What You Never Knew About Beyoncé And Jay-Z's Homes

When most people think of a celebrity power couple, most think of Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z. After all, how many other people do you know who are regularly referred to as "Queen"? Both stars are undoubtedly talented and have taken the music world by storm, and their net worth reflects that. According to L'Officiel, the couple is worth a combined $1.8 billion, making them one of the world's richest celeb couples.

It all started three decades ago when the now-married pair started dating. They met when Beyoncé was just 18 years old, per Brides. About eight years later, they tied the knot in a secret ceremony, and three years after that, they grew their family when they welcomed their first child. However, through it all — both before and after the stars aligned for the couple — it seems that real estate has been important to Beyoncé and Jay-Z. They've called houses all over the country home, and their real estate portfolio has reflected their growing fortune. Here are the places that the icons have rested their heads through the years.

With its distressed façade, arched windows and doors, and radiant gold finishes, this 100-year-old mansion in the heart of the Garden District of New Orleans doesn't exactly look like a home from the outside. And that's because it wasn't, originally. According to TMZ, Beyoncé purchased a church in 2018 intending to turn it into a plush pad, and that she did. But it wasn't without some serious work. Although she snagged the 7,500 square foot building for only $850,000, which is significantly less cash than she's used to spending on real estate, it needed some serious revamping at the time. That is partly why the congregation that gathered here decided to offload it.

However, if anyone could transform this stunning space with 18-foot ceilings into a star-worthy residence, it would be Beyoncé. She converted it into a $2.4 million mansion with six bedrooms, colorful walls, a marble floor, and more one-of-a-kind details. But in 2021, the home was nearly lost, reported New York Post. A fire broke out in its great room, a space that once served as the sanctuary for the Seventh & Camp Church of Christ. Luckily, the suspected arson fire was put out in about an hour, no one was hurt, and the damage was minimal.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z haven't been residents in "Billionaire Bunker," a super-exclusive island in Biscayne Bay, Miami, for more than a decade, but their presence hasn't been forgotten. This tiny island with only 34 homes may be small, but its residents couldn't be more elite or safe here, said Insider. Some people who live here include Victoria's Secret icon Adriana Lima, investor Carl Icahn, and former senior advisor and daughter of Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump. They're more than protected thanks to constant security and an island police force, which guards the area by air, land, and sea at all times.

Here, Beyoncé and Jay-Z once lived in a stunning Spanish-style mansion with seven bedrooms, but in 2010, a Dutch businessman became the new owner. He paid more than $9 million for 40 Indian Creek Drive, said Forbes. However, Love Property suspects that Beyoncé and Jay-Z were likely tenants here instead of owners. Regardless of who paid the mortgage, this is one stunning yet secretive home. It has a long private driveway, lush foliage surrounding the entire property, and a pool and hot tub backing up into the bay.

Most of us couldn't imagine getting married at home, especially if "home" means our partner's former bachelor pad. However, this bachelor pad lacks the usual dated couch and pile of video games. In 2004, Jay-Z purchased a Tribeca penthouse at 195 Hudson St. for $6.85 million, which would be more than $10 million today, per New York Post. About four years of apartment ownership and six years of dating later, the couple said their I do's here in a ceremony and reception that was kept secret from the public. A tent, a swarm of servers, and tons of flowers eventually tipped off the media.

With 8,000 square feet inside and 3,000 square feet outside, this penthouse has more in common with a wedding venue than most New York City apartments, said Observer. It also wasn't easy for Jay-Z to find it back in 2004. Before settling on this seventh-floor penthouse in a former warehouse, he toured several celebrity condos, including Robert De Niro's. In 2015, million-dollar buyers had the opportunity to possibly run into Beyoncé and Jay-Z themselves when another apartment in the building, which has a shared roof deck with the power couple's unit, went up for sale.

It's been a long time since "Empire State of Mind" first graced the radio in 2009, but 560 State Street, Brooklyn — which is where Jay-Z lived in 1997 — is immortalized thanks to its mention in the hit song. In the song, Jay-Z calls the address his "stash spot." Thanks to Global Grind, we know that he specifically means unit 10C. About five years after the song came out, the Boerum Hill apartment hit the market to the glee of Jay-Z fans. The 1,045 square foot two-bedroom apartment was listed for $870,000, but judging from the photos, it had been updated since Jay-Z called it home.

It featured a sun-filled open floor plan, 1.5 bathrooms, wood floors, tall ceilings, a kitchen with an island, six tall windows, and even a building courtyard that Jay-Z used to frequent. However, even though Jay-Z is far beyond living anywhere worth less than $1 million, he still sometimes finds himself near his old stomping grounds. That's because Jay-Z and Beyoncé often catch Brooklyn Nets games at the Barclays Center, which is only a short walk from 560 State Street.

