1963–2026 · A MEDIAN U.S. HOME vs SILVER
A median U.S. home cost about 9,700 ounces of silver in 1976. The chart shows what happened next.
A median U.S. home cost roughly 9,700 ounces of silver in 1976. The chart below tracks that ratio every month since 1963. Silver is more volatile than gold — its industrial demand makes the line jaggier — but the long-horizon question is the same: how many ounces of bullion does it take to buy a roof?
Mar 1963
Avg. a median U.S. home
$17,800
Spot silver
$1.28 / oz
= 13,906 oz
Today
Avg. a median U.S. home
$403,200
Spot silver
$80.75 / oz
= 4,993 oz
Ounces of silver to buy a median U.S. home — FAQ
Why does it take so much more silver than gold?
Silver is roughly 70-80× cheaper per ounce than gold, so any nominal dollar value translates to ~70-80× more silver. The shape of the chart is what matters — silver has tracked gold's broad trajectory, just at a different scale and with more volatility.
Has silver kept up with home prices?
Less consistently than gold. Silver had a spectacular 1979-1980 spike (Hunt Brothers) that briefly let a small bag of silver buy a house, and a 2009-2011 run that closed the gap from the 2000s. Outside those, silver lags slightly — but the long-run trend is similar to gold.
Why is silver so much more volatile?
About half of silver demand is industrial (electronics, solar, photography historically). Gold is almost entirely monetary. Industrial demand swings with the business cycle; monetary demand swings with macro confidence. Different forces, different volatility profiles.