Average Home Price by State in 2026: All 50 States Ranked

The average home price by state varies enormously across the United States, but comparing states accurately requires one consistent definition. In this 2026 ranking, we use Zillow’s Home Value Index, or ZHVI, to compare the typical home value in all 50 states using June 2026 data. Zillow says its most commonly cited ZHVI represents the middle of the market for all homes and should be described as a typical home value, not a median home value.

That distinction matters because searches for the average home value by state or average house price by state often lead to pages that mix average sale prices, median sale prices, and estimated home values. Those measures answer related but different questions. This guide keeps the ranking consistent, then explains how the major measures differ.

Average Home Price by State in 2026

The table below ranks all 50 states from highest to lowest using June 2026 Zillow ZHVI typical home values. Washington, D.C., is not included because it is not a state.

Source and methodology: State values use Zillow Home Value Index data for June 2026, all homes, middle tier, smoothed, and seasonally adjusted. Zillow defines ZHVI as the typical home value for a region. The state values were cross-checked against a June 2026 Zillow-based state table published by Keeping Up With Inflation. Because Zillow can revise historical series, small differences may appear in later downloads.

Key Takeaways From the 50-State Ranking

This average home price by state ranking shows a very wide spread between the most and least expensive states. Hawaii ranks first at about $836,741, while West Virginia ranks 50th at about $182,704. Hawaii’s typical home value is therefore more than four times West Virginia’s.

California is second at roughly $775,549, followed by Massachusetts at $672,867 and Washington at $603,303. At the other end of the table, Mississippi is about $198,428, Louisiana about $217,968, Oklahoma about $225,437, and Arkansas about $228,662.

Eleven states have typical home values above $500,000 in this dataset. Many are coastal states or states with expensive high-demand metros, although statewide figures can conceal large differences within each state.

The ranking also shows why a low home value should not automatically be interpreted as strong housing affordability. Household income, mortgage rates, property taxes, homeowners insurance, down-payment requirements, and local housing costs all affect whether a household can realistically buy. For an income-based comparison, see our Home Price-to-Income Ratio by State in 2026.

States With the Highest Home Values in 2026

Hawaii has the highest typical home value in the ranking at approximately $836,741. California ranks second at about $775,549, followed by Massachusetts at roughly $672,867, Washington at about $603,303, and New Jersey at approximately $584,681.

Colorado, Utah, New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island complete the top 10. Oregon follows in 11th place and also remains above $500,000.

These are statewide values, not a description of every local market. A state can contain both exceptionally expensive metros and much lower-cost rural or smaller-city areas.

States With the Lowest Home Values in 2026

West Virginia has the lowest typical home value in the 50-state ranking at approximately $182,704. Mississippi is second-lowest at about $198,428, followed by Louisiana at $217,968, Oklahoma at $225,437, and Arkansas at $228,662.

Kentucky, Iowa, Alabama, Ohio, and Kansas also sit near the bottom of the ranking. Lower home values can reduce the purchase-price barrier, but buyers still need to consider income, taxes, insurance, mortgage costs, and local market conditions before concluding that a state is affordable overall.

For a broader household-cost comparison, see Cheapest States to Live in 2026.

What Does “Average Home Price by State” Mean?

“Average home price” is a common search phrase, but there is no single universal statistic that every publisher uses under that label. A page might refer to an arithmetic mean sale price, a median sale price, or an estimated typical value for the entire housing stock.

That is why two reputable sources can report different numbers for the same period without either source necessarily being wrong.

Typical Home Value vs. Average Home Price

Zillow’s ZHVI estimates the typical home value for the middle portion of a market. Zillow’s user guide says the commonly cited all-homes, middle-tier ZHVI is a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure, and the dollar amount should be called the typical home value for the region.

It is not the arithmetic average of every home sale.

Using ZHVI for an average home value by state comparison has one major advantage: it provides a consistent state-level measure that represents the broader housing stock, including homes that did not sell during the period.

Median Home Price vs. Average House Price

A median sale price is the midpoint of completed home sales. Half of the sold homes are priced below the median, and half are priced above it.

An arithmetic average, or mean, adds all sale prices and divides by the number of sales. A relatively small number of very expensive transactions can pull an average above the median.

For example, U.S. Census Bureau and HUD data reported through FRED show that in the second quarter of 2026, the median sales price of new houses sold nationally was $410,700, while the average sales price was $502,700. Those figures cover newly built houses that sold, not the full housing stock and not state-level ZHVI values.

So an average house price by state table based on transactions could differ substantially from a table based on Zillow’s estimated values for all homes.

Why Different Websites Show Different Home Prices by State

Home-price figures can differ for several legitimate reasons:

1. Different metrics. A typical estimated value, median sale price, and mean sale price are not interchangeable.
2. Different housing universes. One dataset may cover all homes, another only single-family homes, and another only properties that sold.
3. Different time periods. Monthly, quarterly, and annual figures can capture different market conditions.
4. Different geographic weighting. Statewide values can be influenced by the distribution of homes across expensive and inexpensive areas.
5. Data revisions. Housing datasets are sometimes revised when additional information becomes available.

