Melissa Gilbert is a famous actress. She played Laura Ingalls Wilder in Little House on the Prairie. She has acted, directed, and written books for many years. People want to know how much money she has in 2025. This article explains her net worth, taxes, assets, and salary in simple words. It’s written by Carrie S. Johnson, who has seven years of experience writing about money. Let’s look at Melissa Gilbert’s money story.
Why People Want to Know Melissa Gilbert’s Net Worth
Melissa Gilbert started acting when she was a kid in the 1960s. Her role as Laura in Little House on the Prairie made her a big star. Fans think someone so famous should have lots of money. But her net worth is only about $500,000 to $600,000 in 2025. Some websites say it’s as high as $3 million. Why is there a difference? Taxes, fewer acting jobs, and personal problems explain it. This article tells you the full story.
Melissa Gilbert’s Net Worth in 2025
In 2025, Melissa Gilbert’s net worth is around $500,000 to $600,000. Trusted websites like Celebrity Net Worth and Closer Weekly say this. Another site, I Like To Dabble, says $3 million, but that number doesn’t have strong proof. The lower number makes sense because Melissa had money troubles, like tax debts. Let’s see how she made her money and why it’s not more.
How Melissa Gilbert Made Her Money
Melissa has worked in show business for over 50 years. She made money in different ways. She acted in TV shows and movies. She directed shows. She wrote books. She also spoke at events. Here’s how she earned her money:
- She acted in Little House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1983. This was her biggest money-maker.
- She starred in TV movies like The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker.
- She voiced Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990s.
- She directed some TV shows, including episodes of Little House.
- She wrote two books, Prairie Tale in 2009 and Back to the Prairie in 2022.
- She was on Dancing with the Stars in 2012.
- She gets money from Little House reruns on TV.
- She speaks at events and shares her story.
These jobs gave her money, but problems kept her wealth small.
Why Her Net Worth Is Small
For a famous star, $500,000 to $600,000 seems low. Here’s why. Melissa owed a lot in taxes. In 2015, she owed $360,000 to the government. In 2013, she owed $112,000. These debts took away her savings. After Little House, she got fewer acting jobs, mostly in TV movies that paid less. She went through a divorce in 2011, which cost money. She also had problems with alcohol and drugs, which hurt her work. The 2008 money crisis made things harder. All these things kept her net worth low.
Melissa Gilbert’s Assets
Assets are things you own that are worth money, like houses or cars. Melissa’s assets are part of her net worth. She doesn’t have fancy things like some stars. Let’s look at what she owns.
Houses and Property
Melissa has owned a few homes, but she lives simply now. In 2019, she and her husband, Timothy Busfield, bought a house in the Catskill Mountains in New York. It cost $98,000 and has 14 acres of land. It’s their main home and not a big, expensive mansion. In 2014, she tried to sell a house in Tarzana, California, for $1.195 million. We don’t know if she sold it, but selling houses can help pay debts.
Other Things She Owns
Melissa gets money from Little House on the Prairie reruns. This is called royalties. She might have some savings or investments, but we don’t have details. She probably owns cars and things like jewelry, but we can’t know their value. Her assets are simple, which fits her net worth.
Melissa Gilbert’s Salary and Income
Actors make different amounts of money for each job. Melissa’s income was high when she was young but lower now. Let’s look at how she earned money.
Money from Acting
When she was a kid on Little House on the Prairie, Melissa made good money for the 1970s. Kids on big shows back then got $10,000 to $50,000 per episode. That was a lot. Later, she acted in TV movies like Sylvester and The Miracle Worker. These probably paid $50,000 to $100,000 each. Voicing Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series likely paid $1,000 to $5,000 per episode. That’s normal for voice acting.
Other Money Sources
Melissa wrote two books, Prairie Tale and Back to the Prairie. Books like these can pay $50,000 to $200,000 upfront, plus extra money from sales. She speaks at events and might earn $5,000 to $20,000 each time. In 2012, she was on Dancing with the Stars and probably made $125,000 to $200,000. Now, her money mostly comes from book sales, speaking, and Little House reruns. It’s less than before.
