The price of a house the year you turned 25

Canva Homeownership lets you build equity, put down roots, and make a place your own. But in recent years, achieving this part of the American dream has become much more difficult. Adjusting for inflation, the cost of a newly constructed single-family home in 2022 was over 2 1/2 times more expensive than in the 1960s. So for young adults in their mid-20s–an age when many people think they should buy a home–the goal might seem out of reach. The actual average age of a first-time home buyer in 2022 was 36, according to the National Association of Realtors. Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a new, single-family home for the last 60 years to illustrate how home prices have grown. Using Census Bureau data, we analyzed the median list price for a newly constructed home from 1963 to 2021 and the Consumer Price Index to calculate each year’s absolute and inflation-adjusted prices. The basis of the Census Bureau data is new constructions, which are often more expensive than existing homes. The list price includes both the house and the land. This story does not include houses built for rent, those built by the owner, or ones by a general contractor on the owner’s land. It’s true that location plays a role in home prices. For example, homes in the Northeast and West have always generally been higher than the rest of the country. But the data still shows that average prices have grown substantially over time. Check out the cost of buying a home the year you turned 25. Homes continue to get more expensive Stacker Adjusted for inflation, the cost of a newly constructed family home is more than twice as expensive in the early 2020s as it was in 1960. With some fluctuation over the years, costs have grown steadily, reaching a median of more than $450,000 by 2022–with regions like the Northeast showing even higher prices. 1963 Lambert // Getty Images – Median list price: $18,000 – Inflation-adjusted price: $171,938 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $20,300 ($193,908 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $17,900 ($170,982 in today’s dollars) — South: $16,100 ($153,789 in today’s dollars) — West: $18,800 ($179,579 in today’s dollars) 1964 Archive Photos // Getty Images – Median list price: $18,900 – Inflation-adjusted price: $178,179 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $20,300 ($191,377 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $19,400 ($182,893 in today’s dollars) — South: $16,700 ($157,439 in today’s dollars) — West: $20,400 ($192,320 in today’s dollars) 1965 Archive Photos // Getty Images – Median list price: $20,000 – Inflation-adjusted price: $185,619 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $21,500 ($199,540 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $21,600 ($200,468 in today’s dollars) — South: $17,500 ($162,416 in today’s dollars) — West: $21,600 ($200,468 in today’s dollars) 1966 D. Corson/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $21,400 – Inflation-adjusted price: $192,847 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $23,500 ($211,771 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $23,200 ($209,068 in today’s dollars) — South: $18,200 ($164,010 in today’s dollars) — West: $23,200 ($209,068 in today’s dollars) 1967 F. Roy Kemp // Getty Images – Median list price: $22,700 – Inflation-adjusted price: $199,020 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $25,400 ($222,692 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $25,100 ($220,062 in today’s dollars) — South: $19,400 ($170,088 in today’s dollars) — West: $24,100 ($211,295 in today’s dollars) 1968 H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $24,700 – Inflation-adjusted price: $207,737 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $27,700 ($232,969 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $27,400 ($230,445 in today’s dollars) — South: $21,500 ($180,824 in today’s dollars) — West: $25,100 ($211,102 in today’s dollars) 1969 Camerique/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $25,600 – Inflation-adjusted price: $204,204 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $31,600 ($252,064 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $27,600 ($220,157 in today’s dollars) — South: $22,800 ($181,869 in today’s dollars) — West: $25,300 ($201,811 in today’s dollars) 1970 H. Armstrong Roberts // Getty Images – Median list price: $23,400 – Inflation-adjusted price: $176,283 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $30,300 ($228,264 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $24,400 ($183,817 in today’s dollars) — South: $20,300 ($152,929 in today’s dollars) — West: $24,000 ($180,803 in today’s dollars) 1971 H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $25,200 – Inflation-adjusted price: $182,145 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $30,600 ($221,176 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $27,200 ($196,601 in today’s dollars) — South: $22,500 ($162,629 in today’s dollars) — West: $25,500 ($184,313 in today’s dollars) 1972 H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $27,600 – Inflation-adjusted price: $193,170 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $31,400 ($219,766 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $29,300 ($205,068 in today’s dollars) — South: $25,800 ($180,572 in today’s dollars) — West: $27,500 ($192,470 in today’s dollars) 1973 Mirrorpix // Getty Images – Median list price: $32,500 – Inflation-adjusted price: $214,067 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $37,100 ($244,365 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $32,900 ($216,701 in today’s dollars) — South: $30,900 ($203,528 in today’s dollars) — West: $32,400 ($213,408 in today’s dollars) 1974 H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $39,300 – Inflation-adjusted price: $213,649 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $44,000 ($239,200 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $39,600 ($215,280 in today’s dollars) — South: $37,300 ($202,777 in today’s dollars) — West: $40,600 ($220,717 in today’s dollars) 1976 Archive Photos // Getty Images – Median list price: $44,200 – Inflation-adjusted price: $227,169 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $47,300 ($243,101 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $44,800 ($230,252 in today’s dollars) — South: $40,500 ($208,152 in today’s dollars) — West: $47,200 ($242,587 in today’s dollars) 1977 H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $48,800 – Inflation-adjusted price: $235,570 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $51,600 ($249,087 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $51,500 ($248,604 in today’s dollars) — South: $44,100 ($212,882 in today’s dollars) — West: $53,500 ($258,258 in today’s dollars) 1978 Harold M. Lambert / Contributor // Getty Images – Median list price: $55,700 – Inflation-adjusted price: $249,818 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $58,100 ($260,582 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $59,200 ($265,515 in today’s dollars) — South: $50,300 ($225,598 in today’s dollars) — West: $61,300 ($274,934 in today’s dollars) 1979 ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $62,900 – Inflation-adjusted price: $253,575 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $65,500 ($264,057 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $63,900 ($257,607 in today’s dollars) — South: $57,300 ($230,999 in today’s dollars) — West: $69,600 ($280,585 in today’s dollars) 1980 H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $121,500 – Inflation-adjusted price: $253,388 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $169,000 ($352,449 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $115,600 ($241,083 in today’s dollars) — South: $105,500 ($220,020 in today’s dollars) — West: $130,400 ($271,949 in today’s dollars) 1993 ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $126,500 – Inflation-adjusted price: $256,207 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $162,600 ($329,322 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $125,000 ($253,169 in today’s dollars) — South: $115,000 ($232,915 in today’s dollars) — West: $135,000 ($273,422 in today’s dollars) 1994 ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $130,000 – Inflation-adjusted price: $256,634 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $169,000 ($333,625 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $132,900 ($262,359 in today’s dollars) — South: $116,900 ($230,773 in today’s dollars) — West: $140,400 ($277,165 in today’s dollars) 1995 Universal History Archive // Getty Images – Median list price: $133,900 – Inflation-adjusted price: $257,120 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $180,000 ($345,643 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $134,000 ($257,312 in today’s dollars) — South: $124,500 ($239,070 in today’s dollars) — West: $141,000 ($270,754 in today’s dollars) 1996 ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $140,000 – Inflation-adjusted price: $261,164 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $186,900 ($348,654 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $137,500 ($256,500 in today’s dollars) — South: $125,000 ($233,182 in today’s dollars) — West: $153,900 ($287,094 in today’s dollars) 1997 ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $146,000 – Inflation-adjusted price: $266,136 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $190,000 ($346,341 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $149,900 ($273,245 in today’s dollars) — South: $129,600 ($236,241 in today’s dollars) — West: $160,000 ($291,656 in today’s dollars) 1998 Bob Riha Jr // Getty Images – Median list price: $152,500 – Inflation-adjusted price: $273,749 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $200,000 ($359,015 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $157,500 ($282,725 in today’s dollars) — South: $135,800 ($243,771 in today’s dollars) — West: $163,500 ($293,495 in today’s dollars) 1999 ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $161,000 – Inflation-adjusted price: $282,805 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $210,500 ($369,754 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $164,000 ($288,075 in today’s dollars) — South: $145,900 ($256,281 in today’s dollars) — West: $173,700 ($305,113 in today’s dollars) 2000 Erik Freeland // Getty Images – Median list price: $169,000 – Inflation-adjusted price: $287,189 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $227,400 ($386,430 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $169,700 ($288,378 in today’s dollars) — South: $148,000 ($251,503 in today’s dollars) — West: $196,400 ($333,751 in today’s dollars) 2001 ClassicStock // Getty Images – Median list price: $175,200 – Inflation-adjusted price: $289,569 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $246,400 ($407,247 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $172,600 ($285,271 in today’s dollars) — South: $155,400 ($256,843 in today’s dollars) — West: $213,600 ($353,036 in today’s dollars) 2002 Construction Photography/Avalon // Getty Images – Median list price: $187,600 – Inflation-adjusted price: $305,193 – Median list price by region: — Northeast: $264,300 ($429,971 in today’s dollars) — Midwest: $178,000 ($289,576 in today’s dollars) — South: $163,400 ($265,824 in today’s dollars) — West: $238,500 ($387,999 in today’s dollars) 2003