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.

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 November 2026

Top 25 nationally

#	City	State	Price-to-income ratio	Score
1	Prospect	KY	1.9x income	100	View →
2	Villanova	PA	2.0x income	100	View →
3	Winnetka	IL	2.1x income	99	View →
4	Glencoe	IL	2.0x income	99	View →
5	Madison	MS	2.0x income	99	View →
6	Lake Forest	IL	2.1x income	98	View →
7	Hinsdale	IL	2.1x income	98	View →
8	Madisonville	LA	2.1x income	98	View →
9	Saint Albans	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
10	Hurricane	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
11	Weirton	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
12	Buckhannon	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
13	Charles Town	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
14	Moundsville	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
15	Elkins	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
16	Bridgeport	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
17	Harpers Ferry	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
18	Berkeley Springs	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
19	Hedgesville	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
20	Barboursville	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
21	Elkview	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
22	Vienna	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
23	Summersville	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
24	Inwood	WV	2.1x income	98	View →
25	Dunbar	WV	2.1x income	98	View →

By state

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

Alabama

1. Owens Cross Roads2.5x income
2. Chelsea2.9x income
3. Harvest2.9x income

Full AL ranking

Alaska

1. Chugiak4.0x income
2. Eagle River4.5x income
3. North Pole4.7x income

Full AK ranking

Arizona

1. Paradise Valley3.6x income
2. Fountain Hills5.2x income
3. Cave Creek5.3x income

Full AZ ranking

Arkansas

1. Batesville2.6x income
2. Blytheville2.6x income
3. Malvern2.6x income

Full AR ranking

California

1. Pacific Palisades5.8x income
2. Newport Coast5.8x income
3. Belvedere Tiburon6.1x income

Full CA ranking

Colorado

1. Lone Tree5.5x income
2. Evergreen5.7x income
3. Monument5.7x income

Full CO ranking

Connecticut

1. Darien2.9x income
2. Weston2.9x income
3. New Canaan2.9x income

Full CT ranking

Delaware

1. Hockessin3.5x income
2. Middletown4.5x income
3. Townsend4.6x income

Full DE ranking

Florida

1. Key Biscayne3.3x income
2. Palm Beach3.4x income
3. Ponte Vedra Beach4.3x income

Full FL ranking

Georgia

1. Midland3.6x income
2. Tyrone3.9x income
3. Suwanee3.9x income

Full GA ranking

Hawaii

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

Full HI ranking

Idaho

1. Eagle5.2x income
2. Hailey5.9x income
3. Mountain Home6.0x income

Full ID ranking

Illinois

1. Winnetka2.1x income
2. Glencoe2.0x income
3. Lake Forest2.1x income

Full IL ranking

Indiana

1. Zionsville2.5x income
2. Carmel2.6x income
3. Mc Cordsville2.7x income

Full IN ranking

Iowa

1. Clive2.4x income
2. Johnston2.5x income
3. Urbandale2.6x income

Full IA ranking

Kansas

1. Leawood2.3x income
2. Stilwell2.2x income
3. Prairie Village2.5x income

Full KS ranking

Kentucky

1. Prospect1.9x income
2. Union2.4x income
3. Hebron2.4x income

Full KY ranking

Louisiana

1. Madisonville2.1x income
2. Greenwell Springs2.5x income
3. Youngsville2.5x income

