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Price tags · Puzzle #3 · Friday, October 2

Price tags: the answers

Four questions, each with one true number. Here they are with their answers, how to reason each one out, and where the number comes from. Play today's Price tags.

  1. 1. A year of new apartments: At its August 2026 pace, how much were Americans spending a year building new apartment buildings?

    Photo: Marek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato) Photo portfolio, CC BY 3.0
    Counts
    new private multifamily buildings
    Measured as
    a seasonally adjusted annual rate

    The answer: about $116 billion. That August, Americans were spending more than three times as much a year on new single-family houses, about $403 billion.

    Source: US Census Bureau, Monthly Construction Spending, August 2026

  2. 2. One concert ticket: On average, how much did Live Nation's concerts take in per fan in 2025?

    Photo: Andy Buckingham from Bristol, England, CC BY 2.0
    Counts
    Concerts segment revenue divided by fans who attended

    The answer: about $131. About 159 million fans went to Live Nation shows in 2025, its biggest year ever.

    Napkin math
    1. $100for a ticket
    2. +$30for food and a T-shirt

    ≈$130

    Source: Live Nation Entertainment (SEC Form 10-K), Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025

  3. 3. America's pets: How much did Americans spend on their pets in 2025, according to the American Pet Products Association?

    Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
    Households with a pet
    95 million
    Includes
    Food, vet care, supplies and services

    The answer: about $158 billion. That was up 3.7% from 2024, and APPA projected $165 billion for 2026.

    Napkin math
    1. 90Mhouseholds with a pet (about 2 in 3)
    2. ×$1,500each a year

    ≈$135B

    Source: American Pet Products Association, U.S. Pet Industry Reaches $158 Billion in 2025, Poised for Continued Growth in 2026

  4. 4. Michael Jordan's 1998 'Last Dance' jersey: What did the jersey Michael Jordan wore in Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals sell for at auction on Joopiter in August 2026?

    Photo: United Press International, Public domain
    What
    The white Chicago Bulls #23 jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 Finals
    Rarity
    The only publicly known white game-winning jersey from those Finals offered for sale
    Sold
    Joopiter (online), August 2026

    The answer: $12.26 million. It became the most expensive basketball jersey ever sold at auction.

    Napkin math: Another Jordan jersey from the same Finals sold for about $10 million in 2022, so this one should land a bit above that.

    Source: CNN, Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ 1998 Finals jersey sells for a record $12.26 million

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