Statistics · 2026 · Real Estate
Housing Affordability Statistics (2026)
The median home price-to-income ratio across 782 WealthyBud metros with at least 100 active listings is 5.17× as of September 2026 — the typical local household would need more than five years of pretax income to buy the median-priced home outright. Nantucket, MA is the least affordable market WealthyBud tracks at 49.0× income; Canton, IL is the most affordable at 1.7×. Nationally, the National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index stood at 110.6 in April 2026, meaning the typical family earned slightly more than the qualifying income needed for a median-priced existing home.
Key takeaways
- The median price-to-income ratio across 782 guarded U.S. metros (active listings ≥ 100) is 5.17× as of September 2026, computed from WealthyBud’s own dataset.
- 423 of 782 metros (54.1%) price above 5× local income, and 76 (9.7%) price above 8×.
- Nantucket, MA is the least affordable metro at 49.0× income; Canton, IL is the most affordable at 1.7×.
- The median local household spends 18.4% of income on rent across 782 guarded metros — none crosses the 30%-of-income cost-burden line.
- The NAR Housing Affordability Index stood at 110.6 in April 2026 (preliminary), with the typical mortgage principal-and-interest payment eating 22.6% of family income, per the National Association of Realtors.
- Affordability varies sharply by region: NAR’s April 2026 index reads 138.0 in the Midwest (most affordable) versus 81.0 in the West (least affordable).
- U.S. median household income was $83,730 in 2024, not statistically different from $82,690 in 2023, per the Census Bureau.
What is the median home price-to-income ratio nationally?
Across 782 U.S. metros WealthyBud tracks with at least 100 active listings, the median home price-to-income ratio is 5.17×, meaning the typical home costs about 5.2 times the local median household income. 423 of 782 metros clear a 5× ratio, and 76 top 8×.
1. National median price-to-income ratio: 5.17×
Across 782 guarded U.S. metros (active listings ≥ 100), the median ratio of home price to local household income is 5.17× as of September 2026 (WealthyBud data · 782 metros).
2. 54.1% of metros price above 5× local income
423 of 782 guarded metros carry a median price at or above five times local median household income as of September 2026 (WealthyBud data · 782 metros).
3. 9.7% of metros price above 8× local income
76 guarded metros — about one in ten — price at or above eight times local median household income, a threshold many lenders treat as severely stretched (WealthyBud data · 782 metros).
Which housing markets are least and most affordable?
Nantucket, MA is the least affordable metro WealthyBud tracks, at 49.0× local income, driven by a $5.87M median price against $119,750 local income. Canton, IL is the most affordable at 1.70×.
4. Nantucket, MA is the least affordable metro WealthyBud tracks: 49.0× income
Nantucket, MA carries a $5.87M median price against a $119,750 local median household income, a 49.0× ratio, among metros with at least 100 active listings (WealthyBud data · September 2026).
5. Canton, IL is the most affordable: 1.70× income
Canton, IL carries a $99,900 median price against a $58,617 local median household income, a 1.70× ratio (WealthyBud data · September 2026).
6. Aguadilla, PR ranks second at 25.5×
Aguadilla, PR carries a 25.5× ratio on a $530,500 median price, so it ranks second, at about half of Nantucket’s ratio (WealthyBud data · September 2026).
| Metro | Price-to-income ratio | Median price | Local median income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket, MA | 49.0× | $5.87M | $119,750 |
| Aguadilla, PR | 25.5× | $530,500 | $20,800 |
| Vineyard Haven, MA | 24.4× | $2.5M | $102,348 |
| San Juan, PR | 22.2× | $622,250 | $27,966 |
| Jackson, WY | 20.1× | $2.15M | $106,679 |
- Canton, IL carries a price-to-income ratio of 1.70×, on a median price of $99,900 against a local median income of $58,617.
- Johnstown, PA carries a price-to-income ratio of 2.13×, on a median price of $119,975 against a local median income of $56,292.
- Macomb, IL carries a price-to-income ratio of 2.30×, on a median price of $116,250 against a local median income of $50,434.
- Danville, IL carries a price-to-income ratio of 2.33×, on a median price of $127,000 against a local median income of $54,537.
- Pottsville, PA carries a price-to-income ratio of 2.39×, on a median price of $159,900 against a local median income of $66,901.
Compare affordability across all 950 metros WealthyBud tracks
How much of local income does rent take up?
The median local household spends 18.4% of its income on rent across 782 guarded metros WealthyBud tracks, well under the 30%-of-income line commonly used to mark a household as cost-burdened. Aguadilla, PR runs highest at 29.2%, still short of that threshold.
7. Median rent burden: 18.4% of local income
Multiplying each metro’s Census ACS median gross rent by 12 and dividing by local median household income gives a median rent burden of 18.4% across 782 guarded metros as of September 2026 (WealthyBud data · 782 metros).
8. Highest rent burden: Aguadilla, PR at 29.2%
Aguadilla, PR posts the highest rent burden in the guarded pool, 29.2% of local income, on a median monthly rent of $506 against $20,800 local income (WealthyBud data · September 2026).