Full LA ranking

Maine

1. Cape Elizabeth4.0x income
2. Falmouth4.4x income
3. Yarmouth4.4x income

Full ME ranking

Maryland

1. Potomac3.4x income
2. Clarksville3.5x income
3. Chevy Chase3.6x income

Full MD ranking

Massachusetts

1. Weston4.3x income
2. Wellesley Hills4.6x income
3. Sudbury5.0x income

Full MA ranking

Michigan

1. Birmingham2.3x income
2. Ada2.3x income
3. Franklin2.3x income

Full MI ranking

Minnesota

1. Wayzata3.0x income
2. Excelsior3.1x income
3. Chanhassen3.5x income

Full MN ranking

Mississippi

1. Madison2.0x income
2. Ridgeland2.3x income
3. Pascagoula2.3x income

Full MS ranking

Missouri

1. Chesterfield2.4x income
2. Grover2.6x income
3. Eureka2.9x income

Full MO ranking

Montana

1. Belgrade6.1x income
2. Columbia Falls6.2x income
3. Hamilton6.1x income

Full MT ranking

Nebraska

1. Elkhorn2.6x income
2. Bennington2.6x income
3. Gretna2.9x income

Full NE ranking

Nevada

1. Incline Village5.5x income
2. Spring Creek5.5x income
3. Fallon6.0x income

Full NV ranking

New Hampshire

1. Bedford4.5x income
2. Hollis4.7x income
3. Windham4.8x income

Full NH ranking

New Jersey

1. Short Hills3.5x income
2. Saddle River4.1x income
3. Franklin Lakes4.1x income

Full NJ ranking

New Mexico

1. Los Alamos3.4x income
2. Corrales3.7x income
3. Artesia3.9x income

Full NM ranking

New York

1. Armonk3.2x income
2. Rye3.5x income
3. Chappaqua3.5x income

Full NY ranking

North Carolina

1. Davidson3.4x income
2. Cornelius3.7x income
3. Summerfield3.8x income

Full NC ranking

North Dakota

1. Williston3.2x income
2. Mandan3.4x income
3. Dickinson3.4x income

Full ND ranking

Ohio

1. New Albany2.2x income
2. Solon2.4x income
3. Brecksville2.4x income

Full OH ranking

Oklahoma

1. Piedmont2.5x income
2. Jenks2.5x income
3. Edmond2.6x income

Full OK ranking

Oregon

1. Lake Oswego5.3x income
2. Damascus5.8x income
3. Sherwood5.9x income

Full OR ranking

Pennsylvania

1. Villanova2.0x income
2. Berwyn2.4x income
3. Bryn Mawr2.4x income

Full PA ranking

Puerto Rico

1. Coto Laurel5.1x income
2. Guaynabo5.3x income
3. Dorado5.4x income

Full PR ranking

Rhode Island

1. Barrington4.5x income
2. East Greenwich4.8x income
3. Portsmouth5.4x income

Full RI ranking

South Carolina

1. Johns Island3.6x income
2. Chapin3.7x income
3. Hilton Head Island3.8x income

Full SC ranking

South Dakota

1. Watertown3.7x income
2. Brookings3.7x income
3. Yankton3.7x income

Full SD ranking

Tennessee

1. Brentwood3.3x income
2. Germantown3.4x income
3. Signal Mountain3.4x income

Full TN ranking

Texas

1. Colleyville2.6x income
2. Bellaire2.5x income
3. Southlake2.6x income

Full TX ranking

Utah

1. Alpine5.2x income
2. Park City5.6x income
3. Mapleton5.9x income

Full UT ranking

Vermont

1. Williston4.8x income
2. Rutland5.0x income
3. Essex Junction5.0x income

Full VT ranking

Virginia

1. Great Falls2.9x income
2. Fairfax Station3.2x income
3. Oakton3.4x income

Full VA ranking

Washington

1. Mercer Island5.3x income
2. Sammamish5.8x income
3. Snoqualmie6.0x income

Full WA ranking

Washington D.C.

1. Washington8.6x income

Full DC ranking

West Virginia

1. Saint Albans2.1x income
2. Hurricane2.1x income
3. Weirton2.1x income

Full WV ranking

Wisconsin

1. Thiensville2.8x income
2. Delafield3.2x income
3. Middleton3.3x income

Full WI ranking

Wyoming

1. Jackson3.9x income
2. Sheridan4.5x income
3. Riverton4.5x 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.