The monthly payment on a median-priced home is $2,721 a month in the U.S. as of September 2026. In 1950 it was $37.62, or $523 in today’s dollars. Adjusted for inflation, the mortgage payment is 5.2 times as high as in 1950.
Price at the time In September 2026 dollars
U.S. median home, 20% down, 30-yr fixed, with taxes and insurance. ≈ marks estimates between data points.
| Year | Price | Median home | 30-year rate | In today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $37.62 | $7,400 | 4.30% | $523 |
| 1951 | ≈$39.76 | ≈$7,779 | 4.36% | ≈$513 |
| 1952 | ≈$42.03 | ≈$8,178 | 4.42% | ≈$530 |
| 1953 | ≈$44.43 | ≈$8,597 | 4.48% | ≈$556 |
| 1954 | ≈$46.96 | ≈$9,037 | 4.54% | ≈$588 |
| 1955 | $49.65 | $9,500 | 4.60% | $621 |
| 1956 | ≈$53.29 | ≈$9,938 | 4.88% | ≈$657 |
| 1957 | ≈$57.28 | ≈$10,396 | 5.18% | ≈$683 |
| 1958 | ≈$61.64 | ≈$10,875 | 5.50% | ≈$715 |
| 1959 | ≈$66.43 | ≈$11,376 | 5.84% | ≈$763 |
| 1960 | $71.69 | $11,900 | 6.20% | $812 |
| 1961 | ≈$76.00 | ≈$12,704 | 6.12% | ≈$852 |
| 1962 | ≈$80.56 | ≈$13,562 | 6.04% | ≈$894 |
| 1963 | ≈$85.41 | ≈$14,478 | 5.96% | ≈$936 |
| 1964 | ≈$90.55 | ≈$15,456 | 5.88% | ≈$979 |
| 1965 | $96.01 | $16,500 | 5.80% | $1,022 |
| 1966 | ≈$106 | ≈$17,622 | 6.15% | ≈$1,090 |
| 1967 | ≈$116 | ≈$18,820 | 6.51% | ≈$1,169 |
| 1968 | $129 | $20,100 | 6.90% | $1,238 |
| 1969 | ≈$146 | ≈$21,501 | 7.61% | ≈$1,332 |
| 1970 | $166 | $23,000 | 8.40% | $1,435 |
| 1971 | ≈$167 | ≈$24,781 | 7.54% | ≈$1,383 |
| 1972 | $178 | $26,700 | 7.38% | $1,425 |
| 1973 | ≈$205 | ≈$29,230 | 8.04% | ≈$1,549 |
| 1974 | $245 | $32,000 | 9.19% | $1,670 |
| 1975 | ≈$265 | ≈$34,917 | 9.05% | ≈$1,652 |
| 1976 | $285 | $38,100 | 8.87% | $1,681 |
| 1977 | ≈$322 | ≈$43,075 | 8.85% | ≈$1,782 |
| 1978 | $386 | $48,700 | 9.64% | $1,987 |
| 1979 | ≈$488 | ≈$55,038 | 11.20% | ≈$2,253 |
| 1980 | $649 | $62,200 | 13.74% | $2,642 |
| 1981 | ≈$798 | ≈$64,940 | 16.63% | ≈$2,944 |
| 1982 | $807 | $67,800 | 16.04% | $2,805 |
| 1983 | ≈$709 | ≈$70,062 | 13.24% | ≈$2,388 |
| 1984 | $762 | $72,400 | 13.88% | $2,460 |
| 1985 | ≈$733 | ≈$76,248 | 12.43% | ≈$2,286 |
| 1986 | $663 | $80,300 | 10.19% | $2,029 |
| 1987 | ≈$700 | ≈$84,681 | 10.21% | ≈$2,067 |
| 1988 | $745 | $89,300 | 10.34% | $2,113 |
| 1989 | ≈$756 | ≈$90,640 | 10.32% | ≈$2,043 |
| 1990 | $756 | $92,000 | 10.13% | $1,941 |
| 1991 | ≈$742 | ≈$96,347 | 9.25% | ≈$1,828 |
| 1992 | $728 | $100,900 | 8.39% | $1,740 |
| 1993 | ≈$688 | ≈$104,002 | 7.31% | ≈$1,596 |
| 1994 | $773 | $107,200 | 8.38% | $1,748 |
| 1995 | ≈$775 | ≈$111,417 | 7.93% | ≈$1,705 |
| 1996 | $798 | $115,800 | 7.81% | $1,706 |
| 1997 | ≈$826 | ≈$121,937 | 7.60% | ≈$1,725 |
| 1998 | $824 | $128,400 | 6.94% | $1,694 |
| 1999 | ≈$893 | ≈$133,595 | 7.44% | ≈$1,798 |
