Special Report

The County With the Most Expensive Housing Market in Every State

Steven Peters

Published: March 16, 2017 12:03 pm

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 1:54 pm

Home prices are higher today than they were before the housing bubble. Because incomes have increased at a slower pace than housing prices, however, housing affordability has actually declined.

Housing prices also vary considerably within states. To determine the county with the most expensive housing market in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median home prices as of the fourth quarter of 2016 from the National Association of Realtors. The typical home nationwide costs $235,000. Of the 3,119 counties measured, San Francisco County, California is the most expensive housing market. The typical home there sells for over $1 million.

The counties with the most expensive housing markets are frequently within large metropolitan areas. In fact, 38 of the counties on this list are near urban centers.

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

Large cities are often home to specialized jobs in some of the nation’s highest paying industries. The nation’s three most expensive housing markets are all counties in the San Francisco area, within commuting distance to the high paying technology jobs of Silicon Valley. Many other expensive housing markets are in the Northeast, near the urban centers of New York, Boston, and the District of Columbia.

While relatively expensive, these markets are not necessarily unaffordable. Of the 50 counties with the most expensive housing markets in their state, 22 also report the state’s highest incomes. Further, the homeownership rate in the most expensive county in 33 states is greater than the comparable state rate.

Yet there are some notable exceptions as a few of these markets are far from affordable for the typical resident. For example, the median household income in San Francisco County is one of the highest in the country, at over $81,000. The area’s seven-figure median home price, however, means relatively few residents have the option of owning their homes. San Francisco County’s homeownership rate of 36.4% is well below both the state and national rates of 54.3% and 63.9%, respectively.

The extremely expensive homes in the San Francisco area mirrors a regional pattern. Nationwide, housing prices increased by nearly 6% between the fourth quarters of 2015 and 2016. In the Western United States, already the most expensive region in the country, housing prices grew by nearly 8%.

To determine the county with the most expensive housing market in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median home prices in the 3,199 county and county-equivalents as aggregated by the National Association of Realtors for the fourth quarter of 2016. Monthly payments for the median home price for the same time period are also from the NAR and assume a fixed 30-year mortgage with a  4.2% interest rate and a 10% down payment. Median household incomes for each county come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Consumer Survey.

Here is the county with the most expensive housing market in every state.

Source: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers / Wikimedia Commons

1. Alabama
> County: Shelby
> Median sale: $207,684
> Monthly payment: $914
> Median household income: $70,187
> Surrounding metro area: Birmingham-Hoover, AL

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Source: Thinkstock

2. Alaska
> County: Sitka City and Borough
> Median sale: $372,064
> Monthly payment: $1,638
> Median household income: $70,376
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

Source: Wars / Wikimedia Commons

3. Arizona
> County: Maricopa
> Median sale: $251,691
> Monthly payment: $1,108
> Median household income: $54,229
> Surrounding metro area: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Source: JERRYE and ROY KLOTZ MD / Wikimedia Commons

4. Arkansas
> County: Benton
> Median sale: $180,437
> Monthly payment: $794
> Median household income: $56,239
> Surrounding metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

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Source: Thinkstock

5. California
> County: San Francisco
> Median sale: $1,048,166
> Monthly payment: $4,613
> Median household income: $81,294
> Surrounding metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Source: Thinkstock

6. Colorado
> County: Pitkin
> Median sale: $727,422
> Monthly payment: $3,201
> Median household income: $71,196
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: Thinkstock

7. Connecticut
> County: Fairfield
> Median sale: $427,907
> Monthly payment: $1,883
> Median household income: $84,233
> Surrounding metro area: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

Source: Thinkstock

8. Delaware
> County: New Castle
> Median sale: $265,141
> Monthly payment: $1,167
> Median household income: $65,476
> Surrounding metro area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Source: Thinkstock

9. Florida
> County: Monroe
> Median sale: $449,807
> Monthly payment: $1,980
> Median household income: $57,290
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

