The Most Popular and Valuable House Styles in the U.S. | AHS (2024)

The Ranch House is America’s Most Commonly Sold Home

Ranch-style housing is the most popular across 20 states. This American classic was built insuch quantitiesin the mid-twentieth century that it prevails through sheer force. The ranch house offers space and, occupying just one floor, cradle-to-grave accessibility. Plus, it is plain enough to be affordable – and resalable.

The Most Popular and Valuable House Styles in the U.S. | AHS (1)

This plain ranch style “was not experimental enough to be considered ‘ugly’ by even the most conservative,”wrote critic Russell Lynesat the time, “and it was not tricked-up enough to be considered ‘ugly’ by the experimental. It was merely ‘nice.’ It was ‘unobjectionable.’ It was ‘homey,’ and it was said to be ‘practical.’”

How Every State Bucks the House Style Trends

Next, we figured out the most ‘uniquely popular’ home style in each state by seeing which types stood out statistically from place to place. In Pennsylvania, the high number of Airlite-style homes sold is due to their commonness in PA cities such asPhiladelphia. An airlite is a terraced home that differs from the narrower “straight-through”rowhouseby positioning the kitchen and diner side-by-side. Since they make a good first home, airlites often come up on the market as young homeowners move onwards and upwards.

The Most Popular and Valuable House Styles in the U.S. | AHS (2)

Sunnier climes encourage a more exotic approach to home design. Arizona is the only state with theTuscan styleas its most uniquely popular. Named after the dreamy Italian region, Tuscan-style homes take advantage of their natural surroundings. Architects favor local stone and timber for the structure, with terracotta and stucco details right at home in the warm climate. This outdoorsy feel segues into the actual outdoors with a prominent patio or portico.

Which House Style Draws Attention Near You?

Finally, we calculated the most uniquely popular home style in 45 big cities and shared it along with our state-wide data in the interactive table below. So, while Country Rustic is the ‘most Georgia’ style on a state level, the Atlanta market prefers the more urbanAmerican Foursquare– a no-nonsense, boxy family home that offers maximumroom spaceon its footprint.

Choosing a house style to build or buy is acomplex matter, as you weigh your own taste against the market’s preferences and the character of the neighborhood. But however you choose to proceed, there are a few good principles to stand by:

Seek advice from those you trust and filter voices that you don’t.

  • Work as closely with your designer as you can without overstepping your level of expertise.
  • Hold your contractors to high standards of engagement, value, and quality.
  • Understand that the market can be volatile and unpredictable, and there’s no sure thing.

If you’re passionate about your project and can inspire your team (be they designers, contractors, orreal estate agents), you will get more out of the process than an anonymous investment.

METHODOLOGY & SOURCES

We pulled the data on Zillow’s sold listings across the United States using apify'sZillow Real Estate Scraper. Some states were omitted from our pricing research as they do not provide sold listings values to Zillow.

We filtered the data using the “Architectural Style” field and counted the most commonly sold styles in every state.

To calculate the most uniquely popular style in every city and state, we balanced the share of each style in the city/state to the share of that style country-wide and chose the figure with the highest ratio.

We then calculated the average price of each style state-wise and in the United States overall, including only the styles with at least 10 listings. To eliminate the impact of extreme values, we dropped 25% of listings with the highest prices and 25% with the lowest prices.

The data was collected in January 2022.

The Most Popular and Valuable House Styles in the U.S. | AHS (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular house style in the US? ›

The Ranch House is America's Most Commonly Sold Home

Ranch-style housing is the most popular across 20 states. This American classic was built in such quantities in the mid-twentieth century that it prevails through sheer force. The ranch house offers space and, occupying just one floor, cradle-to-grave accessibility.

What is the most valuable home in the US? ›

The most expensive house in US history is located in Naples, in the state of Florida. This mansion has been listed for sale at a hefty $295 million. The house with the biggest price tag in the US is located in the luxury neighborhood of Port Royal in Naples, Florida.

What style house is most expensive? ›

The Most & Least Expensive Home Styles, Overall

Mediterranean-style homes are the most valuable on our list, with an average price of $884,745. Mediterranean homes take inspiration from the traditional houses in countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece.

What style of house sells best? ›

Three popular styles of homes that often sell quickly due to their timeless appeal and desirable features are Mid Century, Farm Style, and Craftsman Style homes.
  1. Mid Century Style Homes. ...
  2. Farm Style Homes. ...
  3. Craftsman Style Homes.

What is the most beautiful house in America? ›

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The iconic Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, is the most beautiful building in the United States, according to TripAdvisor reviews.

Which is the most valuable house? ›

Buckingham Palace is the world's most expensive house. Serving as the British monarch's official residence and administrative headquarters, it has been a symbol of British monarchy and prestige for centuries.

Where in America has the nicest houses? ›

25 Prettiest Homes In The U.S.
  • Modern South Carolina Home. ...
  • Windows-Galore Modern Abode in Los Banos. ...
  • German-Inspired Pasadena Home. ...
  • Remote Jackson Hole Mansion With a Pond. ...
  • Window-Specked Los Angeles Home Overlooking Mountains. ...
  • Massive Regal Property in Upperville. ...
  • Massive Glass House in Burien. ...
  • 20th Century New York Home.
Oct 26, 2022

What is the least popular house style? ›

Meanwhile, the least desired home styles appear to be shipping container homes and tiny homes, the study finds.

What type of house has the best resale value? ›

While resale value has many determining factors, some home styles simply have higher resale values than others when all other variables are equal. Topping that list are ranch-style homes. These single-level floor plans have no steps to climb up and down, making them ideal for older buyers.

What type of house sells the fastest? ›

Low Price. Yes, the low price point of a house typically sells the fastest. Homes that have lower prices than the market average are often more attractive to buyers, who may be more likely to make offers on them. Additionally, homes with low prices have more competition among buyers, which can lead to a faster sale.

What type of house is easiest to sell? ›

Terraced Houses
  • Terraced houses are fairly easy to maintain and often less problematic.
  • They are often nice-looking houses that people like to live.
  • These properties are often popular amongst landlords and offer solid rental yields in the right areas.
  • Average house prices tend to be less volatile.

What type of house is most on demand? ›

The research reveals that semi-detached homes (53%) are the most in-demand, followed by terraced (37%), detached (30%), and flats (21%).

What is the most common type of housing in the US? ›

Single-Family Home

A single-family home is a detached building built on a lot. They are the most common type of house; around 70 percent of Americans live in a single-family home.

What kind of house do most Americans live in? ›

Single-family homes are the most common type of housing in the United States. Also, they are stand-alone family houses that sit on their own property and typically feature a private yard. Single-family homes come in various styles, including ranch, colonial, Victorian, and contemporary.

What type of house is the most common? ›

Single-family Homes

The most common type of house on the market is the single-family home.

What is the most popular form of housing? ›

The most popular form of housing is b. single-family dwelling.

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