What a $1 million home looks like in 20 different cities

December 18th, 2015 by Jason B. Vanclef

New York and Los Angeles are the best… The best at showing insanity!

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Published: Dec 18, 2015 12:59 p.m. ET      www.marketwatch.com

What $1 million buys you in San Francisco is very different than what you get in San Diego.

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U.S. home prices picked up steam in the most recent Case-Shiller report, as San Francisco, Portland and Denver all sported double-digit growth, as the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city composite, which measures the value of residential real estate in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas, saw a 5.5% yearly gain.

But what $1 million buys you in Denver is very different from what you will find in Detroit. Here’s a look at homes for sale in the $1 million range in each of the cities tracked in the 20-city composite.

The following homes and photos were randomly selected from the real-estate site Redfin …

Slide 2 ofAtlanta

Monthly change: 0.1%

Yearly change: 6.2%

For just $1,000 shy of $1 million, a home buyer in Atlanta can purchase this seven-bedroom, 6 ½-bathroom, 4,203-square-foot home in Peachtree Park. The house comes with three fireplaces, an in-law suite, a sprawling backyard, and not one but two walk-in closets.

Slide 3 ofBoston

Monthly Change: 0.1%

Yearly Change: 4.8%

In Boston, you’ll get a quarter of the square footage that you would in Atlanta, but the view may make up for it. This two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,211-square-foot condo is listed for $1 million.

The home touts an open kitchen with granite counters, oak floors throughout, and a view of the harbor and city.

You’ll also have to pay homeowner dues of $910 a month, which includes access to 24-hour concierge and a heated pool. If you want parking in the garage, that’ll be extra.

Slide 4 ofCharlotte

Monthly Change: 0.0%

Yearly Change: 4.3%

In Charlotte, you don’t even need to spend $1 million to get a charming but sprawling home. This $995,000 four-bedroom, four-bath house in South Park comes with a see-through fireplace, wine bar, bonus room with wet bar and even an exercise room. And while you’ll have to pay extra for a parking spot in Boston, this house sports a three-car garage.

Slide 5 ofChicago

Monthly Change: -0.4%

Yearly Change: 1.1%

For $998,000, you’ll be living in a two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,332-square-foot condominium unit just off Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. In addition to 12-foot ceilings and an enormous terrace, this apartment has breathtaking city views. The HOA dues will run you $676 a month, but that gets you access to a health club, pool and theater.

Slide 6 ofCleveland

Monthly Change: -0.1%

Yearly Change: 2.8%

In Cleveland, $945,000 will get you a 5,471-square-foot, six-bedroom, six-bath mini-estate in the Tudor style with a brick-paved drive and an acre and a half of landscaped property.

Slide 7 ofDallas

Monthly Change: 0.4%

Yearly Change: 9%

In Dallas, $1,195,000 would buy you a home originally built for Neiman-Marcus founders Carrie Marcus and Abraham Neiman. The four-bedroom, 3 ½-bath home comprises 5,107 square feet, with a grand staircase and French doors that open to a covered veranda overlooking a backyard with a pool.

Slide 8 ofDenver

Monthly Change: 0.4%

Yearly Change: 5.6%

This brand-new home in Denver’s Sloan Lake will run you $975,000. The house has four bedrooms, four baths and has 3,562 square feet of interior space, complete with 10-foot dual sliding glass doors and three custom fireplaces. It has an unfinished basement.

Slide 9 ofDetroit

Monthly Change: 0.0%

Yearly Change: 5.6%

We weren’t able to find any single-family homes in Detroit currently on the real-estate site Redfin priced at more than $900,000, but we branched out to the nearby city of Grosse Pointe Farms, an upscale suburb, in order to find this one.

This $1,050,000 classic French colonial home comprises 5,389 square feet of interior space and has eight bedrooms and seven baths. On top of that, you get a double oven, a library and even a pub.

