Citizens of Pharaoh's cities occupy several different levels of housing, all of which require certain services to be maintained. Higher levels of housing are also required to be located within "nice neighborhoods", determined by a level of "desirability." Desirability can be influenced by any industrial buildings in the general area (dragging the area down), as well as any nearby elegant or stately buildings (making the area more attractive). Statues and gardens may also be added to increase to appeal of an area.
The highest housing units are known as estates. The player, themselves, also may build a personal mansion, the size of which is determined by what mission is being played. The three different mansions are the Personal Mansion, Family Mansion, and Dynasty Mansion.
Housing within the game "evolves" after gaining certain services and goods from the available resources and supplies within the city. The requirements are cumulative: to evolve to the next level, a housing will need to get the new goods/services and all of the previous ones; should any of them become unavailable, the housing will downgrade into the one that does not require the missing goods/services.
The following are the housing levels of Pharaoh.
| Residence Type | How to Improve |
|---|---|
| Vacant Lot | (Immigrants need to move in) |
| Crude Hut | Well water |
| Sturdy Hut | Food Supply |
| Meager Shanty | Religious access to 1 God |
| Common Shanty | Water carrier service |
| Rough Cottage | Entertainment |
| Ordinary Cottage | Pottery |
| Modest Homestead | Physician access |
| Spacious Homestead | Beer and 2 forms of entertainment |
| Modest Apartment | Courthouse access |
| Spacious Apartment | Scribal school access |
| Common Residence | Two types of food and dentist access |
| Spacious Residence | Linen and 3 forms of entertainment |
| Elegant Residence | Religious access to 2 gods |
| Fancy Residence | Jewelry (Or similar luxury good) |
| Common manor | Mortuary access |
| Spacious manor | Library access and religious access to 3 gods |
| Elegant manor | 4 forms of entertainment |
| Stately manor | A second type of luxury good |
| Modest estate | 3 foods |
| Palatial estate | Fully improved |