Home Affordability Index

45 U.S. cities ranked by price-to-income ratio — median home value divided by median household income. A lower ratio means homes are more affordable relative to local incomes. Home values are from Zillow; incomes are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Most affordable

Columbus, OH

3.3× price-to-income

Least affordable

Irvine, CA

13.5× price-to-income

#	City	Median home value	Median income	Price-to-income	Affordability
1	Columbus, OH	$251,236	$76,578	3.3×	Affordable
2	Buffalo, NY	$246,321	$73,040	3.4×	Affordable
3	San Antonio, TX	$251,065	$72,578	3.5×	Affordable
4	Fort Worth, TX	$300,445	$85,208	3.5×	Affordable
5	Houston, TX	$264,952	$74,682	3.5×	Affordable
6	Round Rock, TX	$408,956	$113,487	3.6×	Affordable
7	Arlington, TX	$313,207	$85,208	3.7×	Affordable
8	Atlanta, GA	$389,027	$100,751	3.9×	Affordable
9	McKinney, TX	$484,670	$124,920	3.9×	Affordable
10	Sugar Land, TX	$450,878	$115,538	3.9×	Affordable
11	Jacksonville, FL	$287,325	$73,638	3.9×	Affordable
12	Philadelphia, PA	$236,883	$60,500	3.9×	Affordable
13	Chicago, IL	$325,887	$82,729	3.9×	Affordable
14	Dallas, TX	$312,024	$78,910	4.0×	Affordable
15	El Paso, TX	$237,327	$59,883	4.0×	Affordable
16	Plano, TX	$506,472	$124,920	4.0×	Moderate
17	Raleigh, NC	$437,035	$107,083	4.1×	Moderate
18	Charlotte, NC	$400,096	$90,698	4.4×	Moderate
19	Tampa, FL	$379,284	$84,691	4.5×	Moderate
20	Aurora, CO	$463,088	$103,442	4.5×	Moderate
21	Katy, TX	$338,369	$74,682	4.5×	Moderate
22	Phoenix, AZ	$411,563	$90,919	4.5×	Moderate
23	Tucson, AZ	$326,242	$71,993	4.5×	Moderate
24	Orlando, FL	$376,216	$81,645	4.6×	Moderate
25	Mesa, AZ	$436,451	$90,919	4.8×	Moderate
26	Colorado Springs, CO	$450,850	$90,778	5.0×	Moderate
27	Sacramento, CA	$481,741	$93,331	5.2×	Expensive
28	Austin, TX	$510,722	$97,487	5.2×	Expensive
29	Frisco, TX	$658,055	$124,920	5.3×	Expensive
30	Fresno, CA	$391,319	$74,244	5.3×	Expensive
31	Las Vegas, NV	$425,749	$80,047	5.3×	Expensive
32	Nashville, TN	$436,519	$80,803	5.4×	Expensive
33	Oakland, CA	$724,465	$128,031	5.7×	Expensive
34	Denver, CO	$539,712	$92,395	5.8×	Expensive
35	Fort Lauderdale, FL	$511,687	$81,337	6.3×	Very expensive
36	Seattle, WA	$865,273	$121,984	7.1×	Very expensive
37	Miami, FL	$581,864	$75,779	7.7×	Very expensive
38	New York City, NY	$817,745	$105,713	7.7×	Very expensive
39	Boston, MA	$786,208	$95,174	8.3×	Very expensive
40	San Jose, CA	$1,438,450	$166,984	8.6×	Very expensive
41	San Diego, CA	$1,007,800	$108,754	9.3×	Very expensive
42	Scottsdale, AZ	$859,406	$90,919	9.4×	Very expensive
43	San Francisco, CA	$1,393,773	$137,184	10.2×	Very expensive
44	Los Angeles, CA	$951,035	$90,757	10.5×	Very expensive
45	Irvine, CA	$1,547,649	$114,858	13.5×	Very expensive

Key Takeaways

At a Glance

Columbus, OH is the most affordable city in the index at 3.3× price-to-income.
Irvine, CA is the least affordable at 13.5×.
A price-to-income ratio at or below 3× is generally considered affordable; above 5× is stretched.

Freshness

Current

Latest published annual update: May 31, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC

Annual demographic and affordability datasets refresh on a slower release cycle than live rates.

Citations

Primary sources behind this page

U.S. Census BureauAccessed for source verification
Zillow ResearchAccessed for source verification

Reviewed By

Arjun Lalwani

CEO & Co-Founder

NMLS #2753950

Former Google product leader with expertise in marketplace systems. Recognized by the U.S. government for extraordinary ability in building and scaling marketplaces. Licensed mortgage professional bringing rigorous product execution to home financing.

NMLS Consumer Access