The key is to compare like with like. This article uses one Zillow ZHVI series across every state so the ranking remains internally consistent.

Why Home Prices Vary So Much by State

State-level housing prices can reflect a combination of supply, demand, incomes, housing stock, geography, migration, regulation, and financing conditions.

Housing Supply and Development Constraints

Where new housing is difficult or costly to build, supply may respond slowly when demand increases. Land availability, infrastructure, construction costs, approval processes, and local zoning can all affect the pace of development.

Population and Migration

Population growth can increase housing demand, but migration alone does not determine prices. Household formation, employment, age composition, and the type of housing demanded also matter.

Income and Employment

Higher-income markets can support higher home prices, especially where high-paying industries cluster. That does not mean high-price states are necessarily affordable, because prices and incomes can move at different rates.

Housing Mix

A state dominated by detached single-family homes can look different from one with a larger share of condos, co-ops, manufactured housing, or smaller urban units. Statewide values therefore reflect both location and the composition of the housing stock.

Mortgage Rates and Market Conditions

Mortgage rates affect purchasing power nationwide. When financing becomes more expensive, buyers may qualify for smaller loans even if listed home prices change slowly. The U.S. Housing Markets hub provides broader context on market conditions beyond the raw state-value ranking.

Home Price Is Not the Same as Housing Affordability

A $300,000 home can be relatively affordable in one state and difficult to afford in another if household incomes differ substantially.

Housing affordability also depends on household income, mortgage interest rates, down payment, property taxes, homeowners insurance, maintenance costs, homeowners association fees where applicable, other debts, and household expenses.

That is why this ranking is intentionally separate from our state affordability research. The Housing Affordability hub covers the broader relationship between housing costs and household finances.

FHFA data provide another useful reminder that price levels and price changes are different concepts. FHFA reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.1% from the second quarter of 2025 to the second quarter of 2026, with prices rising in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Alaska had the strongest annual appreciation at 8.3%, followed by Vermont at 7.3%.

Home Prices vs. Rent and Cost of Living

Buying prices are only one part of the housing decision.

A state with relatively inexpensive homes may not have equally inexpensive rents, and a low purchase price does not necessarily translate into a low total cost of living. Taxes, utilities, transportation, insurance, health care, food, and wages all matter.

Renters can compare state-level rental costs in Average Rent by State in 2026. Readers comparing overall household expenses can use Cheapest States to Live in 2026.

How to Use State Home-Price Data

State rankings are most useful as a first screening tool, not a final housing decision.

A single state can contain some of the country’s most expensive metros and much cheaper rural or smaller-city markets. Even within one metro area, neighborhood prices can vary widely.

Use a state-level ranking to identify broad price differences, then narrow the research to metros, cities, and neighborhoods. The U.S. States hub provides broader state-level housing research, while the U.S. Housing Markets hub covers market conditions that can affect buyers and sellers.

Methodology and Sources

For this average home price by state comparison, we ranked all 50 states using June 2026 Zillow Home Value Index values for all homes in the middle tier, using the smoothed and seasonally adjusted series.

Zillow describes ZHVI as the typical home value for a region. Its user guide says the commonly cited middle-tier measure is a weighted average of the middle portion of homes and should not be labeled a median home value.

The state table was cross-checked against a June 2026 Zillow-based state dataset published by Keeping Up With Inflation. Washington, D.C., was excluded from the ranking because this article ranks states.

Supporting context comes from Zillow Research for ZHVI definitions and national home-value context, FHFA for state-level house-price appreciation, and U.S. Census Bureau and HUD data via FRED for national new-home median and average sale-price examples.

Housing datasets can be revised. Values in this article reflect the reporting periods stated above and may differ slightly from later historical downloads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which state has the highest average home price in 2026?

Using June 2026 Zillow ZHVI typical home values, Hawaii ranks highest at about $836,741, followed by California at about $775,549 and Massachusetts at about $672,867.

Which state has the lowest average home price in 2026?

West Virginia ranks lowest at about $182,704 in the June 2026 Zillow-based 50-state table. Mississippi is next at about $198,428.

Is average home value the same as median home price?

No. Zillow ZHVI is a typical home value estimate for the broader housing stock. A median sale price is the midpoint of homes that actually sold during a specific period. An arithmetic average sale price is another different measure.

Why do websites report different home prices by state?

They may use different datasets, definitions, housing types, time periods, or transaction samples. One source may report Zillow typical home values, another may report median sale prices, and another may calculate mean sale prices.

Does a lower home price mean a state is more affordable?

Not necessarily. Affordability also depends on household income, mortgage rates, taxes, insurance, and other ownership costs. Raw home prices are only one part of the affordability picture.

Conclusion

The 2026 state ranking shows how dramatically home values vary across the country, from more than $800,000 in Hawaii to less than $200,000 in West Virginia and Mississippi. But the most useful comparison starts with understanding the metric behind the number.

This average home price by state ranking uses one consistent Zillow typical-home-value measure across all 50 states. That makes it useful for comparing price levels, while separate affordability research is better for answering whether households can realistically buy in each market.

Home prices alone do not show whether housing is affordable. Compare state home values with household income in our Home Price-to-Income Ratio by State in 2026 ranking.