Jun 17, 2026 - Real Estate

D.C. area now has 4 cities where starter homes top $1 million

The DMV is home to four cities where the typical starter home costs $1 million or more, according to new Zillow data shared with Axios.

The big picture: A record 242 American cities are now faced with seven-figure purchases for entry level homes, per a new Zillow report.

State of play: The four $1 million-plus cities in the Washington metro area as of April are:

That's up from zero cities five years ago in April 2021.

Zoom out: Meanwhile, the typical starter home nationwide is $198,649, per Zillow.

Reality check: Washington's number pales to other metros like New York City (63), San Francisco (37) and Los Angeles (33).

Between the lines: Zillow defines a typical starter house as "a home in the lowest third of home values in a given region."

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