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Architecture shapes space. But home architecture also shapes lives.
‘Architectural determinism‘ is the idea that the design of a building changes the behavior of the people who dwell in it. A different layout and features might make you feel more peaceful and more productive. It could even help you learn to ‘live life as art.’
But can the architectural style of a home affect the price that buyers will pay for it?
Indeed, some house styles have a far larger average selling price than others. And one MIT study found that ‘good design’ has several positive outcomes for a new house:
Good design boosts the sale price of a home.
A well-designed home attracts more attention on the market, reducing re-sale/rental times.
Architecture can also have a “positive effect on surrounding property values and bystanders.”
In this new study, American Home Shield (AHS)pulled the data on Zillow’s sold listings across the United States using apify’s Zillow Real Estate Scraper. Some states were omitted from our pricing research as they do not provide sold listings values to Zillow.
The team then 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, they 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.
The AHS team 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, they dropped 25% of listings with the highest prices and 25% with the lowest prices.
The most and least valuable house styles across the United States
The only style of home which commonly demands a seven-figure price tag across the United States is the Beach House ($1,223,310). You can adopt the coastal look anywhere, but it is most seen on expensive lots with a sea view and quick access to the beach.
America’s cheapest house styles are ready to go. The Mobile Home, including trailer homes, is the most affordable, with a national average price of $118,689. Second to this is the Manufactured Home or ‘prefab’ at $121,641.
Style
Avg price in $
Beach House
1223310
Mediterranean
991408.2
Shingle
960638.2
Spanish
841784
Northwest Contemporary
806731.5
Mid-Century Modern
799541.2
Mountain Contemporary
794574.6
French Country
780230.8
Raised Beach
734697.5
Brownstone
733890.8
French
728066
Barn
696947.4
Northwest
696765.5
Modern
670470.5
Rustic Contemporary
658250
Daylight Ranch
624310.4
Coastal
616318
Tudor
590919.8
Greek Revival
579874.2
Victorian
559016.9
Tuscan
556890.2
Craftsman/Arts and Crafts
544621.2
Adirondack
537274.5
Prairie
505708.5
English
502338.8
Contemporary
496074.2
Pueblo
442080.2
Dutch Colonial
439903.3
Beach Box
433000
Federal
429313.2
Country Rustic
422785.1
Log Home
421105.5
Transitional
419603.2
Rustic
414195
Southwestern
411632.4
Colonial
411256.2
Territorial
409178.7
Georgian
406314.7
Garrison
398218.1
Chalet
392671.3
American Foursquare
389299.6
Florida
386255.9
Low-Country
382515.5
Dome
364928.6
French Provincial
361993.3
Cabin
346343.5
Provincial
344828.1
Gambrel
344641.9
Farmhouse
338096.6
Saltbox
336051.4
Antique
335984
Raised Ranch
309989.6
A-Frame
308165.4
Cape Cod
305560.6
Traditional
304127.5
Dallas
271670.4
Country
262668
Split-Level
261667.1
Ranch
259354.1
Patio Home
245574.1
Cottage/Bungalow
235984.7
Airlite
226183.8
Earth Home
210642.9
Modular
203419.7
New Englander
199166.7
Hill Country
192500
Camp
178704.8
Conventional
173535.5
Early American
148616.7
Shotgun
140831
Manufactured Home
121641.2
Mobile Home
118688.5
The most valuable house style by U.S. state
The average cost of different architectural styles varies with regional trends and rarity value. Out of the 36 U.S. states with available sold-price data, Tudor is the most expensive style in four states, as is the Contemporary style.
The average Tudor home costs over $ 1million in Georgia and Washington. That’s two out of just seven U.S. states with a seven-figure price tag. Tudor-style architecture is elaborate and sturdy, making this English revival style a costly prospect.
The most common house style in every U.S. state
Ranch style is the most listed in 20 U.S. states, and making is ‘the most common of the most common.’
Ranch housing is notably popular in landlocked states with more space to spread a single-level home. But ranch homes are also practical, offering accessibility for young and old. By 1950, nine out of ten new builds were ranches, according to historian Witold Rybczynski – which explains why they’re so common and affordable today.
The most uniquely popular house style in every U.S. state
Ranch-style housing is the most common overall in 20 U.S. states, but which styles are most trendy from place to place? American Home Shield team compared state-level figures against the national average to see which styles stand out locally.
A pattern emerges of neighboring states favoring the same styles. For example, Indiana and Kentucky prefer the Shotgun style: long, low houses the width of a single room. And a few states have a favorite style themselves, such as New Jersey, where the 400-years-old Dutch Colonial style is disproportionately popular.
Most uniquely popular house styles in the largest cities
