‘Home Alone’ Wealth: The Real Cost of the Big House and Paris Family Vacation
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Gary Dudak
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Every year around this time, as people settle into watching their favorite holiday films, there is one big question that comes up without fail: What kind of jobs did Kevin McCallister’s parents have in “Home Alone” to be able to afford that sprawling house and take a family of 15 to Paris for the holidays?
As you might recall, if you’ve ever seen the 1990 John Hughes family classic starring Macaulay Culkin in his breakout role, the McCallister family lives in the wealthy suburbs of Chicago.
The movie begins with the large clan about to embark on an international trip for the holidays, including Uncle Frank and his brood. The ticket prices alone, with or without the first-class markup, from the U.S. to Paris would be astronomical.
So, given what everyone knows about real estate costs, the price of airline tickets and just the general economic upheaval of today, how much would the McCallister home (along with a Paris vacation) run you, exactly? Let’s find out.
How Rich Was the ‘Home Alone’ Family?
This question has become meme fodder, and so overanalyzed that conspiracy theories range from mob involvement for Peter McCallister to him being a high-priced assassin. The movie does take place in the one-time mobster mecca of Chicago, so some theories may hold water. On the other hand, there is some information on what the fictional parents may have done to legitimately earn all that money.
In real life, after being newly renovated, the property used as the 1990 McCallister home in the film is currently valued at about $5.5 million as of a sale in January 2025. With that in mind, here are some other key takeaways about housing and travel costs back then compared to now:
- The real house where the movie was filmed (at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois) sold for $875,000 in 1989, $1.58 million in 2012, $5.25 million in 2024 and then $5.5 million at the beginning of 2025
- In the year 1990, 15 flights from Chicago to Paris — including 11 economy and four first-class tickets on American Airlines, which they flew in the film — would have cost about $35,320, according to prior calculations by WMUR.
- On Kayak, the current cheapest flight for one ticket, flying Dec. 20 and coming home Dec. 26 (from Chicago to Paris), would be about $1,333 for multiple stops and $2,323 for the most direct route. Non-stop first-class tickets on the same flight would cost a whopping $20,067 each. (This was the least expensive non-stop first class option for these dates on Kayak via Air France as of Nov. 17, 2025.)
- As it didn’t seem like the family had any layovers, this would mean that the family-friendly Christmas trip to Paris would run the McCallisters upwards of $105,821 in today’s dollars.
So, How Could They Afford It?
When you consider the implied careers the parents had, it would make sense how they might be able to afford it all. “Home Alone” experts have detailed that the novelization for the film, written by Todd Strasser, alludes to the fact that dad Peter is a successful businessman (and possibly a day trader) and mom Kate is a fashion designer. This is how Kevin got all the mannequins he needed in one notable robber-thwarting scene.
Their combined income in the ’90s is estimated to have been around $234,000. Assuming Peter was a top earner, his job would have netted around $200,000 annually at that time, per The Washington Post. Kate’s job would have paid around $34,000 (using the WealthierToday.com inflation calculator to adjust from a current salary of about $77,000 as suggested by Salary.com). In 2024, Peter would probably earn around $328,000 at the top end, per Comparably.
That being said, with today’s tariffs and inflation greatly increasing the price of everything from flights to the general cost of living, it’s doubtful that the McCallisters could splurge on a trip of this magnitude on their salaries, unless otherwise independently wealthy.
Final Take To GO: ‘Home Alone’ Real Estate and Luxury Travel
The bottom line is that audience members, no matter the film, should expect to have to suspend some disbelief. However, it is interesting — maybe even aspirational — to see how attainable the lifestyle is from some of your favorite childhood movies. Although once you do the modern-day math, you may find the prices not to be so kid-friendly.
Selena Fragassi contributed to the reporting for this article.
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