up against the average house price in the USA?

In this post, we’ll look at the current numbers, how house prices have changed over time, and how to get a more personalized estimate for your property.

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What’s the average house price in the USA?

As of this publication date, the average house price in the U.S. is $510,300, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This figure reflects the average sales price for homes nationwide and provides a general benchmark, though it doesn’t tell the full story for every market or property type.

Keep in mind that the average price is different from the median home price, which is currently $419,200. The average can be skewed by a small number of expensive home sales, especially in places like California or New York. But it’s still useful for getting a broad sense of where the housing market stands across the country. (We’ll look closer at average vs. median prices in a minute.)

How has the average house price in the USA changed?

Home prices have seen significant growth over the past few decades, and even more so in the past five years. In 2000, the average house price in the USA was $212,100. By 2010, even after the housing market crash, it had climbed to around $278,000. And by 2020, it jumped to roughly $396,900. Then came the dramatic pandemic-era increases. By the end of 2024, the average house price was at $510,300. This represents a 141% increase in 25 years.

The lift in home prices in the USA has been influenced by limited inventory, low interest rates, increased buyer demand, and inflation. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a major impact, driving up prices in most markets due to historically low mortgage rates (down to 2.65% in January 2021) and a surge in remote work.

While the overall rate of growth has cooled somewhat in recent years (mostly due to higher mortgage interest rates), average prices remain fairly high compared to previous decades.

Average house price vs. median home price

As you research and compare house prices to your own home, it’s helpful to know the difference between average and median values. Let’s review these math terms from our school days:

• Average house price is calculated by adding up all the sale prices and dividing by the number of homes sold. This metric can be useful for seeing overall trends in the market, but it can be skewed by a handful of high-priced sales.
• Median home price is the middle point — half of homes sold for more, and half sold for less. It gives a more accurate snapshot of the market, especially in areas with wide price ranges.

For example, while the average house price in the USA is about $510,300, the median home price is only $419,200 as of early 2025. Median pricing can often provide a better sense of what a typical buyer or seller might expect.