The roots of California's housing problems aren't particularly hard to trace given the reams of house-price and population data going back decades. For instance, the Los Angeles Times reported that the median price of a California home in 1970 was only 5% higher than the national average at $24,300. That year's nationwide median price was $23,400, which translates to a low $181,000 price in 2023 dollars after adjusting for inflation.