When Destiny's Child announced their breakup in 2005, it was likely a frightening time for Beyoncé, as she didn't yet know that her solo career would skyrocket the way it has. Perhaps she was doing a little real estate therapy when she purchased a condo on the 44^th floor of One Beacon Court for a little more than $5 million, reported Observer. More than a decade later, though, she bid the apartment and her Destiny's Child days goodbye when she sold the unit — in less than two weeks — for nearly double what she paid for.

The three-bedroom condo encompasses 2,500 square feet and features 11-foot floor-to-ceiling windows. It also has oak floors, top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, amazing views of the city, an open floorplan, and finishes personally chosen by a celebrity interior designer, said Dirt. Beyoncé loved it so much that her mom, Tina Knowles, had a unit in the building, too, just two floors underneath her daughter. However, as the years went on, it simply didn't have the same caliber as the other properties that the power couple spends time in. Beyoncé and Jay-Z would usually head to their Tribeca penthouse while in the Big Apple, and visiting family members and friends would stay at this former bachelorette pad instead.

Most of us are more than happy to head back home after a hospital stay welcoming a new addition, but Beyoncé and Jay-Z one-upped that when they rented a Malibu estate for a few months following the birth of their twins, Rumi and Sir, reported Curbed. However, even this was no ordinary Malibu mansion. What's also known as La Villa Contenta is a stunning property that hit the market in 2017 for more than $54 million. This six-acre compound at 26880 Pacific Coast Highway cost the new family $400,000 per month to rent.

However, it sounds like it was more than worth it. The estate features beautiful mosaic tiles tenderly laid by hand, an intricately-carved limestone ceiling, a fireplace entirely constructed of marble made by Hermès, and it gets even more star-worthy outside. In case its 12,000 square feet isn't enough, there are six more bedrooms in the separate guesthouse, as well as another more private guesthouse with one bedroom, reported Variety. The grounds are also home to colorful gardens, an infinity pool, manicured lawns, and an area for playing tennis. In case that isn't enough, this private property is tucked behind top-of-the-line security and a foreboding gate that offers a birds-eye-view of the ocean beyond.

There's a lot of high-priced real estate in Los Angeles County, perhaps the most popular celebrity spot on the planet. But in 2017, Beyoncé and Jay-Z's new home in Bel-Air topped the charts at a whopping $88 million, making it the most expensive property sold in the county that year, said Nimvo. But that $88 million was a steal — the mansion was estimated to cost $30 million more than that. Considering Beyoncé and Jay-Z's long search for a Los Angeles home, their colossal purchase wasn't completely surprising. They spent three years searching for a spot for their family and were outbid twice for other estates in the county.

Finally, though, this modern white mansion on two acres became theirs. Its photos can be deceiving, but the entire property includes a half-dozen separate buildings amounting to 30,000 square feet. Through that colossal space, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have eight bedrooms, a garage that can house 15 cars, four different resort-style swimming pools (including one on the roof), and an area for playing basketball at their disposal. Even more amazingly, it still wasn't up to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's standards when they signed on the dotted line. They spent nearly $1 million more on renovations before moving in. This included installing a second generator in case of the first one's failure, and building additional living space in one section.

A place known as the Pond House may sound quaint, but the actual Pond House — which sits on the banks of Georgica Pond in the Hamptons — is anything but quaint. Instead, at nearly $26 million, it's simply incredible. It features floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room directly facing the pond, carved blonde wood walls, herringbone floors, brick fireplaces, and a cozy country feel that's perfectly in line with Hamptons living, reported StreetEasy. And that country feel is no façade. An enormous nature preserve spanning 17 acres is right next door to the already-secluded home, ensuring privacy for the A-listers.

Plus, Beyoncé and Jay-Z scored a real deal on this plush pad. It grew stale on the market for eight years, listed at nearly $40 million, but when no buyers came forward, and the price finally dropped, the power couple put in their bid. There's even another home on the property, too. It includes a guest house with two bedrooms, ideal for visiting family and friends. Also, when Beyoncé and Jay-Z bought it, it had been freshly renovated after being built in 2008. During its renovation, the entire mansion was rotated 90 degrees, ensuring the best views of the lake from the heart of the home.

