We tend to think of United States presidents as living wealthy and elegant lifestyles. After all, most modern presidents start rich and leave the White House much, much richer.
However, you’d be surprised at how many of these presidents came from very humble beginnings. And in order to understand just how humble that can be, you need to see their childhood homes.
That’s why we rounded up this closer look at the childhood homes of America’s 20 most famous presidents. Here you’ll discover where your favorite presidents spent their formative childhood years!
Joe Biden
Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States. Nowadays, he and his family live in the White House. But growing up, Biden actually lived in this three-story home in Scranton, Pennsylvania, nestled cozily on Washington Avenue.
And Biden made sure no one will forget that fact. On Election Day, he wrote a little message on one of the home’s walls. The message reads, “From this house to the White House with the grace of God. Joe Biden 11-3-2020.”
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is known for living in opulent estates in New York and his favorite Florida hideaway in Mar-a-Lago. But growing up, he actually moved to this brick home in Queens, New York, when he was four years old.
There are a whopping 23 rooms in the house, and Trump lived large until he was 13 years old. At this point, he left the house for military boarding school.
RELATED: The Controversial Life of Donald Trump Before the Fame
Barack Obama
Barack Obama has a reputation for being pretty chill and laid back. Of course, growing up in Hawaii will do that to you!
Obama lived in this spacious 2,602-square-foot home in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 1964 to 1967. But it’s pretty expensive these days: Obama’s childhood home was listed for sale in February 2020 for a whopping $2.2 million!
George W. Bush
George W. Bush branded himself as a kind of “shoot from the hip” cowboy kind of president. But what else would you expect from someone who grew up in Texas?
From ages five to nine, Bush lived in this modest home in Midland, Texas. It was purchased in 1951 by George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, making this home a real legacy residence for American presidents.
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton has become pretty much synonymous with money and power. And it’s true that he now lives a very extravagant lifestyle. But this wasn’t always the case!
Clinton actually lived in this two-and-a-half story home in Hope, Arkansas for the first four years of his life. It was here that he was raised by his mother as well as his maternal grandparents.
Ronald Reagan
While George W. Bush fancied himself a cowboy, he was really just following the model set by Ronald Reagan. As an actor turned president, Reagan was no stranger to wealthy living, but he grew up in a humble home.
Between 1920 to 1924, Reagan lived in this home in Dixon, Illinois. While his family would move around a lot, this home will always have a special place in the Reagan family history.
RELATED: 10 Celebrities Who Left Hollywood To Work In Politics
Jimmy Carter
We have focused on many presidents whose childhood homes are pretty simplistic. But Jimmy Carter has all living presidents beat when it comes to humble childhood homes!
When he was only four years old, Carter moved to this home in Plains, Georgia. And “plain” is right: this home had no indoor plumbing or electricity!
Gerald Ford
Like many presidents, Gerald Ford moved around quite a bit. But there was only one home that defined his childhood, and this is it.
Between ages eight and 17, Ford lived in this home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And fans and historians alike still visit the home that inspired the 38th president.
Richard Nixon
When it comes to property, infamous president Richard Nixon is most remembered for the Watergate complex. But when he was a child, the defining property in his life was this peaceful little home in Yorba Linda, California.
Nixon was born in this home in 1913. And he and his family lived there until 1922.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson had a pretty basic upbringing in the appropriately-named Johnson City, Texas. He lived there from five years old until he graduated high school in 1924.
The home didn’t have electricity or indoor plumbing, but it was still dear to Johnson. That must be why he later had an architect reconstruct his childhood home.
RELATED: Inside Barack & Michelle Obama’s New Martha’s Vineyard Home
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy is one of the most famous faces on this list. His presidency was warmly remembered as a “Camelot,” but his childhood home was far from royal.
Kennedy was born in this home in Brookline, Massachusetts. In fact, he was born in the master bedroom and lived in this home until he was 10 years old.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower actually made history when he was born in this two-story home in Denison, Texas. That’s because he became the first president of the United States to be born in Texas!
He wasn’t there very long, though. In fact, Eisenhower’s family moved to Kansas when he was only 18 months old.
Harry Truman
While Eisenhower made history for Texas, Harry Truman would make history for Missouri. That’s because Truman was born in this home in Lamar, Missouri, making him the only president born in this state.
As for the house itself, it was a simple 20-by-28-foot structure. But its design looks surprisingly modern.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt was an influential president whose childhood home formed the bookends of his life. That’s because he was born in this estate in 1882 and was ultimately buried there upon his death in 1945.
Located in Hyde Park, New York, the property is known as Springwood Estate or simply the House at Hyde Park. But as Roosevelt’s lifelong home, it also came to be known as the “Summer White House” due to his many visits there during his presidency.
RELATED: Cheating Presidents: The Most Scandalous Affairs in U.S. History
William Howard Taft
It’s not too hard to find William Howard Taft’s childhood home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Why? Because it’s been turned into a national historic site!
Visitors can appreciate the home that Taft lived in from the time he was born to when he first went off to college in 1874.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt is another president whose childhood digs aren’t that hard to find. He was born in a New York City townhouse that has since been transformed into a museum. And the charismatic future president lived there until he was 14 years old.
Abraham Lincoln
Out of all the presidents, you should find Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home the least surprising. After all, it has become part of Lincoln’s mythology!
He was born in a log cabin in Louisville, Kentucky. While you can no longer visit the real thing, there is a symbolic replica located at the National Historical Park in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson’s early life was defined by plantations. He was born on the Shadwell but spent most of his childhood at the Tuckahoe Plantation in Virginia.
As a child, he studied in a one-room schoolhouse on the property. Miraculously, that schoolhouse is still standing to this day!
RELATED: 10 Oddest Photos of Presidents With Celebrities
John Adams
John Adams had the unenviable task of serving as the first United States president since George Washington. It was pretty stressful, but at least his childhood was relaxing!
That’s because Adams was born in this quaint little cottage in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was bought by his father in 1720, and the rest is history.
George Washington
While he wasn’t born there, George Washington moved to Ferry Farm in Fredericksburg, Virginia when he was six years old. Here, the mind and body of America’s first president and bold Revolutionary War leader was formed.
While the original structure is no longer standing, you can visit a very accurate replica created by The George Washington Foundation. Who knows? You may find the place just as inspirational as George Washington found the real thing!