Taxes and Money Problems
Taxes caused big problems for Melissa. In 2015, she owed $360,000 in taxes. In 2013, she owed $112,000. She didn’t have enough money to pay because her acting jobs slowed down. She made deals with the tax office to pay over time, but it used up her savings. In 2015, she said, “The recession hit me hard. A divorce and fewer jobs made it worse.” Taxes, fewer jobs, and personal issues hurt her money.
Comparing Melissa to Other Actors
Let’s compare Melissa to other Little House on the Prairie stars to understand her net worth. Michael Landon, who played Charles Ingalls, had $40 million when he died in 1991. He made more because he produced and directed. Melissa Sue Anderson, who played Mary Ingalls, has about $1.5 million. She had fewer money problems. Karen Grassle, who played Caroline Ingalls, has about $500,000, like Melissa, because her career also slowed. Melissa’s tax debts and fewer jobs explain her lower wealth.
Why Some Net Worth Numbers Are Different
Some websites say Melissa’s net worth is $3 million in 2025. That’s much higher than the $500,000 to $600,000 from Celebrity Net Worth and Closer Weekly. The $3 million number from I Like To Dabble doesn’t have good proof. It might guess she earns more from producing or reruns. It could also be old or wrong. The lower number fits better with her tax troubles and career. This article uses the more trusted $500,000 to $600,000.
Melissa Gilbert’s Career Story
Melissa’s career shows how she made her money. She started acting at four, doing ads for things like dog food. At nine, she got the role of Laura in Little House on the Prairie. The show ran from 1974 to 1983 and made her famous. After that, she acted in TV movies like Splendor in the Grass. She voiced Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series. She was in a show called Sweet Justice from 1994 to 1995. She also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005. This job showed her importance but didn’t pay much. In 2012, she was on Dancing with the Stars. She wrote two books about her life. In 2016, she tried to run for Congress in Michigan but stopped because of health problems. Now, she writes, speaks, and sometimes acts.
How Her Personal Life Affected Her Money
Melissa’s personal life changed her finances. She was married three times: to Bo Brinkman from 1988 to 1994, Bruce Boxleitner from 1995 to 2011, and Timothy Busfield since 2013. Her divorce from Boxleitner cost a lot of money. She had problems with alcohol and drugs, as she wrote in Prairie Tale. Getting better took time and money. She has two sons, Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner. Raising kids added costs. These things, plus taxes and fewer jobs, kept her wealth small.
How Melissa Manages Her Money Now
Melissa has worked to fix her money problems. She made deals with the tax office to pay her debts. She moved to a simple home in the Catskill Mountains, which costs less to live in. Her books and speaking jobs give her steady money. She also started a lifestyle brand called Modern Prairie, which brings in some cash. These steps show she’s trying to keep her money stable, even if it’s not a lot.
Wrong Ideas About Melissa’s Wealth
Some people have wrong ideas about Melissa’s money. They think she’s super rich from Little House on the Prairie. But kid actors don’t earn as much as adults, and her jobs slowed down. Some say her net worth is $3 million, but that’s not backed up by facts. Others think she only makes money from acting. Actually, she earns from books, speaking, and reruns. This article clears up these wrong ideas.
What’s Next for Melissa Gilbert
In 2025, Melissa is 61 years old. She lives a quiet life. She might act or produce small projects. Her books show she’ll keep writing. Money from Little House reruns will keep coming. She might speak at more events. Fans on places like X still love her, so she could get new work. But she’s not likely to make a lot more money unless she gets a big job.
Conclusion
Melissa Gilbert’s net worth in 2025 is about $500,000 to $600,000. She made money from acting, writing, and speaking, but taxes, fewer jobs, and personal problems kept it low. This article, by Carrie S. Johnson, uses simple words to explain her money story. It covers her taxes, assets, and salary clearly. If you’re a fan or just curious, this guide tells you everything about Melissa Gilbert’s net worth.
Disclaimer: This article is only for general info. The money numbers are guesses from public sources. They may not be exact. We do not promote or sell anything here. No ads, no sponsors, no affiliate links.