Clearly, whatever Jay-Z touches turns to (more) millions. In 2007, the music icon spent some time renting an ultra-luxe penthouse in the Time Warner Building when he was a tenant of Michael Hirtenstein's, the founder of Westcom Communications. However, about four years later, the apartment was bought by Taek Jho Low, a socialite from Malaysia who was known for being friendly with celebrities like Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, and Lindsay Lohan, per New York Post. But this was no ordinary sell. Low paid $31 million for the 75^th-floor penthouse, the highest price that a pad at 25 Columbus Circle had ever fetched.

The unit has tons of high-end features, like floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the city as well as a fish tank suspended in the air (via Insider). But unlike other upscale New York City real estate listings, this apartment was also cozy. It included a plush pink kid's room with a horse-and-carriage mural on the wall, a marble bathroom and marble-floored kitchen, a private office with mahogany wood details, and pops of color throughout the space. However, it seems to have taken Low some time to finally purchase the apartment. He originally toured the penthouse two years before the sale when it was first listed by then-owner Todd Wagner, an entrepreneur who worked with Mark Cuban.

The Pond House wasn't the only Hamptons escape that Beyoncé and Jay-Z once stayed in. A decade ago, they rented what's known as Goose Creek for $500,000 per month, said, Observer. It's also on the banks of Georgica Pond, not too far from the Pond House, so the couple must have enjoyed their time there. Clearly, other A-listers did, too. Jennifer Lopez and Madonna also once rented Goose Creek, which is in the Hamptons town of Wainscott, for a getaway.

In 2018, the eight-bedroom mansion hit the market for $16 million, giving all of us a chance to glimpse inside. The space includes a private theater with a bar that can host more than 100 people, a heated pool ideal for the sometimes-chilly Hamptons summers, 11.5 bathrooms, and a huge fitness center, said Town & Country. But just like many of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's homes, it was cozy while being extra-luxe. Its living room is full of plush furniture, the outside is lined with tons of greenery, and the entire home is full of natural light and wood details.

Beverly Hills is full of famous houses, but the abode where Beyoncé filmed her "Black Is King" video may be one of the most famous in the entire city. Newspaper publisher and founder of Hearst Publications William Randolph Hearst once called this Spanish and Italian-style mansion home, and it's also been the setting for tons of Hollywood hits, including "The Godfather" and "The Bodyguard." So it's not surprising that Beyoncé chose to rent this iconic spot for her video, reported House Beautiful. The mansion, located on 1011 N. Beverly Drive, gets tons of airtime in the music video, so viewers can see the inside and outside of the compound throughout the song.

Unfortunately, the music video couldn't get the owners the $195 million they were initially seeking when they put it up for sale, reported Fancy Pants Homes. Instead, after languishing on the market for several years, it sold for just a fraction of that price at $63 million in September of 2021, reported Forbes. But that doesn't make this estate any less stunning — it features ornate gardens and a resort-style swimming pool, a colossal library towering with books through its two stories, and a flashy living room adorned with a barrel-rolled ceiling.

Take one look at the charming brick abode that Beyoncé grew up in in Houston, Texas, and it's clear where the singer's penchant for beautiful real estate came from. Once the home hit the market in 2018 for $500,000, that was clear to all of her fans, as they got a chance to see where the legend got her start. The 3,000 square foot abode sits on manicured greenery. Inside, it has lots of traditional touches like gleaming wood floors, wood trim on its white walls, a spiral wrought iron staircase, a cozy fireplace next to a grand piano, and an open floorplan, reported PaperCity Magazine.

Beyoncé's parents, Mathew and Tina Knowles, bought the house for their growing family in 1982 — Beyoncé was born just one year prior — for $64,000. Besides its sensible three bedrooms and three bathrooms, the parents likely appreciated the home's proximity to Houston's bustling Museum District and several of the city's biggest universities. However, about four years later, with the birth of Beyonce's sister Solange, the Knowles clan moved on from 2414 Rosedale to a new space.

Jay-Z's childhood wasn't as idyllic as Beyoncé's, a point he sometimes mentions in his songs or interviews. According to NYS Music, the music icon has a true rags-to-riches story, having grown up in a public housing complex in Brooklyn that struggled with gun violence and gang involvement. Unfortunately, the complex, which is called the Marcy House, continues to battle some of these issues today due to inefficient public policy or aid, even though Jay-Z has not lived there in decades.

However, the complex is also where Jay-Z got his start as a rapper 30 years ago. Here, he became known as an up-and-coming rapper in his neighborhood in the early '90s. He eventually grew into a prolific artist that will forever be cemented in music history. Partly thanks to Jay-Z, the Barclays Center, which is home to the Brooklyn Nets, decided to relocate to the borough (via The Undefeated).