What's a healthy ratio in the U.S.?

Under 3.0 is considered affordable; 3.0-4.0 moderate; 4.0-5.0 seriously unaffordable; over 5.0 severely unaffordable.

Does this account for interest rates?

No — price-to-income is rate-agnostic so it stays comparable across cycles.

What if my income is higher?

Your personal ratio matters more than the market median. Use it as a relative comparison.

What's a healthy ratio in South Carolina?

Under 3.0 is considered affordable; 3.0-4.0 moderate; 4.0-5.0 seriously unaffordable; over 5.0 severely unaffordable.

Does this account for interest rates?

No — price-to-income is rate-agnostic so it stays comparable across cycles.

What if my income is higher?

Your personal ratio matters more than the market median. Use it as a relative comparison.

Buyer authority

Most affordable cities for home buyers

Affordability = how many years of household income buys the median home. This ranks the U.S. cities by price-to-income ratio (lower = more affordable).

Last updated June 2026

Top 25 nationally

#	City	State	Price-to-income ratio
1	Los Angeles	CA	12.9x income	View
2	San Diego	CA	12.8x income	View
3	San Jose	CA	10.9x income	View
4	San Francisco	CA	10.3x income	View
5	Sacramento	CA	12.3x income	View
6	Fresno	CA	12.3x income	View
7	Bakersfield	CA	12.3x income	View
8	Long Beach	CA	11.7x income	View
9	Riverside	CA	11.7x income	View
10	Oakland	CA	11.7x income	View
11	Stockton	CA	11.7x income	View
12	Anaheim	CA	11.7x income	View
13	Santa Ana	CA	11.7x income	View
14	Modesto	CA	11.7x income	View
15	Corona	CA	10.8x income	View
16	Chula Vista	CA	11.5x income	View
17	San Bernardino	CA	13.2x income	View
18	Fontana	CA	11.7x income	View
19	Irvine	CA	9.9x income	View
20	Fremont	CA	9.4x income	View
21	Oxnard	CA	11.7x income	View
22	Santa Rosa	CA	11.7x income	View
23	Moreno Valley	CA	11.7x income	View
24	Oceanside	CA	11.7x income	View
25	Whittier	CA	11.7x income	View

By state

Top picks within each state. Click through for the full state-level ranking.

