Loading ...Excellent question — and 1980 is a particularly interesting year because silver prices spiked dramatically due to the Hunt brothers’ attempt to corner the silver market. Let’s walk through it carefully:
Step 1: Median U.S. house price in 1980
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the median new home price in 1980 was about $64,600.
Step 2: Silver price in 1980
Silver prices fluctuated wildly that year:
-
January 1980 peak: ≈ $49.45 per ounce
-
1980 annual average: ≈ $20.98 per ounce
Let’s calculate both ways to show the range.
Step 3: Calculate ounces of silver needed
At the January 1980 peak ($49.45/oz):
64,60049.45≈1,307 ounces\frac{64,600}{49.45} \approx 1,307 \text{ ounces}
At the 1980 annual average ($20.98/oz):
64,60020.98≈3,078 ounces\frac{64,600}{20.98} \approx 3,078 \text{ ounces}
Answer:
It took roughly 1,300–3,100 ounces of silver to buy a median U.S. home in 1980, depending on whether you use the market peak or the year’s average silver price.
Bonus perspective:
-
1968 (gold basis): ~706 oz gold per home
-
1980 (silver basis): ~1,300–3,100 oz silver per home
-
Today (2025): median home ~$430,000 / silver ~$28/oz → ~15,000 oz silver per home
So — in silver terms, houses are much more expensive today than during the 1980 silver boom.