Special Report

The County With the Most Expensive Housing Market in Every State

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Homeownership is a cornerstone of the American dream — but for many, realizing that dream is prohibitively expensive.

Today, the typical American home has a price tag of nearly a quarter of a million dollars, according to industry advocacy group the National Realtors Association. Not every budget can accommodate housing expenses that high, and in nearly every state there is at least one county where the housing market is even more expensive.

To identify the county with the most expensive housing market in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed home value data from NAR as of the third quarter of 2018 for 3,119 counties and county equivalents nationwide. Counties in each state were ranked based on median home value. In 33 states, there is at least one county where over 50% of occupied homes cost more than $300,000. Arkansas and Oklahoma are the only states where no county has a median home value above $200,000.

Home values are typically a reflection of what the residents can afford, and as a result, the counties on this list tend to be high-income areas. Some even rank as the richest county in their state. Coconino County, Arizona, and Orleans Parish, Louisiana, are the only counties or county equivalents on this list with a lower median annual household income than the national median of $57,652.

The years in which many of the houses were built in the counties on this list may partially explain the higher housing costs. According to recent Census data, the median value of a brand new home is $335,400 — 39.5% more than the value of the typical existing home. In 34 of the 50 counties on this list, the share of homes built in the 21st century exceeds the comparable statewide share. In three counties on this list — Dallas County, Iowa; Forsyth County, Georgia; and Lincoln County, South Dakota — over half of all homes were built after Jan. 1, 2000. For reference, only 17.7% of all homes nationwide were built in the last 19 years.

To determine the county with the most expensive housing market in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median home prices of owner-occupied homes in the 3,119 county and county-equivalents as aggregated by the National Association of Realtors for the third quarter of 2018. We also considered median household incomes, median monthly housing costs for mortgage holders, the share of occupied homes worth over $1.0 million, and year of construction — all five-year estimates from the from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey.

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Alabama: Shelby County
> Median home value: $221,847
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,413
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.9%
> Median household income: $74,063

BigRedCurlyGuy / Getty Images

Alaska: Sitka City and Borough
> Median home value: $364,381
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,096
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 11.9%
> Median household income: $70,765

kenlund / Flickr

Arizona: Coconino County
> Median home value: $297,468
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,490
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 24.0%
> Median household income: $53,523

Brandonrush / Wikimedia Commons

Arkansas: Benton County
> Median home value: $193,647
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,218
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 34.2%
> Median household income: $61,271

stellalevi / Getty Images

California: San Francisco County
> Median home value: $1,272,168
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $3,332
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 42.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 8.6%
> Median household income: $96,265

Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons

Colorado: Pitkin County
> Median home value: $662,964
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,947
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 32.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 24.8%
> Median household income: $67,755

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Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Connecticut: Fairfield County
> Median home value: $435,477
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,726
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 14.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 9.4%
> Median household income: $89,773

John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons

Delaware: New Castle County
> Median home value: $276,686
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,611
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 13.6%
> Median household income: $68,336

Maisna / Getty Images

Florida: Monroe County
> Median home value: $556,173
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,373
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 11.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 13.1%
> Median household income: $63,030

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Georgia: Forsyth County
> Median home value: $391,587
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,813
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.1%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 51.4%
> Median household income: $96,445

volvob12b / Flickr

Hawaii: Honolulu County
> Median home value: $709,056
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,466
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 14%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.1%
> Median household income: $80,078

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Idaho: Blaine County
> Median home value: $429,565
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,676
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 17.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 19.4%
> Median household income: $58,835

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

Illinois: DuPage County
> Median home value: $324,941
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,051
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 10.0%
> Median household income: $84,442

carmelindiana / Flickr

Indiana: Hamilton County
> Median home value: $292,191
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,584
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.5%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 40.8%
> Median household income: $90,582

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Iowahwyman / Wikimedia Commons

Iowa: Dallas County
> Median home value: $258,355
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,558
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.5%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 50.5%
> Median household income: $82,719

Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA / Wikimedia Commons

Kansas: Johnson County
> Median home value: $280,489
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,703
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.5%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 21.7%
> Median household income: $81,121

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Kentucky: Oldham County
> Median home value: $308,928
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,659
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 29.8%
> Median household income: $92,237

Ken Lund / Wikimedia Commons

Louisiana: Orleans Parish
> Median home value: $237,027
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,653
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 10.4%
> Median household income: $38,721

SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

Maine: Cumberland County
> Median home value: $294,008
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,697
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.6%
> Median household income: $65,702

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Aude / Wikimedia Commons

Maryland: Montgomery County
> Median home value: $507,032
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,460
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 9.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.2%
> Median household income: $103,178

