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How Rich Was the McCallister Family in ‘Home Alone’? Inside the Holiday-Favorite Family’s Wealth
Home Alone‘s hero Kevin McCallister knew how to defend his home from intruders – and how to get up to some mischief in the process – but it appears as though his rich (fictitious) family could afford the damage done.
How Rich Were the McCallisters in ‘Home Alone’?
In short, very rich. Home Alone opens with a gorgeous look at a holiday-adorned suburban Chicago neighborhood, landing on the McCallister family’s home. The sprawling house was stunning by 1990 standards – the year the first film came out – and still stands today in one of the Windy City’s most affluent areas, Winnetka.
In fact, Winnetka isn’t just one of Chicago’s wealthy hot spots, but is one of the most expensive places to call home in the United States, according to a holiday-timed investigation by The New York Times. Only members of the top 1 percent could call 671 Lincoln Avenue home, and according to experts at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the same standard applies today.
How Much Money Did the McCallisters in ‘Home Alone’ Make per Year?
The economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago estimated that in order to afford their family home without spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing, the McCallisters would have needed to bring in roughly $305,000 per year in 1990. In today’s money, that’s a staggering $665,000.
How Much Money Did the McCallister Family Home Cost?
Every Millennial’s favorite (and out of reach) app, Zillow, estimates that the McCallister family home would set you back roughly $2.4 million today.
What Did Kevin McCallister’s Parents Do for Work?
While it’s never clearly stated what Kevin’s parents do for a living in the film, there was a plethora of mannequins laying around the house – cleverly used by Kevin to thwart off Harry and Marv. With that information, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that Kevin’s mom, Kate, worked in fashion.
As for Peter, Kevin’s dad, it’s been assumed that he likely worked in the business industry. Or, as The New York Times estimated, he could’ve been a member of Chicago’s organized crime, effectively putting a target on his family’s home in the eyes of the Wet Bandits. Will we ever know? Who’s to say.
How Much Damage Did Kevin McCallister Do to His House?
In a successful attempt to save his house from robbery, Kevin created an elaborate web of misery-inflicting booby traps for Harry and Marv to encounter. With such extremes taken, however – like throwing paint cans off the stairwell, climbing floating shelves in an attempt to steal his brother’s money, heating the doorknob and throwing an iron down the laundry shoot – Kevin’s home was in need of repairs.
As it turns out, Kevin’s Christmas operation caused roughly $11,800 worth of damage to the family home, according to calculations made by Swift Direct Blinds. Would homeowners insurance have covered the bill? For the drywall climbing spell, possibly, according to Independent Agent Magazine. But the heated doorknob and iron debacle? Kevin would have had to have explained himself.
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