How Many Homes Does Barack Obama Own?

Publish date: 2024-04-29

Presidential figures are among the most acclaimed figures in history, with Barack Obama being no exception. With such a famed man who lived eight years in the White House, it is an interesting question how many homes he owns now after presidency.

Barack Obama can be presumed to own three residences. It is unknown whether his previous residence in Chicago, Illinois near the Kenwood and Hyde Park neighborhoods is still owned by him. He also has a home in Washington, D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood and Martha’s Vineyard in Edgartown, Massachusetts.

To learn more about Barack Obama’s current residences and the story of their attainment, keep reading below.

Temporary Residences/Vacations

Before elaborating on former president Barack Obama’s current residences, it is important to differentiate from some rental properties he has previously used. It is a common practice for presidents to have “summer White Houses” and sometimes even “winter White Houses.”

Obama spent time at Blue Heron Farm at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts for two weeks every summer during his first term. During the winter, he returned to his birthplace of Hawaii to Paradise Point at Kailua Bay in Oahu in the winters of his first term and to Plantation Estate.

Chicago Residence

Barack Obama met his wife, Michelle Obama, in Chicago where she grew up. His daughters, Malia and Sasha, were also both born there.

He moved here in 2005 after receiving a book deal. The house was valued at $1.6 million at that time.

Despite Obama’s history on Greenwood Avenue, in the Kentwood and Hyde Park area, he made it clear that he would not live there after his presidency. This was mainly due to the fact that it would be a popular tourist attraction, and there would no longer be Secret Service protection on his block after he left office.

A photograph of the Obama family is visible in the Instagram picture below posted by Michelle herself.

Washington D.C. Residence

The Obama family moved to a rented home only two miles from the White House. It was over 8,000 square feet with extremely high-profile neighbors such as Ivanka Trump and Jeff Bezos.

They soon decided to outright purchase this residence and put their roots down here. This was largely decided due to Barack’s daughter, Sasha, being in school.

The home is located in the Kalorama neighborhood. It was valued at around $8 million at the time of purchase.

To watch a video of Obama’s post-presidential home watch below.

Martha’s Vineyard Residence

The latest addition to Barack Obama’s home portfolio occurred in 2019. Following the upward trend in valuation, his latest addition was valued at nearly $12 million at the time of purchase.

While the home is slightly smaller at just under 7,000 square feet, it sits atop 29 acres in Martha’s Vineyard. It was purchased from Wyc Grousbeck who is leader and governor of the NBA’s Boston Celtics.

This purchase was not totally out of the blue as the Obama family had spent many summers in Martha’s Vineyard. They had even rented this home previously in 2018.

This latest home purchase even features its own private beach and boathouse. This area is a common location for presidential vacations, but this is the first occurrence of a president purchasing a home there.

Controversy

In a speech to honor Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama said, “There’s only so big a house you can have.” He has also been a proponent of global warming and climate change activism.

However, some people felt his statement was hypocritical being placed between his two most expensive and largest home purchases.