As real Americans grapple with the housing affordability crisis, it makes sense that many of our favorite cartoon characters can no longer afford to live in their hometowns in today’s market.
A recent study notes that housing costs should be 30% or less of the total household budget, yet nearly half of the country spends more than that amount. Interestingly, America’s favorite animated families seem worse than the average real-life homeowner. Grouped in states such as New York, California, Oregon, and New Jersey, they represent some of the least accessible areas in the entire country.
So how much would the Simpsons pay today for their mortgage, or the Griffin family for their four-bedroom house in Quahog? Hovia interior design experts used Zillow’s information to estimate current prices for iconic houses from various animated series.
The Simpsons – 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield
Estimated price: $458,730.
The Simpson family lives in a four-bedroom house with an attached garage, basement and large fenced yard in the fictional town of Springfield. Although the location of Springfield on the show is unclear, the show’s creator Matt Groening revealed in a 2012 Smithsonian Magazine interview that it is based in Springfield, Oregon, a few hours from Portland, where he grew up.
Today, a four-bedroom home in Springfield, Oregon will cost the Simpson family about $458,730. Given Homer’s salary as a nuclear power plant safety inspector and Marge’s fragmented employment history, the family is likely to find it difficult to afford a property like this under the current conditions.
Family Guy – 31 Spooner Street, Quahog, Rhode Island
Estimated price: $357,958.
Griffin family of Family man lives in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. The family is described as “lower middle class” with Peter working at the brewery and Lois moonlighting as a teacher throughout the series.
The show’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, reportedly lived in Providence, Rhode Island during his studies, and the city served as an inspiration for Quahog. In real life, the Family Guy’s four-bedroom house in Providence would cost them about $357,958 today. This figure is not impossible for the family, based on their salary, but as the series shows, it is difficult for them to maintain it.
South Park – 2001 E. Bonanza St. South Park, Colorado.
Estimated price: $741,919.
South ParkStan Marsh of Stan lives in the fictional city from which the show takes its name. Fans online agree that Fairplay, Colorado was the inspiration for South Park. According to Colorado’s official tourism website, the city was actually renamed “South Park City” in 1869, and reverted back to “Fairplay” in 1874.
Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have said that while visually based on Fairplay, the show’s characters are based on their experiences growing up in Denver, Colorado.
The four-bedroom house in Fairplay is currently worth $741,919, which, given Randy’s salary as a geologist and Sharon’s as an administrator, is not entirely out of reach for them.
Futurama – Robot Arms Apartments, New York
Estimated price: $799,950.
Futurama The action takes place in New York in the year 3000. The protagonist of the series, Philip J. Fry, lives with the robot Bender in an apartment building built specifically to house the robots in the city.
Each apartment has a storage room the size of a typical two-room apartment, which costs about $799,950 in New York today. Fry and Bender work for Professor Farnsworth’s delivery company Planet Express. One as the responsible courier and the other as the assistant sales manager, so it certainly seems out of their reach.
SpongeBob SquarePants – 124 Conch Street, Bikini Bottom, Pacific Ocean
Estimated price: $55.
SpongeBob SquarePants lives in a pineapple, which can cost about $4 in the store. However, for a pineapple big enough to be called home, the study looked at the Giant Kew variety, which can reach weights up to twenty pounds. Using an average of $2.78 per pound, the estimated cost of SpongeBob’s house would be $55. Considering his salary as a chef at the Krusty Krab, this estimate means that his house is completely within his budget.
King of the Hill – 84 Rainey Street, Arlen, Texas.
Estimated price: $382,781
king of the hill The action takes place in the fictional city of Arlen, Texas. Show co-creator Mike Judge told The New York Times that Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, inspired Arlen.
The protagonist of the series, Hank Hill, is known for his frugal nature, so a three-bedroom house in the Texas countryside is out of the question. In real life, if the Hills lived in Richardson, their house would cost about $382,781.
Bob’s Burgers – Ocean Avenue, New Jersey
Estimated price: $705,809.
The show takes place on the fictional Ocean Avenue on the North Shore of Jersey. Seaside towns are not cheap, and throughout the series, the Belchers live in a three-bedroom apartment above a store.
Using Ocean City, NJ as the closest real place, a three-bedroom home would cost about $705,809 today, which doesn’t even include store costs. Even though the Belchers rent the building, their housing costs are still extremely high compared to the salary they receive.
Oh, those kids – 1258 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood.
Estimated price: $668,851.
Stu and Didi Pickles from Rugrats owns a four-bedroom house with a garage in Los Angeles.
In one episode, this address was shown as the location of the studio that filmed the series, implying that the family lives in Hollywood, Los Angeles. With Stu making money as an inventor of children’s toys and Didi working as a part-time teacher, whether they can afford the $668,851 home is debatable.
DuckTales – McDuck Manor
Estimated price: 25,000,000 US dollars.
The most expensive house on this list belongs to the fairly wealthy Scrooge McDuck from the Disney series. DuckTales.
The estate has impressive gothic architecture and, if real, would rival the Biltmore Estate, which is currently the largest home in the US and was valued at around $37 million for the home alone in 2017.
Since it is smaller than the Biltmore Estate, the McDuck Estate is likely to be valued at around $25 million, making it the most expensive property on the list.
Phineas and Ferb – 2308 Maple Drive Danville
Estimated price: $152,000.
Given their work on the show, Linda and Lawrence Fletcher from Phineas and Ferb won’t struggle to afford their three-bedroom property in the fictional suburb of Danville. Lawrence is an antiques dealer, and Linda plays in a jazz band with other mothers in the neighborhood.
The actual location is impossible to determine, as the creators said that the “tri-state area” referred to could be anywhere in the US, depending on the story. For the closest approximation, a three-bedroom home in Danville, Virginia is valued at $152,000.
Arthur – 526 Main Street, Elwood City
Estimated price: $141,863.
This children’s cartoon follows Arthur and the rest of the Reed family, a group of aardvarks who live in a modest three-bedroom family home in the fictional Elwood City.
The creator said that Ellwood City in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania was the inspiration for the show. A three-bedroom property in the area would mean Arthur’s house would be worth around $141,863 today. Because Jane’s mom is a tax accountant and David’s dad owns a restaurant business, both have relatively high-paying jobs. This type of property is probably quite affordable for their income.
The Flintstones – 345 Cave Stone Road, Bedrock
Estimated price: $300,000.
Given the materials used and the size of Fred and Wilma’s home, the Flintstones’ home would cost about $300,000 today.
The house is built of granite with limestone finishes and has enough space inside for a living room, bathroom and two bedrooms. Considering Fred’s salary as a construction worker, these costs are likely to be out of reach.
Fact and fiction intersect
While Hollywood has long taken creative license to make its characters’ lifestyles really accessible, the recent housing crisis has revealed an interesting phenomenon. What might once have been perceived as a realistic lifestyle for these animated stars when the show originally aired is no longer available today due to economic forces beyond their control.
A Hovia spokesperson commented: “It’s amazing to see how much these fictional homes can be worth in today’s housing market. Shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy that have been on the air for decades have homes that could once have been available to their characters but now seem unrealistic given the nature of their work on the show.”
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Andrew Herrig is a financial expert and financial nerd, and the founder of Wealthy Nickel, where he writes about personal finance, part-time jobs, and entrepreneurship. As an avid real estate investor and owner of several businesses, he has a passion for helping others create wealth and shares his family’s experiences on his blog.
Andrew holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has worked as a financial analyst and accountant in many aspects of the financial world.
Andrew’s expert financial advice has been featured on CNBC, Entrepreneur, Fox News, GOBankingRates, MSN and more.
