The County With the Most Expensive Housing Market in Every State

Special Report

Published: March 28, 2019 4:20 pm

Last Updated: March 20, 2020 12:59 pm

Homeownership is a cornerstone of the American dream — but for many, realizing that dream is prohibitively expensive.

Today, the typical American home has a price tag of nearly a quarter of a million dollars, according to industry advocacy group the National Realtors Association. Not every budget can accommodate housing expenses that high, and in nearly every state there is at least one county where the housing market is even more expensive.

To identify the county with the most expensive housing market in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed home value data from NAR as of the third quarter of 2018 for 3,119 counties and county equivalents nationwide. Counties in each state were ranked based on median home value. In 33 states, there is at least one county where over 50% of occupied homes cost more than $300,000. Arkansas and Oklahoma are the only states where no county has a median home value above $200,000.

Home values are typically a reflection of what the residents can afford, and as a result, the counties on this list tend to be high-income areas. Some even rank as the richest county in their state. Coconino County, Arizona, and Orleans Parish, Louisiana, are the only counties or county equivalents on this list with a lower median annual household income than the national median of $57,652.

The years in which many of the houses were built in the counties on this list may partially explain the higher housing costs. According to recent Census data, the median value of a brand new home is $335,400 — 39.5% more than the value of the typical existing home. In 34 of the 50 counties on this list, the share of homes built in the 21st century exceeds the comparable statewide share. In three counties on this list — Dallas County, Iowa; Forsyth County, Georgia; and Lincoln County, South Dakota — over half of all homes were built after Jan. 1, 2000. For reference, only 17.7% of all homes nationwide were built in the last 19 years.

Click here to see the county with the most expensive housing market in each state.

To determine the county with the most expensive housing market in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median home prices of owner-occupied homes in the 3,119 county and county-equivalents as aggregated by the National Association of Realtors for the third quarter of 2018. We also considered median household incomes, median monthly housing costs for mortgage holders, the share of occupied homes worth over $1.0 million, and year of construction — all five-year estimates from the from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey.

Alabama: Shelby County
> Median home value: $221,847
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,413
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.9%
> Median household income: $74,063

See all stories featuring: Alabama

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Alaska: Sitka City and Borough
> Median home value: $364,381
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,096
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 11.9%
> Median household income: $70,765

See all stories featuring: Alaska

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Arizona: Coconino County
> Median home value: $297,468
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,490
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 24.0%
> Median household income: $53,523

See all stories featuring: Arizona

Arkansas: Benton County
> Median home value: $193,647
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,218
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 34.2%
> Median household income: $61,271

See all stories featuring: Arkansas

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California: San Francisco County
> Median home value: $1,272,168
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $3,332
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 42.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 8.6%
> Median household income: $96,265

See all stories featuring: California

Colorado: Pitkin County
> Median home value: $662,964
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,947
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 32.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 24.8%
> Median household income: $67,755

See all stories featuring: Colorado

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Connecticut: Fairfield County
> Median home value: $435,477
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,726
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 14.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 9.4%
> Median household income: $89,773

See all stories featuring: Connecticut

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Delaware: New Castle County
> Median home value: $276,686
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,611
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 13.6%
> Median household income: $68,336

See all stories featuring: Delaware

Florida: Monroe County
> Median home value: $556,173
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,373
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 11.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 13.1%
> Median household income: $63,030

See all stories featuring: Florida

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Georgia: Forsyth County
> Median home value: $391,587
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,813
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.1%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 51.4%
> Median household income: $96,445

See all stories featuring: Georgia

Hawaii: Honolulu County
> Median home value: $709,056
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,466
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 14%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.1%
> Median household income: $80,078

See all stories featuring: Hawaii

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Idaho: Blaine County
> Median home value: $429,565
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,676
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 17.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 19.4%
> Median household income: $58,835

See all stories featuring: Idaho

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Illinois: DuPage County
> Median home value: $324,941
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,051
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 10.0%
> Median household income: $84,442

See all stories featuring: Illinois

Indiana: Hamilton County
> Median home value: $292,191
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,584
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.5%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 40.8%
> Median household income: $90,582

See all stories featuring: Indiana

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Iowa: Dallas County
> Median home value: $258,355
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,558
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.5%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 50.5%
> Median household income: $82,719

See all stories featuring: Iowa

Kansas: Johnson County
> Median home value: $280,489
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,703
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.5%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 21.7%
> Median household income: $81,121

See all stories featuring: Kansas

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Kentucky: Oldham County
> Median home value: $308,928
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,659
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 29.8%
> Median household income: $92,237

See all stories featuring: Kentucky

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Louisiana: Orleans Parish
> Median home value: $237,027
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,653
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 10.4%
> Median household income: $38,721

