Median home prices by state varied dramatically across the United States in August 2026, according to the supplied Redfin data reported via Yahoo Finance. Hawaii was the most expensive state, with a median sale price of approximately $1.035 million, while West Virginia was the most affordable at $249,000.
The difference between the two ends of the market is substantial. Hawaii’s median home price was more than four times the median in West Virginia. California, Massachusetts and Washington also recorded median prices above $600,000, while a large group of Midwestern and Southern states remained below $350,000.
The figures represent median sale prices, primarily for single-family homes, and are rounded to the nearest $1,000. Because home-price rankings can differ depending on property type, methodology and reporting period, these figures should be viewed as an August 2026 market snapshot rather than a permanent ranking.
Median Home Prices by State
The table below preserves the supplied August 2026 figures, ranked from the lowest to highest median home price.
| Rank | State | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $249,000 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $259,000 |
| 3 | Iowa | $260,000 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $265,000 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $274,000 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $279,000 |
| 7 | Ohio | $284,000 |
| 8 | Indiana | $284,000 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $289,000 |
| 10 | Michigan | $299,000 |
| 11 | Alabama | $304,000 |
| 12 | Missouri | $304,000 |
| 13 | Kansas | $314,000 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $324,000 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $328,000 |
| 16 | Illinois | $336,000 |
| 17 | Texas | $337,000 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $348,000 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $348,000 |
| 20 | Georgia | $363,000 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $368,000 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $370,000 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $373,000 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $385,000 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $388,000 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $393,000 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $393,000 |
| 28 | Florida | $409,000 |
| 29 | Maine | $422,000 |
| 30 | Delaware | $424,000 |
| 31 | Alaska | $428,000 |
| 32 | Arizona | $447,000 |
| 33 | Virginia | $460,000 |
| 34 | Vermont | $462,000 |
| 35 | Nevada | $504,000 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $518,000 |
| 37 | Idaho | $519,000 |
| 38 | Maryland | $523,000 |
| 39 | New York | $523,000 |
| 40 | Oregon | $527,000 |
| 41 | Montana | $542,000 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $547,000 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $562,000 |
| 44 | Utah | $570,000 |
| 45 | Colorado | $592,000 |
| 46 | New Jersey | $605,000 |
| 47 | Washington | $614,000 |
| 48 | Massachusetts | $696,000 |
| 49 | California | $771,000 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $1,035,000 |
Hawaii Has the Highest Median Home Price
Hawaii was the most expensive state in the supplied August 2026 data, with a median home price of approximately $1.035 million.
It was the only state with a median above $1 million. California was a distant second at $771,000, while Massachusetts ranked third at $696,000.
Several factors can contribute to Hawaii’s high housing costs, including limited developable land, geographic isolation, construction costs and strong demand in a market where housing supply can be constrained.
West Virginia Is the Most Affordable State
At the opposite end of the ranking, West Virginia had the lowest median home price at $249,000.
Louisiana followed at $259,000, while Iowa recorded $260,000. Oklahoma, Mississippi and Arkansas also remained below $280,000.
The relatively low prices in these states illustrate the substantial geographic differences in U.S. housing markets. A home costing several hundred thousand dollars in one state can represent a substantially different property market in another.
10 Most Affordable States for Homebuyers
The lowest median prices in the supplied dataset were concentrated primarily in the South and Midwest.
| Rank | State | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $249,000 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $259,000 |
| 3 | Iowa | $260,000 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $265,000 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $274,000 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $279,000 |
| 7 | Ohio | $284,000 |
| 8 | Indiana | $284,000 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $289,000 |
| 10 | Michigan | $299,000 |
All 10 states had median prices below $300,000.
This does not necessarily mean that every city or housing market within these states is inexpensive. State-level medians can conceal substantial differences between metropolitan areas, suburbs, rural communities and individual neighborhoods.
10 Most Expensive States
At the other end of the market, the 10 highest median prices were:
| Rank | State | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $1,035,000 |
| 2 | California | $771,000 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $696,000 |
| 4 | Washington | $614,000 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $605,000 |
| 6 | Colorado | $592,000 |
| 7 | Utah | $570,000 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $562,000 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $547,000 |
| 10 | Montana | $542,000 |
The highest-priced states are concentrated primarily along the Pacific Coast, Northeast and Mountain West.
California’s Median Is More Than Three Times West Virginia’s
The gap between the most and least expensive states is striking.
At $771,000, California’s median home price was about 3.1 times West Virginia’s $249,000 median.
Hawaii’s $1.035 million median was approximately 4.2 times West Virginia’s.
The difference illustrates why national housing statistics can be misleading when applied to individual markets. Housing affordability depends heavily on location, income, property characteristics, mortgage rates, taxes and local housing supply.
Southern and Midwestern States Generally Have Lower Medians
Many of the states below $350,000 are located in the Midwest and South.
Texas, for example, had a supplied median of $337,000, while Georgia stood at $363,000 and North Carolina at $388,000.
Meanwhile, Ohio and Indiana were both at $284,000. Michigan was $299,000, Missouri and Alabama were $304,000, and Illinois was $336,000.
The pattern does not apply uniformly. Some Southern states, including Florida and Virginia, had considerably higher medians.
