TV & Movies
The McCallisters In Home Alone Are Richer Than You Think
The fictional family was part of the one percent.
There’s a reason why Kevin McCallister was totally fine by himself in Home Alone — aside from his smarts. In a Dec. 20 report, The New York Times investigated how much money the McCallisters have, a question that viewers of the Christmas classic have wondered for years, and concluded that the family was, unsurprisingly, pretty rich.
In the 1990 film, burglar duo The Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv, target the McCallister home due to its size and location in a wealthy neighborhood, speculating that it could have valuable goods like “VCRs and stereos” (well, valuable for the ’90s).
They decide to strike after finding out that the entire family is headed to Paris for Christmas, not anticipating Kevin being left behind.
Their lavish home combined with the ability to take the entire extended family to Paris has always made fans wonder just how much the McCallisters are worth. 34 years later, they have an answer.
How Rich Are The McCallisters?
In their quest, the NYT turned to economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, who calculated that the McCallisters were part of the one percent.
In real life, the now-famous house is located in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the area. Kate and Peter McCallister would have had to earn around $305,000 per year to afford it, which would put them in the top one percent of earners in Chicago in 1990.
Today, Zillow estimates that the house is worth a whopping $2.4 million, which the economists estimate would require an income of $730,000 to afford the mortgage.
What Did The McAllisters Do?
The McCallister parents’ occupations were never revealed in Home Alone (likely because they were too busy trying to get home to Kevin). Some fans speculated that Kate was a fashion designer, as Kevin used several mannequins inside the house as part of his traps to catch the Wet Bandits, but this was never confirmed.
However, Todd Strasser made that theory a reality in his novelization of Home Alone, and the filmmakers didn’t object, recalling to NYT that they essentially told him, “Here’s the script, do whatever you want.” Therefore, he made Kate a designer and Peter a businessman, because it was a “safe bet.”
However, Strasser clarified his belief that the McCallisters were “upper middle class” but not “super rich.” In the movie, Kate mentions that Peter’s brother Rob actually paid for the family’s trip to Paris, including first-class tickets for the adults.
He also owns both a New York townhouse and the penthouse in Paris they’re traveling to.
His job is not mentioned anywhere, including Strasser’s novelization, but it’s clear that Rob is the true McCallister breadwinner.
