McMansions, long derided as bad investments, made a comeback during the pandemic as Americans sought bigger homes in the suburbs.

US homes are growing larger and more luxurious, with Census Bureau data revealing a rise in four-bedroom houses equipped with air conditioning. Experts say the trend of elevated home prices is expected to continue.

Specifically, the median square footage of new single-family homes in the US has decreased in each of the past several years. In 2015, the typical new-construction home was about 2,467 square feet—but by 2024, that number had shrunk to 2,146 square feet.

American malls sought to recreate the cohesion of a downtown shopping center but with the indoor, quiet convenience of a rural or suburban setting. First developed in the 1950s, malls quickly took off and became the spine of American retail shopping. In the last two decades, online retail has forced many to close, leaving behind peculiar, vast abandoned spaces. Pick through the stark nostalgia with this fascinating photo essay.

Over the last century, the average home size in the U.S. has skyrocketed. Here’s a look at which states have the biggest and smallest homes.

Real-estate transactions in the metaverse are reaching record highs. Digital real estate investors share how and why they're spending millions on virtual property.

This video shows 3D renderings of official residences from the modest White House to sprawling estates like France's Élysée Palace and Russia's Kremlin, revealing contrasts in scale, architecture, and symbolism across nations.

Local governments use zoning to regulate land use. About 75% of residentially zoned land in American cities is designated for single-family homes only—a restriction that some experts blame for increasing housing costs and reducing affordability.

A new analysis suggests it costs millions of dollars to maintain the American dream over a lifetime. The price tag includes retirement, healthcare, higher education, homeownership, and other core elements of a comfortable life for the average American.

Despite petitions worldwide to demolish some of its more notorious examples, Brutalism was a transformative moment in architecture. The reinforced concrete style arguably reduced costs, enabled new designs, and reduced the need for maintenance.

After adjusting for inflation, housing costs have more than doubled since 1965. And based on average incomes, buyers are spending more than five times their income for a home versus buyers in 1965, who typically spent less than three times their income.

Car elevators, spas, movie theaters, bowling alleys, nightclubs, and panic rooms are just some of the lavish upgrades the 1% builds in their homes.

The estimated cost of the American Dream—including buying a house, yearly vacations, retiring, raising two children, getting married, and more—is $4.4M, according to recent data from Investopedia. This illustrated graphic shows the estimated cost of the American dream per household over the course of their lifetime. See it here.

Many Gen Z homeowners have compromised on location and tightened their expenses to make buying a home possible. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

As of 2024, the US has 621 cities where a typical home costs $1M or more. California has more million-dollar cities than any other state by a long shot, with 218. New York comes in second with 76. Want to see where other states rank? Check out this map to learn more.

Soaring mortgage rates and inflated home prices have led more consumers to opt to rent instead of buying, becoming “forever renters.” This article weighs the costs and benefits of renting instead of buying. Benefits include flexibility, less upkeep, and potentially lower expenses, while downsides include less stability and reliance on landlords. Read this article and decide whether homeownership or renting is the choice for you.

With fees removed from the equation and more time at home thanks to pandemic-related lockdowns, Americans who had never bought or sold stocks before started participating in the market. Charles Schwab dubs this cohort “Generation Investor” and notes individuals from all age ranges took part in this phenomenon. Study up here.

In addition to tax benefits and the potential to build equity in your home, houses are also typically considered an appreciating asset. That means their value is likely to increase over time.

This Peabody Award–winning "This American Life" episode traces how cheap global money, subprime lending, and Wall Street engineering inflated the housing bubble. Through vivid reporting and real voices, it became one of the defining works of 2000s financial journalism.

Before the Industrial Revolution, early mortgages were rather exclusive loans given only to nobility. But as more people gained more wealth through the Industrial Revolution, banks began to take on “higher-risk” loans to everyday people.

That's according to 2024 data from the Federal Reserve. In 1848, just 50 households had achieved a net worth of at least $1M (roughly $40M in today's dollars). Millionaires have become significantly more common due to a multitude of factors, such as price increases in securities, inflation, and rising home values.

When deciding what to improve during a home renovation, people often think about their home's future resale value. Now, real estate experts are claiming that adding a luxury shower might provide the most bang for your buck in the renovation department. Learn more in this article.

Macy's went from roughly 800 to 500 stores within the same time period. Macy’s has spent the recent years since the pandemic closing swaths of stores.

The cost of the average home insurance premium shot up 33% between 2020 and 2023 in the US, a trend mimicking heightened inflation. But beyond the cost, insurers are also pulling out of major markets like Florida and California, and millions of policies aren't being renewed as the number of $1B weather disasters continues to increase each year. Read up on the difficulties the home insurance market faces here.

Curious how the Met came to occupy its incredible campus? This video, which was produced in association with the exhibition “Making The Met, 1970-2020,” tracks the history of the museum through the evolution of its architecture. From its temporary location in a private residence to its intended home in Central Park, the building now reflects the many different eras of design, including Victorian Gothic and Modernism, that have influenced its facade through the years.

Institutional investors have drawn negative media attention for their purported role in limiting housing supply and driving housing unaffordability. This report separates myth from fact in the nuanced discussion around institutional investors' role in the US housing market.

Several of Frank Lloyd Wright’s homes are currently for sale, offering buyers the opportunity to own a historic building. Some of these homes could stay on the market for years, as they’re famously a pain to maintain.

Specifically, as mall foot traffic declined, Macy’s sought to grow elsewhere (as did many other retailers around the same time).