9. Lowest rent burden: Wahpeton, ND at 12.3%
Wahpeton, ND posts the lowest rent burden, 12.3% of local income, on a median monthly rent of $726 against $70,762 local income (WealthyBud data · September 2026).
10. 0 of 782 guarded metros cross the 30% rent-burden line
Not one of the 782 guarded metros in WealthyBud’s pool crosses the 30%-of-income threshold that HUD and the Census Bureau use to define a cost-burdened renter household — a sharp contrast with the ownership-side pressure NAR reports below (WealthyBud data · September 2026).
What does the NAR Housing Affordability Index show nationally?
The National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index read 110.6 in April 2026 (preliminary), meaning the typical family earned about 111% of the income needed to qualify for a median-priced existing home. The typical mortgage principal-and-interest payment took 22.6% of family income, and affordability varies sharply by region.
11. NAR Housing Affordability Index: 110.6 (April 2026, preliminary)
A family earning the median U.S. family income of $112,275 had 110.6% of the $101,520 qualifying income needed to buy the $422,300 median-priced existing home at a 6.41% effective mortgage rate, per the National Association of Realtors’ April 2026 Housing Affordability Index, released May 11, 2026.
12. Mortgage payment eats 22.6% of the typical family’s income
The estimated principal-and-interest payment on the median-priced home, $2,115 a month, ran 22.6% of median family income in April 2026, per the same NAR release — NAR’s index qualifies buyers at a 25% payment-to-income ratio.
13. The Midwest is the most affordable U.S. region: index of 138.0
The Midwest posted the highest regional Affordability Index, 138.0, on a $327,600 median price and a payment equal to 18.1% of income, per NAR’s April 2026 data.
14. The West is the least affordable U.S. region: index of 81.0
The West posted the lowest regional Affordability Index, 81.0, on a $629,200 median price and a payment equal to 30.9% of income — the only region above NAR’s 25% qualifying ratio — per the same NAR release.
| Region | Median existing-home price | Payment as % of income | Affordability index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $524,700 | 25.3% | 98.7 |
| Midwest | $327,600 | 18.1% | 138.0 |
| South | $373,100 | 21.5% | 116.5 |
| West | $629,200 | 30.9% | 81.0 |
What is the median U.S. household income?
U.S. median household income was $83,730 in 2024, per the Census Bureau, not statistically different from $82,690 in 2023. WealthyBud’s guarded metro pool medians lower, at $66,103, reflecting each metro’s own ACS estimate rather than a single national figure.
15. U.S. median household income: $83,730 (2024)
The Census Bureau put median household income at $83,730 in 2024, not statistically different from $82,690 in 2023, per "Income in the United States: 2024" (report P60-286), released September 9, 2025.
16. WealthyBud’s median local metro household income: $66,103
Across 782 guarded metros, the median of each metro’s own American Community Survey 5-year household income estimate is $66,103 — lower than the Census national figure because it is a median of local metro medians, not a national aggregate (WealthyBud data · 782 metros).
17. Local incomes range from $20,400 to $157,444
Mayaguez, PR has the lowest local median household income WealthyBud tracks, $20,400, versus $157,444 in San Jose, CA — a 7.7-fold spread (WealthyBud data · September 2026).
18. National income understates local price-to-income ratios: 4.1× versus 5.17×
Dividing WealthyBud’s $339,620 median guarded-pool list price by the Census Bureau’s single $83,730 national income figure gives 4.1× — lower than the 5.17× median computed using each metro’s own local income, because guarded-pool metros skew toward lower local incomes than the national figure (WealthyBud data · Census, 2024).
What this means for buyers, renters and policymakers
For buyers, the 9.7% of metros priced above 8× local income are where a conventional mortgage alone rarely closes the gap; a larger down payment, dual incomes or a lower-cost metro matter more than rate shopping (WealthyBud data · 782 metros).
For renters, the picture looks better: no guarded metro crosses the 30% rent-burden line, even as ownership costs run 22.6% to 30.9% of income by NAR’s regional data — renting currently carries less measured cost-burden risk than buying in most tracked metros.
For policymakers, the 54.1% of metros above the 5× benchmark, led by markets like Nantucket, MA, show the affordability crisis is geographically uneven, not universal — Canton, IL and similar metros stay well within local incomes.
National income figures can mislead. The Census Bureau’s single $83,730 national median produces a lower, less accurate ratio than each metro’s own local income — so price and income comparisons hold only when both come from the same geography.
More Real Estate statistics
Property Tax Statistics (2026)
Effective property-tax rates across U.S. metros and the yearly bill on a median-priced home, computed from Census data and current listing prices.
View ResearchRent vs. Buy Statistics (2026)
Is it cheaper to rent or buy? Monthly ownership costs versus median rent across U.S. metros at today's mortgage rate.
View ResearchPrice Per Square Foot Statistics (2026)
Median listing price per square foot and home sizes across U.S. metros and states, with the most and least expensive markets per foot.
View HubAll U.S. Housing Markets
950 metros scored, mapped and forecast from public data.
View