Disclaimer: General educational research only — not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures are survey-based estimates with the limits explained in the methodology. Verify with official sources and a qualified professional before making decisions.
Estate Planning Data & Research → States Where Your Heirs Will Inherit the Most Home Value
For most families, the house is the biggest thing parents leave behind. So how much is that house actually worth? It depends a lot on the state.
We used the Census Bureau’s newest survey data to find the median value of homes owned by people 65 and older in every state and Washington, D.C. Across the U.S., the typical home owned by someone 65+ is worth $339,600. In Hawaii it’s $894,800. In West Virginia it’s $162,300. That’s a 5.5-to-1 difference.
We also looked at two things that matter just as much to heirs: how many older households own a home at all, and how many of those homes are paid off.
A living trust can keep a home out of probate, and a will covers everything else. See whether you need a will, a living trust or both.
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Cite this page URL when reusing findings. Not a substitute for official sources or professional advice.
Key findings
Highest median home value, owner 65+:
- Hawaii: $894,800 (±$20,939)
- District of Columbia: $760,500 (±$42,164)
- California: $757,200 (±$6,099)
- Massachusetts: $574,100 (±$7,170)
- Washington: $568,900 (±$6,507)
D.C. and California are statistically tied, and so are Massachusetts and Washington. Colorado ($556,500) and Utah ($519,500) are next. They’re the only other states where the typical 65+ home is worth over half a million dollars.
Lowest median home value, owner 65+:
- Kentucky: $207,700
- Louisiana: $206,100
- Arkansas: $199,300
- Mississippi: $169,500
- West Virginia: $162,300
Most older households own their home. Nationally, 78.6% of households headed by someone 65+ own their home. It’s highest in Utah (85.9%), Wyoming (85.2%), West Virginia (85.1%), South Carolina (85.0%) and Delaware (84.9%). It’s lowest in D.C. (62.2%), New York (66.2%), Rhode Island (71.6%), Massachusetts (73.1%) and North Dakota (73.2%). In 26 states, at least 4 in 5 older households own.
Most of these homes are paid off. 63.7% of homes owned by someone 65+ have no mortgage. North Dakota is highest (81.7%), then West Virginia (76.8%) and South Dakota (75.1%). In high-cost places like California (52.9%), Nevada (52.4%) and D.C. (51.5%), barely half are mortgage-free. That means heirs there are more likely to inherit a loan along with the house.
Older owners’ homes are usually worth a bit less than everyone else’s. In the U.S., the median 65+ home ($339,600) is $21,000 below the median for all owner-occupied homes ($360,600). That’s true in 46 states. Only Hawaii, D.C., Rhode Island, Delaware and New Mexico go the other way, and by small amounts.
The West mixes high value with high ownership. Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Arizona all have typical 65+ home values above $400,000 and at least 80% of older households owning. Those are the states where the most families are likely to inherit a high-value house.
Full state table (all 50 states + D.C.)
Sorted by the median value of owner-occupied homes with a householder 65 or older. Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% MOE. Data: ACS 2024 1-year.
| Rank | State | Median home value, owner 65+ | Margin of error | Homeownership rate, 65+ households | Share of 65+ owner homes with no mortgage | Median value, all owner homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $894,800 | ±$20,939 | 79.4% | 55.5% | $875,900 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $760,500 | ±$42,164 | 62.2% | 51.5% | $733,400 |
| 3 | California | $757,200 | ±$6,099 | 73.4% | 52.9% | $759,500 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $574,100 | ±$7,170 | 73.1% | 60.6% | $607,400 |
| 5 | Washington | $568,900 | ±$6,507 | 78.9% | 59.1% | $602,200 |
| 6 | Colorado | $556,500 | ±$7,367 | 80.5% | 56.9% | $574,600 |
| 7 | Utah | $519,500 | ±$11,799 | 85.9% | 62.2% | $545,200 |
| 8 | Oregon | $479,900 | ±$5,159 | 77.7% | 57.9% | $497,500 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $459,800 | ±$4,579 | 75.1% | 61.7% | $496,000 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $457,700 | ±$7,655 | 71.6% | 58.8% | $455,700 |
| 11 | Nevada | $446,700 | ±$7,379 | 75.3% | 52.4% | $455,500 |