Kenneth Wiedemann / Getty Images

Massachusetts: Nantucket County
> Median home value: $1,046,929
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,783
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 49.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.6%
> Median household income: $91,942

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Davel5957 / Getty Images

Michigan: Washtenaw County
> Median home value: $285,608
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,705
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 15.7%
> Median household income: $65,618

AlexiusHoratius / Wikimedia Commons

Minnesota: Carver County
> Median home value: $344,435
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,931
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.7%
> Median household income: $93,095

capcase / Flickr

Mississippi: Madison County
> Median home value: $235,722
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,494
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.5%
> Median household income: $68,600

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VoyagerMU / Wikimedia Commons

Missouri: Platte County
> Median home value: $240,702
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,583
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 25.4%
> Median household income: $74,199

DianeBentleyRaymond / Getty Images

Montana: Gallatin County
> Median home value: $377,592
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,646
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 4.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 35.1%
> Median household income: $59,397

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Atomic Energy505 / Wikimedia Commons

Nebraska: Sarpy County
> Median home value: $212,509
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,538
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 33.3%
> Median household income: $75,752

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Nevada: Washoe County
> Median home value: $379,957
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,533
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 25.7%
> Median household income: $58,595

John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons

New Hampshire: Rockingham County
> Median home value: $352,626
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,131
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 15.5%
> Median household income: $85,619

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New Jersey: Bergen County
> Median home value: $498,038
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,956
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 7.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 7.8%
> Median household income: $91,572

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

New Mexico: Santa Fe County
> Median home value: $318,544
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,535
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 4.6%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 22.5%
> Median household income: $57,945

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TomasSereda / Getty Images

New York: New York County
> Median home value: $1,033,669
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $3,112
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 45.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 8.9%
> Median household income: $79,781

156794927@N06 / Flickr

North Carolina: Orange County
> Median home value: $308,107
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,781
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 21.2%
> Median household income: $65,522

afiler / Flickr

North Dakota: Burleigh County
> Median home value: $269,916
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,493
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 28.5%
> Median household income: $67,308

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Ohio: Delaware County
> Median home value: $329,070
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,990
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 40.5%
> Median household income: $100,229

Kristi Ellis / Wikimedia Commons

Oklahoma: Canadian County
> Median home value: $174,308
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,370
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 34.4%
> Median household income: $69,220

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bradleyhebdon / Getty Images

Oregon: Clackamas County
> Median home value: $436,075
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,857
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 3.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.2%
> Median household income: $72,408

Hshuvaeva / Wikimedia Commons

Pennsylvania: Chester County
> Median home value: $384,436
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,216
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.6%
> Median household income: $92,417

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

Rhode Island: Newport County
> Median home value: $422,705
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,120
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 7%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 10.1%
> Median household income: $75,463

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Daniel Mayer / Wikimedia Commons

South Carolina: Charleston County
> Median home value: $353,561
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,646
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 5.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 25.2%
> Median household income: $57,882

BOB WESTON / Getty Images
Canton, South Dakota

South Dakota: Lincoln County
> Median home value: $226,497
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,492
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 54.3%
> Median household income: $81,849

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Ichabod / Wikimedia Commons

Tennessee: Williamson County
> Median home value: $501,967
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,045
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 4.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 39.6%
> Median household income: $103,543

Geeklet42 / Wikimedia Commons

Texas: Collin County
> Median home value: $354,363
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,979
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.2%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 40.6%
> Median household income: $90,124

zaffi / Flickr

Utah: Summit County
> Median home value: $628,648
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,199
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 19.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 28.0%
> Median household income: $94,952

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Mfwills / Wikimedia Commons

Vermont: Chittenden County
> Median home value: $309,038
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,801
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 1.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 16.8%
> Median household income: $66,906

amedved / Getty Images

Virginia: Falls Church City
> Median home value: $787,396
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $3,025
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 18.9%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 19.6%
> Median household income: $114,795

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Joe Mabel / Wikimedia Commons

Washington: King County
> Median home value: $636,990
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,271
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 8.4%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 18.9%
> Median household income: $83,571

dougtone / Flickr

West Virginia: Jefferson County
> Median home value: $241,206
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,571
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 0.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 29.0%
> Median household income: $72,526

Jen Keller / Flickr

Wisconsin: Ozaukee County
> Median home value: $311,909
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $1,762
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 2.3%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 14.9%
> Median household income: $80,526

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Riderolga / Getty Images

Wyoming: Teton County
> Median home value: $772,365
> Median monthly housing costs w/ mortgage: $2,207
> Homes valued at $1 mil.+ (2017): 31.8%
> Housing units built in 2000 or later: 23.0%
> Median household income: $80,049

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