Summary: Between 2000 and 2023 median US home prices rose 161% while median incomes rose only 85%. The price-to-income ratio went from 3.9x to 6.1x at peak. In 2023, the average American family spending 34.7% of gross income on a mortgage payment — well above the 28% lender guideline. 12 states are in crisis or severely unaffordable territory. Hawaii is the worst at 9.6x income. Iowa is the most affordable at 3.0x.
Key Findings
Price-to-income 2000
3.9x
Price-to-income 2022 peak
6.1x
Payment burden 2023
34.7% of income
Worst state
Hawaii 9.6x
Crisis-tier states
12 of 50
Lender guideline
28% — now exceeded
Charts & Analysis
Price-to-Income 2000-2023
3.9x to 6.1x — when did housing break?
Mortgage Payment Burden
2023: 34.7% of income vs 28% guideline
State Affordability Rankings
All 50 states, price-to-income ratio
Renter Cost Burden
Top 20 states vs HUD 30% threshold
Home Price vs Income by State
Who is priced out?
Affordability Index 2000-2023
COVID-era collapse highlighted
Data Source
Census ACS + HUD FMR + FRED — https://api.census.gov/data/2022/acs/acs1/
All data is real, publicly available government data. Free to download and verify independently.