Stephen King House: The Real Story Behind His Three Homes

The Stephen King house story spans three very different properties: a gate-guarded Victorian in Bangor, Maine, that inspired his most famous novel, a secluded winter estate on Florida’s Casey Key, and a low-key lake property in Center Lovell, Maine, that he’s held onto since the 1970s. This guide covers every confirmed home tied to the horror author, drawing on reporting about his Florida real estate, Wikipedia, and Celebrity Net Worth estimates, plus additional reporting on the Bangor mansion’s new chapter.

Stephen King House Quick Facts

Full NameStephen Edwin King
Date of BirthSeptember 21, 1947 — Portland, Maine
ProfessionAuthor (horror, suspense, fantasy, science fiction)
Net Worth (est. 2026)Approximately $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth
Current ResidencesSplits time between Casey Key, Florida and Center Lovell, Maine
Confirmed Real Estate1 Florida winter home, 1 former Bangor mansion (now an archive), 1 Maine lake property
SpouseTabitha King (married January 2, 1971)

1. Casey Key, Florida — His $8.9 Million Winter Home

Location: Casey Key, Sarasota County, Florida

Purchase Price: $8.9 million — 2001

Size: 7,500 square feet, three bedrooms, five bathrooms, built in 1991

Status: Active — winter residence

King added a home in Florida to his real estate portfolio in 2001, paying $8.9 million for a property on Casey Key, a record-breaking sale in Sarasota County at the time, according to Islands. The home’s exterior features concrete walls and a distinctive copper roof, with two separate buildings on the property connected by a recreation area, plus a landscaped garden and tennis court. Before buying on Casey Key, King and his wife Tabitha rented a home for three winters on nearby Longboat Key, where he recovered after being struck by a vehicle in 1999, an experience that shaped his 2008 novel Duma Key. King, who allows very little public access to his homes, still winters at the Casey Key property today.

Key Features

  • 7,500-square-foot home with concrete walls and a copper roof, purchased in 2001 for $8.9 million
  • A Sarasota County record sale at the time of purchase
  • Preceded by three winters renting a home on nearby Longboat Key
  • The Longboat Key stay directly inspired his novel Duma Key

2. West Broadway, Bangor, Maine — His Former Victorian Mansion

Location: West Broadway, Bangor, Maine

Purchase Price: $135,000 — 1980

Size: 5,000-square-foot Victorian built in 1870, five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, two acres

Status: No longer a residence — being converted into an archive and writers’ retreat

King and Tabitha bought the red Victorian mansion on West Broadway in 1980, and it became one of the most photographed private homes in the country, recognizable by its wrought-iron gate decorated with bats, spiders, and a three-headed dragon. King has said the house and Bangor itself directly shaped the fictional town of Derry in It. In 2019, Bangor’s city council approved the couple’s request to rezone the property as a nonprofit, turning the mansion into an archive of King’s papers and manuscripts and a neighboring guest house, purchased in 2004, into a retreat for up to five visiting writers, CBS News reported. The Kings’ attorney said at the time that the couple was spending less time in Bangor in favor of their other homes, where they have more privacy.

Key Features

  • 5,000-square-foot Victorian mansion purchased in 1980 for $135,000
  • Iconic wrought-iron gate featuring bats, spiders, and a three-headed dragon
  • Directly inspired the fictional setting of Derry in It
  • Rezoned in 2019 to become a nonprofit archive and writers’ retreat, not a public museum

3. Center Lovell, Maine — His Longtime Summer Home on Kezar Lake

Location: Center Lovell, Maine, on Kezar Lake

Purchase Price: Property held since 1977; a lakeside campground purchased and closed in the early 2000s

Size: Not publicly disclosed

Status: Active — summer residence

King and Tabitha first bought property in Lovell in December 1977, three years before the Bangor purchase, and kept it as a summer home afterward. The couple has continued buying in the small town along Kezar Lake over the years; in the early 2000s they purchased the lake’s only campground and closed it specifically to cut down on boat and Jet Ski traffic, a move still remembered by longtime residents, according to Down East Magazine. King is known locally for eating breakfast unobtrusively at the town’s general store counter, and the area’s quiet, unpretentious character later inspired the setting of his 2009 novel Under the Dome.

Key Features

  • Property held since December 1977, predating the Bangor mansion by three years
  • Bought and closed the lake’s only campground in the early 2000s to reduce boat traffic
  • A well-known but low-key presence in the small town of Lovell
  • Inspired the small-town setting of his novel Under the Dome

Complete Property Overview

PropertyLocationPriceStatus
Casey Key Winter HomeCasey Key, Sarasota County, FL$8.9 million (2001)Active — Winter Residence
Bangor Victorian MansionWest Broadway, Bangor, ME$135,000 (1980)No Longer a Residence — Archive & Writers’ Retreat
Center Lovell Lake PropertyCenter Lovell, ME (Kezar Lake)Held since 1977; campground purchase early 2000sActive — Summer Residence

What Stephen King’s Real Estate Choices Reveal

His Homes Trace His Own Story

Unlike celebrities who buy homes as status symbols, King’s three properties map almost directly onto his career. The Lovell land came first, in 1977, while he was still an emerging writer. The Bangor mansion, bought the year after The Shining’s film adaptation made him a household name, became the physical inspiration for Derry, the fictional town at the center of It and several other novels. Casey Key came later, after a near-fatal accident, and directly shaped the plot of Duma Key. Each property is less a display of wealth than a chapter of the source material for his fiction.

Turning Fame Into Legacy, Not Spectacle

King’s decision to rezone the Bangor mansion into a restricted-access archive, rather than a public museum, is consistent with how he has approached fame throughout his career. Bangor’s own planning officer noted the family didn’t want the house to become a tourist attraction. With an estimated net worth of $500 million built almost entirely on book royalties and adaptations, King’s real estate has stayed modest relative to his wealth, concentrated in three working homes rather than a sprawling portfolio.

Conclusion

The Stephen King house story runs from a $135,000 Victorian in Bangor that inspired Derry, Maine, to an $8.9 million winter estate on Florida’s Casey Key, to a low-key lake property in Center Lovell he’s held since 1977. Confirmed figures come from reporting on his Florida and Maine real estate, Wikipedia, and Celebrity Net Worth. GlamHomeGuide will update this page as new details are confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Stephen King live now?

Stephen King splits his time between a winter home on Casey Key, Florida, and a longtime summer property in Center Lovell, Maine. He no longer lives full-time in his famous Bangor, Maine, mansion.

Does Stephen King still own his Bangor house?

Yes. King and his wife Tabitha still own the Victorian mansion on West Broadway in Bangor, but in 2019 they won approval to convert it into a nonprofit archive of King’s work and a retreat for visiting writers, rather than living there full-time.

How much did Stephen King pay for his Florida home?

According to property records, King paid $8.9 million in 2001 for his 7,500-square-foot home on Casey Key, Florida, which was a record-breaking sale in Sarasota County at the time.

What is Stephen King’s net worth in 2026?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Stephen King’s net worth is estimated at approximately $500 million, built primarily on book royalties, film and TV adaptations, and licensing.

Is the Bangor mansion open to the public?

No. Despite years of fan interest, the property is not a museum. Access to King’s archive is restricted to scholars and researchers by appointment only.

Also Read — More Celebrity Homes

This article was researched and written by the GlamHomeGuide editorial team using publicly available information from verified sources, including Islands, CBS News, Down East Magazine, Wikipedia, and Celebrity Net Worth. All property values are approximate and based on publicly reported figures, which vary by source. GlamHomeGuide is not affiliated with Stephen King or his family.

Leave a Comment