'Home Alone': How Much Would Kevin McCallister's House Cost Today?
Every so often, a movie comes along that has a backdrop soiconic that it becomes a part of the film. That couldn’t be truer when it comesto HomeAlone. Maybe it’s because the house is so stately, or the notion that akid, left unattended, could wreak such havoc on two ne’er-do-wells is just thatinticing. Either way, the Home Alone house is a piece of cinematic history,and whether the owners like it or not, oneof the most recognizable movie houses in history. With the holidays quicklyapproaching, Home Alone is undoubtedly going to be viewed millions oftimes across the country, leaving everyone to ask just one question – how muchwould it cost to live in Kevin McCallister’s house?
Where is the Home Alone house?
The house that was used to film Home Alone is locatedat 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois. Winnetka, for those living outsideof the Chicago-metro area, is a small village located about 16 miles from DowntownChicago. Situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, the exclusive enclaveoffers picturesque views, a top-notch school system, and the convenience ofbeing close to the bustling city life of Chicago.
According to Niche, thevillage has a population of about 12,000 and while it’s more expensive than thecity of Chicago, it’s highly ranked for its family-oriented feel. The schoolsin the small village rank 6th in all of Illinois, and it is consideredone of the top 10 Illinois locations to raise a family. With a median householdincome of $216,875, the village’s residents earn far more than the national andstate average. Illinois residents, on average, make $62,992, which is about $2,000more than the national averagehousehold income of $60,336.
How much would the Home Alone house cost?
Today, the house so iconically tied to the holiday classicis estimated to be worth around $1.6 million. It was last sold in 2012, after languishingon the real estate market for almost en entire year. It was initially listedfor $2.4 million in May 2011, according to Redfin.The final sale prince in 2012 was $1.585.
The home, which has been updated since the last time fans peekedinside KevinMcCallister’s wild life, doesn’t come on the market often. Before its 2012sale, the home was last sold in 1989. Home Alone, which was filmed in1990, just one year after the previous owners took over the property. At thetime of the film’s release, the home had an estimated value of about $900,000,an exorbitant sum for the beginning of the 1990s.
The Home Alone house is nice, but the movie isunrealistic
At a value of $900,000 in 1990, Kevin McCallister’s dad musthave had an excellent job, but it’s never mentioned, points out Cosmopolitan.If Kevin’s dad could afford the spacious abode, plus a trip to Paris fornine people, he had to have been making a lot of money. Let’s assume that the McCallisterswere living within their means. This means Mr. McCallister needed to be rakingin around $156,000 per year before taxes to afford his house. Sure, that doesn’tseem like all that much now, especially considering the average income in Winnetkaright now, but remember, we are talking about the 1990s here. The average householdincome in 1990 was $39,000 for someone with a bachelor’s degree.
If the McCallisters had high paying jobs, one would thinkthey’d be responsible enough to remember to account for all of their kidsbefore they got on a plane to Paris. Cosmo also points out that the targetingof the McCallister house didn’t make all that much sense. After all, in the1990s, MichaelJordan was also residing in the same general area. He seems like a better burglarytarget then some random family, but perhaps the thieves were smarter than wethink and assumed Jordan would have a much better security system than theMcCallisters.
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