Slide 10 ofLas Vegas

Monthly Change: 0.1%

Yearly Change: 5.8%

A million bucks in Sin City will land you quite the party pad. This $1,195,000 lake-view, four-bedroom, 4 ½-bath home is 4,813 square feet. It comes with a butler’s pantry, fireplace, wet bar and a backyard with pool (and slide!), spa, fire pit and covered patio.

Slide 11 ofLos Angeles

Monthly Change: 0.2%

Yearly Change: 6.4%

Longing to live in arguably the hippest of America’s hipster neighborhoods? For the price of $989,000, you get a 1,486-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath house in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles.

Slide 12 ofMiami

Monthly Change: 0.9%

Yearly Change: 7.7%

In Miami, you’re paying for the view, not the square footage. This $995,000 condo unit may be just 963 square feet, but it has a wraparound balcony and unobstructed views of the bay.

Oh, yeah, and the HOA dues are $1,898 a month. That alone is more than double the median monthly gross residential rent in the U.S., which was $905 in 2013, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Amenities include a pool, fitness center and even squash courts.

Slide 13 ofMinneapolis

Monthly Change: 0.1%

Yearly Change: 3.6%

If you’re going to spend $1 million on a house, it might as well have a basketball court.

This 5,232-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bath home just outside of Minneapolis delivers. It also has a four-car garage, water garden, entertainment center and game room.

Slide 14 ofNew York

Monthly Change: 0.1%

Yearly Change: 2.7%

In New York, you’ll pony up $1.2 million for this four-bedroom, two-story house in Brooklyn. You get a pretty big lot by New York standards — 2,000 square feet.

The home is located in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, one of New York’s least prosperous areas, with nearly 40% of people living below the poverty line, according to the New York Times.

Slide 15 ofPhoenix

Monthly Change: 0.2%

Yearly Change: 5.3%

If your ideal view is of the desert, then this Phoenix house offers killer views. For $1,199,900, you get the keys to this five-bedroom, 3 ½-bath, 4,312-square-foot home situated on nearly half an acre of land. The focus of this home is outdoor entertaining. It features a gazebo with cable access, a bocce court, a gas pit, pool and artificial turf so you can save on your water bill.

Slide 16 ofPortland

Monthly Change: 0.8%

Yearly Change: 10.1%

In downtown Portland, Ore., $1 million gets you a luxury, two-bedroom, 3 ½-bath condominium unit. At 2,104 square feet, this apartment includes a bonus room and wine refrigerator. Plus, you get a 223-square-foot deck and two parking spaces. The HOA dues run $939 a month.

Slide 17 ofSan Diego

Monthly Change: 0.6%

Yearly Change: 6.6%

This home in San Diego’s University City community has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,253 square feet. The house has two fireplaces and views of the canyon, and, since it’s close to the ocean, the listing agent touts it is receiving cooling breezes.

Slide 18 ofSan Francisco

Monthly Change: 0.6%

Yearly Change: 6.6%

In San Francisco, $929,000 will buy you a “very spacious,” 982-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment near the Caltrain station, one of the city’s major public-transit hubs. It also comes with access to a parking spot. HOA dues of $764 a month cover access to a lap pool, fitness center, party space and conference room.

Slide 19 ofSeattle

Monthly Change: 0.2%

Yearly Change: 8.2%

Here’s a whimsical home with a play loft, open skylights and clever updates. For $1,150,000 in Seattle, you can purchase this four-bedroom, 3 ½-bathroom, 1,920-square-foot home. It has deck space surrounded by gardens and is near the shopping hub of Madison Park.

Slide 20 ofTampa

Monthly Change: 0.5%

Yearly Change: 6.4%

This 1912 house is listed at $995,000 — which is $100,000 below its appraised value. This four-bedroom, 2 ½-bathroom, 2,950-square-foot house has a large porch, sun deck, wet bar, built-in china cabinets, pine floors and a double staircase. It’s located in the Morrison Grove neighborhood, with views of Bayshore.

Slide 21 ofWashington, D.C.

Monthly Change: -0.1%

Yearly Change: 2.1%

This 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath apartment in Washington is described as a bargain. It has an open kitchen, balconies, and a surround-sound, wired living room.