Median Home Value
The midpoint value of owner-occupied homes in a ZIP code, as estimated by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Median home value represents the point at which half of owner-occupied homes in a ZCTA are worth more and half are worth less. The Census Bureau collects this data through the American Community Survey by asking homeowners to estimate their property's current market value.
This metric varies dramatically by ZIP code: from under $50,000 in depopulated rural areas and post-industrial cities to over $2 million in coastal California and New York City neighborhoods. The ACS caps its top-coded value at $2,000,000 for privacy, so the median for ultra-high-value ZCTAs may be reported at that ceiling.
Real estate platforms, mortgage lenders, insurance companies, and tax assessors rely on ZIP-level home values for pricing, underwriting, and market analysis. When combined with income data, home value helps determine housing affordability ratios.