| 12 | Idaho | $439,300 | ±$8,676 | 84.9% | 63.5% | $446,400 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $437,400 | ±$9,296 | 79.6% | 64.9% | $458,800 |
| 14 | New York | $428,500 | ±$6,049 | 66.2% | 65.9% | $449,800 |
| 15 | Maryland | $411,600 | ±$5,635 | 77.5% | 53.3% | $436,300 |
| 16 | Montana | $404,800 | ±$15,516 | 83.0% | 69.5% | $425,400 |
| 17 | Arizona | $401,500 | ±$5,078 | 82.9% | 59.5% | $426,000 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $382,600 | ±$5,415 | 74.8% | 61.5% | $396,900 |
| 19 | Delaware | $377,900 | ±$7,355 | 84.9% | 56.9% | $371,600 |
| 20 | Florida | $376,300 | ±$2,324 | 82.9% | 64.6% | $396,900 |
| 21 | Virginia | $371,800 | ±$4,369 | 80.2% | 58.6% | $403,500 |
| 22 | Alaska | $359,000 | ±$12,595 | 81.1% | 65.0% | $376,500 |
| 23 | Vermont | $344,700 | ±$9,674 | 82.6% | 66.5% | $352,800 |
| 24 | Maine | $339,800 | ±$9,594 | 81.2% | 67.6% | $341,900 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $326,400 | ±$3,324 | 79.6% | 66.1% | $344,600 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $320,000 | ±$12,871 | 85.2% | 71.1% | $339,500 |
| 27 | Georgia | $316,300 | ±$3,477 | 80.7% | 60.0% | $343,300 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $308,400 | ±$4,367 | 81.9% | 67.7% | $332,600 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $306,000 | ±$3,675 | 80.8% | 62.2% | $333,000 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $288,200 | ±$4,674 | 85.0% | 63.5% | $299,500 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $284,500 | ±$6,769 | 84.4% | 68.5% | $279,900 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $284,000 | ±$2,636 | 77.8% | 67.2% | $294,700 |
| 33 | Texas | $283,900 | ±$2,836 | 79.2% | 70.3% | $313,200 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $269,500 | ±$9,638 | 77.2% | 75.1% | $289,600 |
| 35 | Illinois | $260,000 | ±$2,849 | 79.7% | 64.8% | $280,700 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $259,600 | ±$2,664 | 78.5% | 68.8% | $277,600 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $248,400 | ±$4,516 | 78.4% | 71.3% | $263,100 |
| 38 | Missouri | $242,800 | ±$3,570 | 79.7% | 65.2% | $254,400 |
| 39 | Michigan | $242,500 | ±$2,978 | 82.6% | 66.6% | $254,200 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $234,400 | ±$10,769 | 73.2% | 81.7% | $266,100 |
| 41 | Indiana | $224,700 | ±$3,059 | 81.7% | 62.7% | $243,500 |
| 42 | Kansas | $223,700 | ±$4,296 | 79.5% | 69.7% | $238,700 |
| 43 | Ohio | $223,200 | ±$2,252 | 79.1% | 64.2% | $239,800 |
| 44 | Alabama | $219,700 | ±$4,002 | 83.7% | 67.4% | $233,300 |
| 45 | Iowa | $214,800 | ±$4,107 | 82.2% | 71.8% | $227,300 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $208,400 | ±$3,556 | 79.4% | 70.8% | $222,100 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $207,700 | ±$5,156 | 81.4% | 69.3% | $226,000 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $206,100 | ±$4,494 | 80.7% | 72.1% | $223,200 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $199,300 | ±$5,192 | 80.4% | 70.5% | $215,600 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $169,500 | ±$4,583 | 84.0% | 74.2% | $186,500 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $162,300 | ±$3,672 | 85.1% | 76.8% | $170,800 |
| — | United States | $339,600 | ±$804 | 78.6% | 63.7% | $360,600 |
What this means for families
A median value is not a check in the mail. What your heirs actually end up with depends on a few things the table can’t show: any mortgage or home-equity loan, the costs of selling, how many heirs split it, and whether the estate has to go through court first.
- The house usually needs a plan of its own. A will says who gets it, but a will alone usually sends the house through probate. In a state where the typical older owner’s home is worth $500,000 or more, probate fees and months of delay can add up. See how probate works and probate costs by state.
- Most homes are too valuable for the small-estate shortcut. In most states, the simplified small-estate process either excludes real estate or has no clear dollar limit for it. Where we could compare, a typical home was worth well over the limit. See small-estate procedures vs. home values and our small estate affidavit guide.
- Ways to pass a house without probate. Depending on your state: a transfer-on-death deed (where allowed), a revocable living trust that actually holds the deed, or joint ownership with right of survivorship. Each has tradeoffs. Start with avoiding probate, trust vs. will and funding your trust. (State guides: California TOD deed, Florida Lady Bird deed.)
