The “time price” of square foot of housing is 24% lower than the 1950s

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On average, only 22 percent of homes had the amenities Horpedahl looked at in 1956; today, 82 percent of them do.

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Median home size has almost doubled, rising from about 1,150 square feet in 1956 to roughly 2,210 square feet today. Over the same period, average household size has shrunk from 3.3 people to 2.51. The result is a dramatic increase in living space per person—from just 348 square feet in 1956 to about 880 square feet today. That’s 532 more square feet per person, or a 153 percent increase. Had space per person stayed at its 1956 level, the typical home today would measure only about 874 square feet.

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The median home cost about $14,500 in 1956—roughly $12.61 per square foot. With average wages at $1.85 an hour, each square foot required 6.82 hours of earning. Today, the median home price is about $420,300, or $190.18 per square foot. However, average wages have risen to $36.53 an hour (before benefits), bringing the time price down to 5.21 hours per square foot. So, while the dollar price per square foot has risen 15-fold, wages have increased nearly 20-fold. The result is the time price of housing has fallen by almost 24 percent.

Compared to 1956, we now enjoy 532 more square feet per person as well as homes packed with 3.7 times more amenities—and all of it for about 24 percent less time per square foot.

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