10. Georgia
> County: Forsyth
> Median sale: $329,054
> Monthly payment: $1,448
> Median household income: $88,816
> Surrounding metro area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Source: Thinkstock

11. Hawaii
> County: Honolulu
> Median sale: $687,898
> Monthly payment: $3,028
> Median household income: $74,460
> Surrounding metro area: Urban Honolulu, HI

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Source: Thinkstock

12. Idaho
> County: Blaine
> Median sale: $436,048
> Monthly payment: $1,919
> Median household income: $60,088
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: John D. Buell / Wikimedia Commons

13. Illinois
> County: DuPage
> Median sale: $308,372
> Monthly payment: $1,357
> Median household income: $79,658
> Surrounding metro area: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Source: Thinkstock

14. Indiana
> County: Hamilton
> Median sale: $248,642
> Monthly payment: $1,094
> Median household income: $86,222
> Surrounding metro area: Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

15. Iowa
> County: Dallas
> Median sale: $218,155
> Monthly payment: $960
> Median household income: $76,320
> Surrounding metro area: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Source: Ichabod / Wikimedia Commons

16. Kansas
> County: Johnson
> Median sale: $250,294
> Monthly payment: $1,102
> Median household income: $76,113
> Surrounding metro area: Kansas City, MO-KS

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

17. Kentucky
> County: Oldham
> Median sale: $279,080
> Monthly payment: $1,228
> Median household income: $85,452
> Surrounding metro area: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

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Source: Thinkstock

18. Louisiana
> County: Orleans
> Median sale: $233,045
> Monthly payment: $1,026
> Median household income: $36,792
> Surrounding metro area: New Orleans-Metairie, LA

Source: Wikimedia Commons

19. Maine
> County: Cumberland
> Median sale: $278,449
> Monthly payment: $1,225
> Median household income: $60,051
> Surrounding metro area: Portland-South Portland, ME

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Source: Wikipedian1234 / Wikimedia Commons

20. Maryland
> County: Montgomery
> Median sale: $500,559
> Monthly payment: $2,203
> Median household income: $99,435
> Surrounding metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Source: Thinkstock

21. Massachusetts
> County: Nantucket
> Median sale: $983,597
> Monthly payment: $4,329
> Median household income: $84,057
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: Arbitrarily0 / Wikimedia Commons

22. Michigan
> County: Leelanau
> Median sale: $273,287
> Monthly payment: $1,203
> Median household income: $56,189
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: McGhiever / Wikimedia Commons

23. Minnesota
> County: Carver
> Median sale: $311,835
> Monthly payment: $1,372
> Median household income: $86,323
> Surrounding metro area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

Source: Wikimedia Commons

24. Mississippi
> County: Madison
> Median sale: $218,793
> Monthly payment: $963
> Median household income: $64,376
> Surrounding metro area: Jackson, MS

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Source: Creative Commons / Wikimedia Commons

25. Missouri
> County: Platte
> Median sale: $213,655
> Monthly payment: $940
> Median household income: $68,254
> Surrounding metro area: Kansas City, MO-KS

Source: Robstutz / Wikimedia Commons

26. Montana
> County: Gallatin
> Median sale: $312,571
> Monthly payment: $1,376
> Median household income: $55,553
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

27. Nebraska
> County: Washington
> Median sale: $196,813
> Monthly payment: $866
> Median household income: $65,370
> Surrounding metro area: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

Source: Ken Lund / Wikimedia Commons

28. Nevada
> County: Douglas
> Median sale: $354,045
> Monthly payment: $1,558
> Median household income: $58,535
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

Source: John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons

29. New Hampshire
> County: Rockingham
> Median sale: $316,836
> Monthly payment: $1,394
> Median household income: $81,198
> Surrounding metro area: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

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Source: KForce at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons

30. New Jersey
> County: Bergen
> Median sale: $474,771
> Monthly payment: $2,090
> Median household income: $85,806
> Surrounding metro area: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Source: Thinkstock

