For real estate to be considered a luxury property in the US, its value must fall into the top 5 to 10 per cent of all homes within its metro area. This means there is a huge array of luxury homes across the country. Many of the most expensive have shared qualities, such as being in highly desirable areas or having sought-after views like waterfront vistas.
Unveiled below are the eight most expensive homes in the US, based on 2023 sales reports, since the 2024 sale year has yet to wrap up.
8. 220 Central Park South, $80 Million (New York City, New York)
New York City is known for many things, including its incredibly expensive real estate market. Some areas in the city are renowned for being even more costly than others, including properties facing the famous Central Park. This idea held true when an apartment at 220 Central Park South was bought for $80 million by an unknown buyer, becoming the city’s most expensive sale of 2023.
7. Great Island, $85 Million (Darien, Connecticut)
The private Great Island, covering 62 acres, with a historic mansion, polo fields, private beach, and a host of other amenities, only fetched $85 million when it sold, despite its $170 million asking price. Though the price was far less than asking, it was still an expensive purchase, making the home one of the most expensive in both the state of Connecticut and in the country.
The price was discounted when the town of Darian, rather than a person or business, decided to buy the property. Darian, which is connected to the island by Rings End Bridge – making it a natural fit and sound investment for the town – made the island available to the public in March 2024.
6. Windmill Lane, $91.5 Million (East Hampton, New York)
In 2023, a Hamptons mansion sold for over double the cost it was bought for in 2020 after the seller completely flipped the property, giving it new life and value. Initially, the property on Windmill Lane was bought in 1986 by a Union Pacific railway chairman, James H. Evans, to build his home.
The home he built was 5,500 square feet with five bedrooms. Evans also built a three-bedroom guest house on the site. After it was sold in 2020, however, the property underwent significant changes and increased substantially in value to $91.5 million.
5. Mylestone at Meadow Lane, $112.5 Million (Southampton, New York)
One of the largest estates in Southampton sold for $112.5 million, making it the biggest sale in the Hamptons and New York state in 2023. The oceanfront property on Meadow Lane is also referred to as Mylestone. It belonged to Marcia Riklis, an ad executive and the daughter of one of the Carnival Cruise Lines founders, and was sold to Meerkat LLC.
The home is 15,000 square feet in size and consists of 11 bedrooms, 12 full bathrooms, 4 half-bathrooms, a grand hall, a dining room that opens to an oceanfront patio, and many other luxurious features most of us couldn’t afford even with a massive win through casinos.com.
4. Copper Beech Farm, $138 Million (Greenwich, Connecticut)
Setting the record for the most expensive home ever sold in Connecticut was the sale of Copper Beech Farm in Greenwich for $138 million. The home offers an impressive 13,500 square feet of space and is reported to have every luxury you could ever dream of having in a home.
The property sits on a private peninsula of Greenwich, offering unobstructed, beautiful waterfront views and private living. The home was built in 1898 and is said to have beautiful private gardens. The buyer is unknown, but the purchase surprised the Greenwich region as the real estate market was struggling at the time.
3. North Ocean Boulevard, $155 Million (Palm Beach, Florida)
A 2.5-acre private beachfront home on North Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach sold for an impressive $155 million, a record-breaking amount at the time of the purchase. William Lauder, a billionaire chairman of Estée Lauder Companies, bought the home, adding to his portfolio of expensive real estate investments that also includes property on Park Avenue in New York.
2. North County Road, $170 Million (Palm Beach, Florida)
Palm Beach is known as a resort destination and is home to many lavish homes, but the most expensive of these is situated on North County Road and sold for a record-breaking $170 million.
It’s the most expensive amount spent on a Palm Beach home, and it boasts oceanfront views and a massive 25,000 square footage. The property was bought by New York car dealership owner Michael Cantanucci, who now gets to spend his days enjoying the lavish oceanside offerings of Palm Beach in his sprawling estate – something many of us can only dream of.
1. Paradise Cove, $190 million (Malibu, California)
Topping the list as the most expensive home in the United States is a home in Malibu’s Paradise Cove that is better described as a ‘fortress’. The home was sold for $190 million to the well-known and much-loved power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z. The asking price is rumoured to have been set at $250 million, though the home was sold privately, so this isn’t verified.
The home, which took 15 years to build and was completed in 2014, was commissioned by Bill and Maria Bell. They wanted it to serve as far more than a residence but also as a display space for their impressive private art collection, which included pieces from renowned artists such as Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp.
Conclusion
These multi-million-dollar homes are among the most expensive in the United States. They offer sought-after waterfront or park views and gargantuan square footages, making them luxurious, sprawling estates so large it’s hard to believe they are private residences.
