The Vice President’s Home Valued At $7.5 Million (Infographic)

Two years ago this month, the Movoto Real Estate Blog took on a challenge of Presidential proportions: we figured out how much it would cost to buy the White House, perhaps the world’s most recognizable private residence.

While the President’s abode certainly deserves the attention it receives, there’s another residence in Washington, D.C. that holds considerable importance when it comes to the highest office in the land. That place is Number One Observatory Circle, home to the Vice President of the United States. Today, we’re going to determine how much this property would cost if you could actually buy it.

According to our calculations, it would fetch a diplomatic $7,539,600 on today’s real estate market. Of course, more went into finding this figure than simply tallying up the numbers. Keep reading to find out how we got this Vice Presidential price tag and what, exactly, it includes.

The Three Branches Of Evaluation

Whether we’re evaluating a fictional property from “Game of Thrones” or something a bit closer to home, there are three steps to electing a value for a home that will never be for sale:

• The location


• The size


• Comparable properties

Truth be told, as I was going through each step, I flip-flopped a bit between each, discovering various details about the home’s size as I read about its location, and vice (president) versa.

I’d be a lame duck if I didn’t sort this into an organized platform, so let’s start with the location and go from there. Or as Joe Biden might say, “Let’s just be smart about it this time. I’m looking for smart.”

Where Is Number One Observatory Circle?

Source: Flickr user Steve Fernie

Often times when evaluating a fictional property, we have to make some pretty sweeping estimates in determining the home’s location, pinning down vague areas like “somewhere in Northern Italy,” or “maybe in Ontario.” The nice thing about evaluating an actual property is that the information is already out there. In fact, there was no deficit in details.

Number One Observatory Circle is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory at 34th St. and Massachusetts Avenue NW, about a mile northeast of Georgetown University.

What started out as the home of the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory officially became the residence of the VP in 1974. Even after 40 years and various renovations, the house still maintains its charming Queen Anne style and three-story structure. Which brings us to our next point, just how big is Number One Observatory Circle?

How Big Is It?

This three-story brick house is a very compact 39 by 77 feet, which adds up to 3,003 square feet per floor or a total of 9,150 square feet for all three (plus various nooks and crannies).

On the ground floor is a reception hall, living room, sitting room, sun porch, dining room and small pantry, plus lavatories added later to the north side. The second floor contains two bedrooms, a study, and a den. The third floor attic was originally servants’ quarters and storage space. The kitchen was placed in the basement, along with a laundry room and other storerooms.

Now that we know the size of the Veep’s house, what about the comparable properties?

A Landslide of Comparable Properties

At first, I thought it was going to be difficult to find properties similar to One Observatory Circle in the nation’s capital. Once I started looking, however, I was simply overwhelmed by potential nominees.

In the end, I had to narrow my criteria down to only search for detached single family homes in Washington, D.C., built before the year 1920. In this way, I was able to select 10 front runners in order to come up with an average price per square foot of $824.

Tallying It All Up

The votes are in: with a size of 9,150 square feet and a price of $824 per square foot, Number One Observatory Circle came in at a very Vice Presidential price tag of $7,539,600.

To put that into perspective for you, that’s about 15 times less expensive than the President’s pad (the White House would set you back approximately $110 million). Don’t fret, Mr. Vice President, your place is still worth about five times as much as the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister’s) house.

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