| 2000 | $976 | $139,000 | 8.05% | $1,901 |
| 2001 | ≈$953 | ≈$148,243 | 6.97% | ≈$1,805 |
| 2002 | $981 | $158,100 | 6.54% | $1,828 |
| 2003 | ≈$998 | ≈$171,114 | 5.83% | ≈$1,819 |
| 2004 | $1,081 | $185,200 | 5.84% | $1,920 |
| 2005 | $1,214 | $207,300 | 5.87% | $2,084 |
| 2006 | $1,361 | $221,900 | 6.41% | $2,264 |
| 2007 | $1,329 | $217,900 | 6.34% | $2,149 |
| 2008 | $1,167 | $196,600 | 6.03% | $1,818 |
| 2009 | $936 | $172,100 | 5.04% | $1,463 |
| 2010 | $911 | $172,900 | 4.69% | $1,401 |
| 2011 | $856 | $166,100 | 4.45% | $1,277 |
| 2012 | $847 | $176,800 | 3.66% | $1,237 |
| 2013 | $974 | $197,400 | 3.98% | $1,402 |
| 2014 | $1,046 | $208,300 | 4.17% | $1,482 |
| 2015 | $1,084 | $222,400 | 3.85% | $1,534 |
| 2016 | $1,127 | $235,500 | 3.65% | $1,574 |
| 2017 | $1,229 | $248,800 | 3.99% | $1,681 |
| 2018 | $1,360 | $261,600 | 4.54% | $1,816 |
| 2019 | $1,350 | $274,600 | 3.94% | $1,770 |
| 2020 | $1,365 | $300,200 | 3.11% | $1,770 |
| 2021 | $1,600 | $357,100 | 2.96% | $1,969 |
| 2022 | $2,195 | $392,800 | 5.34% | $2,484 |
| 2023 | $2,474 | $389,800 | 6.81% | $2,715 |
| 2024 | $2,566 | $407,500 | 6.72% | $2,737 |
| 2025 | $2,613 | $414,000 | 6.75% | $2,714 |
| Sep 2026 (latest) | $2,721 | $421,000 | 7.03% | $2,721 |
Among the 2,314 U.S. places with at least 20,000 people, as of September 2026. Scaled by the local median home value from the Census American Community Survey (the county’s figure when the place has fewer than 5,000 people). Housing gaps between places were smaller decades ago, and the older estimates narrow them accordingly.
| Newport Beach, CA | $16,327 |
| Palo Alto, CA | $16,327 |
| Cupertino, CA | $16,327 |
| Manhattan Beach, CA | $16,327 |
| Los Gatos, CA | $16,327 |
| Flint, MI | $438 |
| Saginaw, MI | $490 |
| Youngstown, OH | $517 |
| New Castle, PA | $634 |
| Danville, IL | $645 |
Freddie Mac 30-year fixed mortgage rate; Census and NAR median home prices.
The monthly payment on a median-priced home with 20% down on a 30-year fixed loan at that month’s average rate, plus property taxes and insurance.
For cities: Scaled by the local median home value from the Census American Community Survey (the county’s figure when the place has fewer than 5,000 people). Housing gaps between places were smaller decades ago, and the older estimates narrow them accordingly.
Each year shows the U.S. figure at midyear. Years marked ≈ fall between this series’ data points and are estimated by smooth interpolation between them. Today’s dollars use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). How it works.
Median rent by yearAverage property tax bill by year
What everything cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. All prices.