- If there’s still a mortgage, plan for it. Heirs usually take the house subject to the loan. In states where only about half of older owners are mortgage-free, it’s worth knowing the loan balance and who will make payments while the estate is settled.
- Long-term care can change the math. If a parent’s nursing-home care is paid by Medicaid, the state may seek repayment from the estate, and the house is often what’s left. See Medicaid estate recovery by state and nursing home costs by state.
- Estate tax is rarely the issue. A home at these values is far below the federal estate tax exemption. A few states have their own, lower estate or inheritance taxes. See state estate tax.
- Talk about it. Who wants the house? Who can afford to keep it? Will it be sold? Those conversations are easier before anyone’s grieving. See the family conversation.
Related data from Family Estate Guide
- The Silver Tsunami Map: where the most homes will change hands
- The probate lawyer gap: where seniors have the fewest lawyers
- Small-estate procedures vs. home values
- All estate planning data
Related research: property tax after inheritance compares median tax bills in every state and summarizes how each state treats an inherited home.
Related research: paid-off homes by state shows how many homeowners 65+ own outright (63.7%) and how many still carry a mortgage.
Methodology
Source. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 1-year estimates, pulled from the Census Data API on October 1, 2026. (The 2025 ACS 1-year release has been delayed by the Census Bureau and was not available.)
Median value for older owners. The Census doesn’t publish a detailed “B-table” that crosses home value with the owner’s age as a median. It does publish one in subject table S0103 (Population 65 Years and Over in the United States): variable S0103_C02_098E is the median value of owner-occupied housing units with a householder 65 or older. That’s the number we rank. We compare it with S0103_C01_098E, the median for all owner-occupied homes.
Homeownership rate, 65+. From table B25007 (Tenure by Age of Householder): owner households age 65-74, 75-84 and 85+ divided by all households in those ages (owners plus renters).
Share with no mortgage. From table B25027 (Mortgage Status by Age of Householder): homes without a mortgage, householder 65-74 and 75+, divided by all owner homes in those ages.
Also in the download: the mean (average) value per 65+ owner home, from B25079 aggregate value ÷ the B25007 count (U.S.: $465,319; averages run higher than medians because a few very expensive homes pull them up), and the 2020-2024 5-year S0103 median as a stability check. Nine of the top 10 states are the same in both (the 5-year data swaps Rhode Island out for Nevada), and only three states move three or more ranks: South Carolina, North Dakota and Louisiana.
Notes.
- Margins of error are the Census 90% MOEs. For the homeownership rate we combined owner and renter MOEs with the standard formula for a ratio of independent estimates.
- Puerto Rico is excluded.
- Our related page on small-estate limits vs. home values uses the 5-year median for all owner homes (B25077). This page uses the 1-year median for owners 65+, so the numbers differ.
Limits.
- Home value is the owner’s own estimate of what the home would sell for, not an appraisal or sale price.
- Value is before any mortgage. It is not equity.
- Only homes people live in are counted. Vacation homes, rental property and vacant homes are not.
- “Householder 65+” means the person in whose name the home is owned is 65 or older. A spouse may be younger.
FAQ
What’s the typical value of a home owned by someone 65 or older?
$339,600 nationally in 2024 (±$804), according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Which state has the most valuable homes owned by seniors?
Hawaii, at a median of $894,800. D.C. ($760,500) and California ($757,200) are next and statistically tied.
Which state has the least valuable?
West Virginia ($162,300), followed by Mississippi ($169,500) and Arkansas ($199,300).
Do heirs have to pay tax on an inherited house?
Usually not federal estate tax, since home values like these are far below the federal exemption. Some states have their own estate or inheritance tax, and selling later can bring capital-gains questions. See state estate tax and talk with a tax professional.
Can I inherit a house without going to probate?
Often, yes, if the owner planned ahead with a transfer-on-death deed (where allowed), a funded living trust, or joint ownership with survivorship rights. See avoiding probate.
Cite this data
Family Estate Guide, “States Where Your Heirs Will Inherit the Most Home Value,” October 2026, analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates (tables S0103, B25007, B25027). https://familyestateguide.com/estate-planning-data/inherited-home-value-by-state/
Feel free to use these numbers with a link back to this page.
Published October 1, 2026. Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year (S0103, B25007, B25027, B25079); 2020-2024 5-year S0103 as a check. Editorial standards.