Risk and sentiment
US Median Home Price
The quarterly median price of houses actually sold in the United States. Because it shifts with the mix of homes transacted — rising when high-end sales dominate — it is best read against the quality-controlled Case-Shiller index to confirm turning points.
At a glance
US Median Home Price: latest value and prior change
As of 2026-04-01, US Median Home Price is 410.7 k USD. It is 2.20 k USD higher than 408.5 k USD on 2026-01-01.
Across 226 available observations from 1970-01-01 to 2026-04-01, the latest value is at the tie-adjusted 93rd percentile.
- Observed on
- Default comparison window
- 1970-01-01–2026-04-01
- Observations · observed cadence
- 226 · Quarterly
- Data source
- FRED
A high or low percentile does not by itself make the indicator positive, negative, or a buy or sell signal.
Time-series chart
US Median Home Price
1970-01-01–2026-04-01
Long-history series are stored as real provider observations. Index, FX, VIX, and ratio charts use historical backfill where providers expose it; Korean investor flow and margin-credit feeds expand as stable historical endpoints become available.
Recent observations and calculated changes
The ten latest chart observations. Change subtracts the previous observation; intervals vary with holidays, release schedules and missing data. A difference in rates or ratios is not an investment return.
| Observed | Value | Previous date | Difference (current − previous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-01 | 410.7 k USD | 2026-01-01 | 2.20 k USD |
| 2026-01-01 | 408.5 k USD | 2025-10-01 | -3.80 k USD |
| 2025-10-01 | 412.3 k USD | 2025-07-01 | 2.20 k USD |
| 2025-07-01 | 410.1 k USD | 2025-04-01 | -6.00 k USD |
| 2025-04-01 | 416.1 k USD | 2025-01-01 | -7.00 k USD |
| 2025-01-01 | 423.1 k USD | 2024-10-01 | 3.80 k USD |
| 2024-10-01 | 419.3 k USD | 2024-07-01 | 4.00 k USD |
| 2024-07-01 | 415.3 k USD | 2024-04-01 | 0.80 k USD |
| 2024-04-01 | 414.5 k USD | 2024-01-01 | -12.30 k USD |
| 2024-01-01 | 426.8 k USD | 2023-10-01 | 3.60 k USD |
Source: FRED
Interpretation guide
The US median home price: a raw transaction number swayed by mix
The US median sales price of houses sold is the middle value of homes actually transacted each quarter, in thousands of dollars, following FRED's MSPUS series. It is not a quality-controlled index but the price of whatever sold — which makes it swing with the composition of sales, while offering something indexes cannot: the actual dollar amounts changing hands in the market.
Why the median moves without prices moving
This figure shifts when the mix of transactions shifts, even if every home's value is unchanged. When rate pressure pushes entry-level buyers out first, remaining sales tilt expensive and the median rises optically; the reverse holds too. Every move demands the question: price change or composition change?
- A median spike driven by a luxury-heavy sales mix is not evidence of an overheating market.
- Quarters where it diverges from the quality-controlled Case-Shiller index are exactly where to suspect mix effects.
- When new construction takes a larger share of sales, the new-home premium lifts the median structurally.
The information appears when divided by income
The median's real use lies not in its level but in its ratio to income. Median price over median household income is the classic affordability yardstick, and layering the mortgage rate on top converts it into a monthly payment burden.
- A ratio far above its long-run average means affordability hit its limit before prices did.
- At double the mortgage rate, the same sticker price is an entirely different market in monthly-payment terms.
- Prolonged affordability strain typically shows up as collapsing transaction volumes first, with price adjustment following.
Where a quarterly series belongs
Published once a quarter and exposed to mix effects, this series suits confirming direction changes rather than generating trade signals. Think of it as a quarterly audit of the picture monthly indicators have been painting, expressed in actual transaction dollars.
- Pair it with the Case-Shiller index on TapeFlow to see US home prices with and without quality control.
- Read it with the US 30-Year Mortgage Rate to re-verify the direction of purchase burden each quarter.
- Treat the first quarter of a median decline as a hypothesis awaiting next quarter's confirmation, not a conclusion.