How many years of pay does a house cost?
Median US house price ÷ a year of full-time pay
Line race · made with MakeYourChart · Nov 6, 2026
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What the data shows
- Years of pay for a house: 4.6 yrs in 1985, 6.0 yrs in 2026. It peaked at 7.6 yrs in 2022.
The data
Source given by the creator: FRED: median US house sales price (MSPUS) ÷ average hourly earnings (AHETPI) × 2,080 hours.
| Date | Years of pay for a house |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 4.6 yrs |
| 1986 | 5.0 yrs |
| 1987 | 5.5 yrs |
| 1988 | 5.7 yrs |
| 1989 | 5.9 yrs |
| 1990 | 5.8 yrs |
| 1991 | 5.5 yrs |
| 1992 | 5.4 yrs |
| 1993 | 5.5 yrs |
| 1994 | 5.5 yrs |
| 1995 | 5.5 yrs |
| 1996 | 5.6 yrs |
| 1997 | 5.6 yrs |
| 1998 | 5.6 yrs |
| 1999 | 5.7 yrs |
| 2000 | 5.8 yrs |
| 2001 | 5.7 yrs |
| 2002 | 6.0 yrs |
| 2003 | 6.0 yrs |
| 2004 | 6.7 yrs |
| 2005 | 7.1 yrs |
| 2006 | 7.0 yrs |
| 2007 | 6.8 yrs |
| 2008 | 6.1 yrs |
| 2009 | 5.6 yrs |
| 2010 | 5.6 yrs |
| 2011 | 5.6 yrs |
| 2012 | 6.0 yrs |
| 2013 | 6.4 yrs |
| 2014 | 6.7 yrs |
| 2015 | 6.7 yrs |
| 2016 | 6.8 yrs |
| 2017 | 7.0 yrs |
| 2018 | 6.9 yrs |
| 2019 | 6.6 yrs |
| 2020 | 6.4 yrs |
| 2021 | 7.1 yrs |
| 2022 | 7.6 yrs |
| 2023 | 7.1 yrs |
| 2024 | 6.7 yrs |
| 2025 | 6.4 yrs |
| 2026 | 6.0 yrs |
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