Former President Jimmy Carter Spent His Last 43 Years Living In A $167,000 House. Here's A Look At The Homes Of Recent Past Presidents

No one could accuse the late former President Jimmy Carter of hoarding fortunes in murky trusts and eliciting favors from lobbyists and foreign governments. The famously devout Christian – as profiled here in The New York Times – spent the last 43 years of his life living in a modest four-bedroom ranch house in rural Plains, Georgia, assessed most recently for $167,066 according to public property records, as revealed by CNBC. Even at the current Zillow assessment of $247,100, the home is well below the website’s median for the state of $326,280.

Don't Miss:

• These five entrepreneurs are worth $223 billion – they all believe in one platform that offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends
• Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Many are rushing to grab 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.26/share!

A Prolific Writer

A prolific writer, Carter made the majority of his money post-presidency from writing books – in all, 66 bear his name, according to Thrifbooks.com. However, People puts the number of books he authored at 32, with many of them bestsellers. He wrote on diverse topics, including faith and foreign and domestic policy, which allowed him to go on book and speaking tours. However, according to The Independent, he reportedly rejected many of the engagements he was offered – often a lucrative source of income for many other former presidents. Unlike them, however, Carter did not charge big speaking fees and donated much of the money he received to charity. In addition, he often flew on commercial flights, shaking hands with passengers as he took his seat, as this video on People shows.

“I’ve never criticized what Presidents Nixon, Ford or Reagan do with their post-White House years,” Carter told The Los Angeles Times. “But that’s not what I want out of life.”

See Also: Unlock the hidden potential of commercial real estate — This platform allows individuals to invest in commercial real estate offering a 12% target yield with a bonus 1% return boost today!

Humility And A Modest Lifestyle

The Carters were not flashy people, eating Saturday night dinners on paper plates with neighbors and showing up to a local Dollar General store opening where he bought clothes, according to a 2011 Rolling Stone article. Despite his humble lifestyle, Carter, according to Celebrity Net Worth, was worth $10 million at the time of his death, which is a sizable sum compared to most Americans but modest compared to other American Presidents. 

During his presidency, Carter earned $200,000 a year as a salary – the standard at the time (presidents currently earn $400,000 annually). In addition, as a former President, Carter earned a pension of $207,800 a year, plus $150,000 a year for staff like his Secret Service protection. All ex-presidents are given allowances for expenses like travel and office space. In 2024, Carter received around $118,000 in such allowances, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, a conservative advocacy group.

Carter’s lifestyle differs markedly from that of other recent presidents, most obviously from Donald Trump, whose 17-acre home in Palm Beach’s Mar-a-Lago was estimated by Forbes to be worth $325 million in 2023.

Trending: Jeff Bezos-Backed Arrived Homes Hits A Big Sale On Charlotte Property – Investors Earning A 34.7% Return

Post-Presidency Wealth

Former presidents are not immune to the financial trappings that being the leader of the free world affords. Soon after Barack Obama left office, he purchased a mansion worth $8.1 million in Washington. This was reportedly followed by a 2019 purchase of a nearly $12 million estate on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard and a lucrative multiyear deal – as described by Billboard – with Amazon-owned audiobook and podcast service Audible.

As Vox and many other outlets reported, the Obamas also received a $65 million advance for their memoirs. In addition, the high-voltage couple signed a deal to produce shows with Netflix – thought to be in the tens of millions – as reported by Deadline, many of which have already been big hits.

Trending: Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – with $1,000 you can invest at just $0.26/share!

According to Forbes, Joe Biden reportedly has a net worth of $10 million, while Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton have a combined net worth of $120 million. Very little of that is in real estate, however. The famous couple owns a home in Chappaqua, New York, purchased in 1999 for $1.7 million and the next-door property they reportedly bought in 2016 for $1.1 million. They also own a home in D.C., purchased for $2.85 million in 2000. 

According to CBS, former President George Bush – who earned $15 million in his first two years out of office on the speaking circuit – owns a 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas and a four-bedroom home in Dallas, valued at $2.5 million, according to public property records. 

Carter’s attitude toward money is best shown by the quote, “We give money, we don’t take it,” which the late president told The Los Angeles Times in 1989. Though he only served one term, his humanitarian legacy and humility will endure for generations.

Read Next:

• Commercial real estate has historically outperformed the stock market, and this platform allows individuals to invest in commercial real estate with as little as $5,000 offering a 12% target yield with a bonus 1% return boost today!
• Bezos' Favorite Real Estate Platform Launches A Way To Ride The Ongoing Private Credit Boom