Special Report

The Seven Most Popular Home Styles

Most people know that a mansion will cost much more than a farmhouse. What many might not be aware of is that the style of a home can also have a major impact on its price. A Mediterranean-style home sold in the United States costs an average of $1.32 million, while a ranch-style home costs less than a fifth of that.

Real estate site Trulia.com provided data to 24/7 Wall St. on the popularity of different home types around the country. The most commonly listed properties are ranch-style homes, followed by colonials. Based on that report, we reviewed the most popular home styles in the country.

Click here to see the seven home styles

The types of home styles that are available depend entirely on the part of the country in which you live. According to Trulia, most homes for sale that were built before the 1900s, like colonials and federal revivals, are found more in the Northeast. This is not always the case, however. Victorian era homes, built primarily in the U.S. during the second half of the 1800s, are also popular on the West Coast, particularly San Francisco.

Much of the housing that currently stands in the United States was built during the post-war boom, between the 1940s and 1970s. Ranch-style homes, which represent the largest share of homes built in the country, were common at that time and can be found all over the U.S. In Detroit, according to Trulia, nearly 20% of all homes for sale were built in the 1940s.

The styles of U.S. homes have different origins. Tudor-style homes can be traced to 16th century Britain during the Tudor Dynasty. The modern version of a Tudor home became popular in the U.S. during the 1930s. Meanwhile, bungalow-style homes originated in India during the 19th century, when British colonists made these homes their residences.

While home styles tend to be more prevalent in some regions of the country and less in others, housing architecture appears to have spread around the country with ease. For example, according to Realtor Magazine, two of the most popular locations for Spanish revival homes are Los Angeles and Wilmette, Illinois.

Based on data provided by Trulia, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the most popular reported home styles in the country. For the purposes of our article, we excluded home types that do not refer to a particular architectural style. Descriptions of home style characteristics and history came from groups like Realtor Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens and other sources.

7. Tudor
>Most popular: 1930s
>Price: $588,327

Tudor-style homes tends to have lavish design. Among the distinguishing exterior features of a Tudor-style home are large chimneys with decorative chimney pots, tall but narrow windows grouped together, and either a rounded or pointed arch at the entrance. The interior of a Tudor-style home is distinguished by low and narrow doorways, low ceilings and paneling on the walls. The origin of these homes dates back to 16th-century England during the Tudor Dynasty. Although the popularity of these homes peaked back in the 1930s, construction of Tudor-style homes still takes place today. They are among the more expensive popular home type, costing more than two and a half times more than the average ranch-style property.

6. Mediterranean
>Most popular: 1920s and 1930s
>Price: $1,315,177

Mediterranean homes are generally one-story, tend to be low to the ground and have red, low-hanging sloping roofs. They are also among the most expensive of all popular home types,with an average price tag of $1.3 million. The homes generally have large, open windows. These homes became popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Such homes are most popular in the southern United States and frequently serve as vacation homes. A popular version of Mediterranean homes is the Spanish eclectic. These commonly have arches above the doors and dark, ornamental woodwork throughout the house. Spanish eclectic houses generally have an asymmetrical design, meant to represent authentic Spanish architecture.

Also Read: The Hottest Housing Markets of 2013

5. Victorian
>Most popular: 1860-1900
>Price: $431,009

Victorian homes do not refer to any single architectural style. Rather, homes are considered Victorian if they were built during the reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 to 1901. In the United States, the style’s heyday was between 1860 and 1900. While there are different styles of Victorian homes, many share certain characteristics such as a steeply sloped roof with patterned shingles, large brick chimneys and ornate front porches. Many also have towers. While Victorian homes are located all over the country, San Francisco in particular is well known for the style.

4. Split Level
>Most popular: 1950s
>Price: $295,529

Devised in the 1930s, the split level home became popular in the 1950s as a counterpart to the very popular ranch-style home. By 1975, 21% of all homes built were split level. However, that figure declined to just 1% by 2006, although there is some evidence that they are making a comeback. Today, these homes typically found in the East and the Midwest. The lower portion of the house is designed to contain both the garage and the den, while the upper portion of the house tends to contain the living and dining rooms. The bedrooms are usually above the garage. Split-level homes are among the cheapest popular home types on the market.

Also Read: The Most Popular Home Improvements

3. Bungalow
>Most popular: 1880s-1930s
>Price: $163,578

Bungalows are generally one or one-and-a-half story homes set on a high foundation. If there is more than one story, most or all the living space is usually on the ground floor. The rooms are often connected without hallways. Because of their size and lower price tag, these homes have been popular for first-time buyers. The concept of a bungalow comes from India in the 19th century, when British colonists used these houses as their vacation home. One common type of bungalow is the craftsman, which generally has a low roof and wide front porches. These homes became popular in the United States in the early 20th century.

2. Colonial
>Most popular: Late 1800s
>Price: $457,026

As settlers from different countries came to the U.S., they brought with them distinctive architectural influences. However, the common theme of homes built during colonial times was the emphasis on functionality with minimal design. A colonial home today generally is rectangular with living space on the first floor and bedrooms on the second. These houses often have equally sized double-hung windows that go around the perimeter of the house. The modern colonial home was revived in the late 19th century.

1. Ranch
>Most popular: 1945-1970
>Price: $228,140

Ranch homes became popular primarily between 1945 and 1970. According to some estimates, seven in 10 houses built in that time were ranch style. Ranches are exclusively one story homes. They are particularly defined by their low to the ground build and lack of extravagant internal and external features. In the past several years, there has been renewed interest in the style. As the baby boom generation gets older, many are turning to ranch-style homes because they are easier to maintain and avoid the need for stairs.

Also Read: Nine Cities Where Renting Makes No Sense

Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor

Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.