See all stories featuring: Louisiana

Maine: Cumberland County
> Median home value: $294,008
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,697
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.6%
> Median household income: $65,702

See all stories featuring: Maine

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Maryland: Montgomery County
> Median home value: $507,032
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,460
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 9.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.2%
> Median household income: $103,178

See all stories featuring: Maryland

Massachusetts: Nantucket County
> Median home value: $1,046,929
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,783
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 49.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.6%
> Median household income: $91,942

See all stories featuring: Massachusetts

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Michigan: Washtenaw County
> Median home value: $285,608
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,705
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 15.7%
> Median household income: $65,618

See all stories featuring: Michigan

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Minnesota: Carver County
> Median home value: $344,435
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,931
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.7%
> Median household income: $93,095

See all stories featuring: Minnesota

Mississippi: Madison County
> Median home value: $235,722
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,494
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.5%
> Median household income: $68,600

See all stories featuring: Mississippi

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Missouri: Platte County
> Median home value: $240,702
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,583
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 25.4%
> Median household income: $74,199

See all stories featuring: Missouri

Montana: Gallatin County
> Median home value: $377,592
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,646
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 4.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 35.1%
> Median household income: $59,397

See all stories featuring: Montana

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Nebraska: Sarpy County
> Median home value: $212,509
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,538
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.3%
> Median household income: $75,752

See all stories featuring: Nebraska

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Nevada: Washoe County
> Median home value: $379,957
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,533
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 25.7%
> Median household income: $58,595

See all stories featuring: Nevada

New Hampshire: Rockingham County
> Median home value: $352,626
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,131
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 15.5%
> Median household income: $85,619

See all stories featuring: New Hampshire

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New Jersey: Bergen County
> Median home value: $498,038
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,956
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 7.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 7.8%
> Median household income: $91,572

See all stories featuring: New Jersey

New Mexico: Santa Fe County
> Median home value: $318,544
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,535
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 4.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 22.5%
> Median household income: $57,945

See all stories featuring: New Mexico

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New York: New York County
> Median home value: $1,033,669
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $3,112
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 45.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 8.9%
> Median household income: $79,781

See all stories featuring: New York

North Carolina: Orange County
> Median home value: $308,107
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,781
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 21.2%
> Median household income: $65,522

See all stories featuring: North Carolina

North Dakota: Burleigh County
> Median home value: $269,916
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,493
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 28.5%
> Median household income: $67,308

See all stories featuring: North Dakota

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Ohio: Delaware County
> Median home value: $329,070
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,990
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 40.5%
> Median household income: $100,229

See all stories featuring: Ohio

Oklahoma: Canadian County
> Median home value: $174,308
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,370
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 34.4%
> Median household income: $69,220

See all stories featuring: Oklahoma

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Oregon: Clackamas County
> Median home value: $436,075
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,857
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 3.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.2%
> Median household income: $72,408

See all stories featuring: Oregon

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Pennsylvania: Chester County
> Median home value: $384,436
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,216
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.6%
> Median household income: $92,417

See all stories featuring: Pennsylvania

Rhode Island: Newport County
> Median home value: $422,705
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,120
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 10.1%
> Median household income: $75,463

See all stories featuring: Rhode Island

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South Carolina: Charleston County
> Median home value: $353,561
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,646
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 5.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 25.2%
> Median household income: $57,882

See all stories featuring: South Carolina

South Dakota: Lincoln County
> Median home value: $226,497
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,492
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 54.3%
> Median household income: $81,849

See all stories featuring: South Dakota

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Tennessee: Williamson County
> Median home value: $501,967
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,045
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 4.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 39.6%
> Median household income: $103,543

See all stories featuring: Tennessee

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Texas: Collin County
> Median home value: $354,363
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,979
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 40.6%
> Median household income: $90,124

See all stories featuring: Texas

Utah: Summit County
> Median home value: $628,648
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,199
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 19.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 28.0%
> Median household income: $94,952

See all stories featuring: Utah

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Vermont: Chittenden County
> Median home value: $309,038
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,801
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 16.8%
> Median household income: $66,906

See all stories featuring: Vermont

Virginia: Falls Church City
> Median home value: $787,396
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $3,025
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 18.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 19.6%
> Median household income: $114,795

See all stories featuring: Virginia

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Washington: King County
> Median home value: $636,990
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,271
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 8.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.9%
> Median household income: $83,571

See all stories featuring: Washington

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West Virginia: Jefferson County
> Median home value: $241,206
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,571
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 29.0%
> Median household income: $72,526

See all stories featuring: West Virginia

Wisconsin: Ozaukee County
> Median home value: $311,909
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,762
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.9%
> Median household income: $80,526

See all stories featuring: Wisconsin

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Wyoming: Teton County
> Median home value: $772,365
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,207
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 31.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 23.0%
> Median household income: $80,049

See all stories featuring: Wyoming

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