31. New Mexico
> County: Santa Fe
> Median sale: $314,482
> Monthly payment: $1,384
> Median household income: $54,315
> Surrounding metro area: Santa Fe, NM

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Source: Thinkstock

32. New York
> County: New York
> Median sale: $913,126
> Monthly payment: $4,019
> Median household income: $72,871
> Surrounding metro area: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Source: Jarek Tuszynski / Wikimedia Commons

33. North Carolina
> County: Dare
> Median sale: $302,242
> Monthly payment: $1,330
> Median household income: $54,496
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

Source: Plazak / Wikimedia Commons

34. North Dakota
> County: Burleigh
> Median sale: $250,798
> Monthly payment: $1,104
> Median household income: $65,254
> Surrounding metro area: Bismarck, ND

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

35. Ohio
> County: Delaware
> Median sale: $308,212
> Monthly payment: $1,356
> Median household income: $91,955
> Surrounding metro area: Columbus, OH

Source: David Dobbs / Wikimedia Commons

36. Oklahoma
> County: McClain
> Median sale: $172,150
> Monthly payment: $758
> Median household income: $56,088
> Surrounding metro area: Oklahoma City, OK

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Source: Esprqii / Wikimedia Commons

37. Oregon
> County: Clackamas
> Median sale: $391,547
> Monthly payment: $1,723
> Median household income: $65,965
> Surrounding metro area: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

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Source: Smallbones / Wikimedia Commons

38. Pennsylvania
> County: Chester
> Median sale: $351,935
> Monthly payment: $1,549
> Median household income: $85,976
> Surrounding metro area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Source: Swampyank / Wikimedia Commons

39. Rhode Island
> County: Newport
> Median sale: $393,194
> Monthly payment: $1,731
> Median household income: $69,526
> Surrounding metro area: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

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Source: Thinkstock

40. South Carolina
> County: Charleston
> Median sale: $311,137
> Monthly payment: $1,369
> Median household income: $53,437
> Surrounding metro area: Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Source: Dakdawg / Wikimedia Commons

41. South Dakota
> County: Custer
> Median sale: $237,842
> Monthly payment: $1,047
> Median household income: $52,218
> Surrounding metro area: Rapid City, SD

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Source: Thinkstock

42. Tennessee
> County: Williamson
> Median sale: $428,366
> Monthly payment: $1,885
> Median household income: $96,565
> Surrounding metro area: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN

Source: Larry D. Moore / Wikimedia Commons

43. Texas
> County: Kendall
> Median sale: $339,324
> Monthly payment: $1,493
> Median household income: $73,240
> Surrounding metro area: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

Source: Tricia Simpson / Wikimedia Commons

44. Utah
> County: Summit
> Median sale: $615,010
> Monthly payment: $2,707
> Median household income: $91,773
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: Thinkstock

45. Vermont
> County: Chittenden
> Median sale: $289,228
> Monthly payment: $1,273
> Median household income: $65,350
> Surrounding metro area: Burlington-South Burlington, VT

Source: Thinkstock

46. Virginia
> County: Falls Church city
> Median sale: $824,637
> Monthly payment: $3,629
> Median household income: $120,522
> Surrounding metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

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Source: Michael Feist / Wikimedia Commons

47. Washington
> County: San Juan
> Median sale: $545,588
> Monthly payment: $2,401
> Median household income: $55,960
> Surrounding metro area: N/A

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Source: Mark Fickett / Wikimedia Commons

48. West Virginia
> County: Jefferson
> Median sale: $237,790
> Monthly payment: $1,047
> Median household income: $66,677
> Surrounding metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Source: James Steakley / Wikimedia Commons

49. Wisconsin
> County: Waukesha
> Median sale: $275,022
> Monthly payment: $1,210
> Median household income: $76,545
> Surrounding metro area: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

50. Wyoming
> County: Teton
> Median sale: $748,600
> Monthly payment: $3,295
> Median household income: $75,325
> Surrounding metro area: N/A