Alabama

1. Evergreen3.8x income
2. Selma3.6x income
3. Birmingham3.5x income

Full AL ranking

Alaska

1. Anchorage5.2x income
2. Fairbanks5.2x income
3. Wasilla5.2x income

Full AK ranking

Arizona

1. Phoenix7.1x income
2. Ganado7.1x income
3. Tucson6.8x income

Full AZ ranking

Arkansas

1. Little Rock3.0x income
2. Pine Bluff3.0x income
3. West Memphis3.0x income

Full AR ranking

California

1. Los Angeles12.9x income
2. San Diego12.8x income
3. San Jose10.9x income

Full CA ranking

Colorado

1. Denver8.7x income
2. Colorado Springs8.7x income
3. Aurora8.3x income

Full CO ranking

Connecticut

1. Waterbury6.3x income
2. Bridgeport6.0x income
3. New Haven6.0x income

Full CT ranking

Delaware

1. Newark5.5x income
2. Wilmington5.1x income
3. Dover5.1x income

Full DE ranking

Florida

1. Immokalee6.9x income
2. Miami6.8x income
3. Pahokee6.6x income

Full FL ranking

Georgia

1. Forest Park5.8x income
2. Atlanta5.4x income
3. Pelham5.4x income

Full GA ranking

Hawaii

1. Honolulu12.8x income
2. Waipahu11.4x income
3. Ewa Beach11.4x income

Full HI ranking

Idaho

1. Boise7.0x income
2. Nampa7.0x income
3. Idaho Falls7.0x income

Full ID ranking

Illinois

1. East Saint Louis5.2x income
2. Chicago4.5x income
3. Harvey4.5x income

Full IL ranking

Indiana

1. East Chicago4.1x income
2. Gary4.1x income
3. Indianapolis3.9x income

Full IN ranking

Iowa

1. Davenport3.4x income
2. Des Moines3.3x income
3. Cedar Rapids3.3x income

Full IA ranking

Kansas

1. Kansas City3.7x income
2. Wichita3.5x income
3. Topeka3.5x income

Full KS ranking

Kentucky

1. Middlesboro3.6x income
2. Barbourville3.5x income
3. Mc Kee3.5x income

Full KY ranking

Louisiana

1. Tallulah3.2x income
2. Ferriday3.1x income
3. New Orleans3.0x income

Full LA ranking

Maine

1. Portland5.6x income
2. Bangor5.6x income
3. Lewiston5.6x income

Full ME ranking

Maryland

1. Baltimore6.7x income
2. Hyattsville6.4x income
3. Hagerstown6.0x income

Full MD ranking

Massachusetts

1. Worcester9.4x income
2. Springfield9.4x income
3. Lowell9.4x income

Full MA ranking

Michigan

1. Detroit6.0x income
2. Flint4.7x income
3. Hamtramck4.6x income

Full MI ranking

Minnesota

1. Minneapolis5.6x income
2. Saint Paul5.4x income
3. Duluth5.1x income

Full MN ranking

Mississippi

1. Greenwood2.8x income
2. Lexington2.8x income
3. Jackson2.7x income

Full MS ranking

Missouri

1. Saint Louis3.9x income
2. Kansas City3.9x income
3. Springfield3.7x income

Full MO ranking

Montana

1. Browning7.3x income
2. Billings7.2x income
3. Missoula6.7x income

Full MT ranking

Nebraska

1. Omaha3.8x income
2. Lincoln3.7x income
3. Hastings3.4x income

Full NE ranking

Nevada

1. Las Vegas7.7x income
2. Reno7.0x income
3. Henderson7.0x income

Full NV ranking

New Hampshire

1. Manchester7.2x income
2. Nashua6.7x income
3. Concord6.7x income

Full NH ranking

New Jersey

1. Newark8.8x income
2. Trenton8.0x income
3. Paterson8.1x income

Full NJ ranking

New Mexico

1. Sunland Park5.5x income
2. Albuquerque5.0x income
3. Las Cruces4.7x income

Full NM ranking

New York

1. Bronx8.2x income
2. Brooklyn7.9x income
3. Buffalo7.9x income

Full NY ranking

North Carolina

1. Maxton5.5x income
2. Charlotte5.4x income
3. Raleigh5.4x income

Full NC ranking

North Dakota

1. Fargo4.0x income
2. Bismarck3.7x income
3. Grand Forks3.7x income

Full ND ranking

Ohio

1. Cleveland4.3x income
2. Youngstown4.3x income
3. Cincinnati3.7x income

Full OH ranking

Oklahoma

1. Oklahoma City3.2x income
2. Tulsa3.0x income
3. Broken Arrow3.0x income

Full OK ranking

Oregon

1. Portland7.7x income
2. Salem7.3x income
3. Eugene7.3x income

Full OR ranking

Pennsylvania

1. Philadelphia4.5x income
2. Braddock4.4x income
3. Pittsburgh4.3x income

Full PA ranking

Puerto Rico

1. Ponce10.2x income
2. Guayama8.0x income
3. Coamo8.0x income

Full PR ranking

Rhode Island

1. Providence7.2x income
2. Central Falls7.1x income
3. Warwick6.7x income

Full RI ranking

South Carolina

1. Latta4.7x income
2. Greenville4.5x income
3. Rock Hill4.5x income

Full SC ranking

South Dakota

1. Sioux Falls4.3x income
2. Rapid City4.0x income
3. Aberdeen4.0x income

Full SD ranking

Tennessee

1. Memphis5.1x income
2. Nashville4.9x income
3. Knoxville4.9x income

Full TN ranking

Texas

1. Mercedes5.5x income
2. San Elizario5.5x income
3. Donna5.3x income

Full TX ranking

Utah

1. Salt Lake City8.2x income
2. Ogden7.8x income
3. West Jordan7.8x income

Full UT ranking

Vermont

1. Burlington5.5x income
2. Rutland5.0x income
3. Essex Junction5.0x income

Full VT ranking

Virginia

1. Virginia Beach6.0x income
2. Richmond6.0x income
3. Norfolk6.0x income

Full VA ranking

Washington

1. Seattle9.6x income
2. Spokane9.1x income
3. Tacoma9.1x income

Full WA ranking

Washington D.C.

1. Washington8.6x income

Full DC ranking

West Virginia

1. Charleston2.5x income
2. Huntington2.4x income
3. Morgantown2.3x income

Full WV ranking

Wisconsin

1. Milwaukee4.7x income
2. Kenosha4.5x income
3. Madison4.5x income

Full WI ranking

Wyoming

1. Cheyenne5.0x income
2. Casper5.0x income
3. Laramie5.0x income

Full WY ranking

Methodology

Ratio = estimated home value ÷ average household income (Census ACS). Demographia bands (under 3.0 affordable, over 5.0 severely unaffordable) are designed around medians, so treat these as directional. Cities whose true median home value likely exceeds the dataset's modeled value (e.g. SF Bay, Manhattan) are flagged in their state pages.

FAQ

What's a healthy ratio in the U.S.?: Under 3.0 is considered affordable; 3.0-4.0 moderate; 4.0-5.0 seriously unaffordable; over 5.0 severely unaffordable.
Does this account for interest rates?: No — price-to-income is rate-agnostic so it stays comparable across cycles.
What if my income is higher?: Your personal ratio matters more than the market median. Use it as a relative comparison.