Western Housing Markets Show a Wide Range
The West has some of the country’s most expensive housing markets, but prices vary considerably from state to state.
| State | Median Home Price |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $1,035,000 |
| California | $771,000 |
| Washington | $614,000 |
| Colorado | $592,000 |
| Utah | $570,000 |
| Montana | $542,000 |
| Oregon | $527,000 |
| Idaho | $519,000 |
| Nevada | $504,000 |
| Arizona | $447,000 |
| Alaska | $428,000 |
| New Mexico | $370,000 |
| Wyoming | $393,000 |
California and Hawaii sit far above most other Western states. At the same time, New Mexico, Wyoming and Arizona have substantially lower state-level medians.
This demonstrates why regional averages should not be treated as interchangeable with individual metropolitan markets.
More Than Half of States Have Median Prices Below $400,000
The supplied data show that 25 states have median home prices below $400,000, while 25 are at or above $400,000.
The $400,000 threshold therefore sits close to the middle of the state ranking.
Florida was just above that level at $409,000. Maine and Delaware were also in the low-$400,000 range, while Alaska stood at $428,000.
At the upper end, six states exceeded $600,000 when including Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Washington and New Jersey, plus the exact threshold distinction depends on whether $600,000 itself is counted. In the supplied figures, five states are strictly above $600,000.
What Determines Home Prices Across States?
State-level home prices reflect a combination of supply, demand and local economic conditions.
Housing Supply
Markets where construction is constrained can experience stronger price pressure when demand rises. Land availability, zoning rules, infrastructure and construction costs can all influence supply.
Employment and Income
Large employment centers can attract households and increase demand for housing. Technology, finance, government, energy and other high-paying industries can also support higher home prices in specific markets.
Population Growth
States experiencing population growth can face increased housing demand. However, the effect on prices depends on how quickly new housing is constructed.
Property Taxes and Other Costs
The purchase price is only one component of housing affordability. Property taxes, insurance, maintenance, mortgage rates and utilities can materially affect the cost of owning a home.
Median Price Is Not the Same as Housing Affordability
A state’s median home price provides useful information about the sales market, but it does not by itself measure affordability.
For example, a state with a $400,000 median price could be more affordable for a household with relatively high wages than a state with a $300,000 median and substantially lower incomes.
A complete affordability analysis would compare home prices with household income, mortgage rates, taxes, insurance and other housing costs.
Methodology and Data Limitations
The figures in this article come from the Redfin data supplied by the user, reported via Yahoo Finance, for August 2026.
The source note specifies that the figures represent median sale prices, primarily single-family homes, and are rounded to the nearest thousand dollars.
Several limitations are important:
- Median sale price is not the same as average home value.
- The figures primarily concern single-family properties rather than every type of housing.
- Rounded figures can produce small differences in rankings.
- Different sources can report different medians because of methodology and property coverage.
- A state median can conceal large differences between individual cities and metropolitan areas.
- The figures describe a specific month and should not be interpreted as a full-year average.
Conclusion
The median home prices by state in August 2026 ranged from $249,000 in West Virginia to $1.035 million in Hawaii. California, Massachusetts, Washington and New Jersey were also among the most expensive state housing markets in the supplied data.
Lower-priced markets were concentrated largely in the Midwest and South, with Louisiana, Iowa, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Arkansas all below $280,000.
The figures demonstrate the extraordinary geographic variation in U.S. housing costs. But a state-level median is only a starting point: actual affordability depends on local prices, wages, mortgage costs, taxes, insurance, housing supply and the type of property being purchased.
Below is the state-by-state breakdown of typical home values and median prices across the U.S.:
Median Home Prices / Typical Home Values by State
| Rank | State / District | Typical Home Value (USD) |
| 1 | Hawaii | $833,340 |
| 2 | California | $764,158 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $661,896 |
| 4 | Washington | $591,879 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $580,353 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $570,119 |
| 7 | Utah | $534,582 |
| 8 | Colorado | $532,748 |
| 9 | New York | $526,714 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $516,306 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $511,233 |
| 12 | Oregon | $496,113 |
| 13 | Idaho | $478,744 |
| 14 | Montana | $471,746 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $450,873 |
| 16 | Nevada | $442,027 |
| 17 | Maryland | $428,308 |
| 18 | Arizona | $417,990 |
| 19 | Maine | $415,552 |
| 20 | Virginia | $414,662 |
| 21 | Delaware | $406,074 |
| 22 | Vermont | $399,053 |
| 23 | Alaska | $398,663 |
| 24 | Florida | $375,470 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $371,854 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $350,752 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $339,699 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $334,773 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $334,108 |
| 30 | Georgia | $330,817 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $321,574 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $318,241 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $306,323 |
| 34 | Texas | $299,367 |
| 35 | Illinois | $297,573 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $292,293 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $290,401 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $280,673 |
| 39 | Missouri | $267,879 |
| 40 | Michigan | $266,292 |
| 41 | Indiana | $260,095 |
| 42 | Kansas | $249,603 |
| 43 | Ohio | $248,803 |
| 44 | Alabama | $241,613 |
| 45 | Iowa | $239,547 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $232,577 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $227,264 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $223,261 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $217,039 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $197,606 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $179,496 |
| — | U.S. National Average | $368,697 |
Key Market Takeaways
- The High End: Hawaii and California remain the only states where typical home values exceed $750,000, heavily influenced by high land costs, strict zoning, and strong demand.
- The Affordable Tier: States clustered in the South and Midwest—such as Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma—offer the country’s most accessible real estate, with typical values remaining under $230,000.
- Drivers of Regional Cost: Geographic constraints (islands, mountain barriers) heavily correlate with higher home prices, whereas ample land availability keeps entry costs lower in central regions.
