26 Places in the US Where Homeownership Has Become Unaffordable (2024)

FAQs

Where is the most unaffordable housing? ›

According to the 2023 International Housing Affordability Survey by Demographia, three out of the 10 least affordable housing markets are in Australia and New Zealand, two are in Canada and four more are located in the United States. The least affordable housing market is Hong Kong.

According to worldpopulationreview.com, Hawaii is the most expensive state to live in, with its housing costing three times the national average. New York and California rank as the second and third most expensive states in which to live, respectively.

To no major surprise, Los Angeles was found to be the least affordable. Two other California cities – Bakersfield and Modesto – found themselves among the top 10 least affordable cities in the U.S. Three Texas cities made the list as well.

The cost of buying a home is drifting further out of financial reach for the average American, according to a report from Redfin. The real estate website analyzed homes that went on sale last year and found that only 21% of them were affordable, meaning that nearly 80% of homes were outside the typical buyer's budget.

Sydney ranked behind Hong Kong which took the place as the least affordable city in the world, with Vancouver in third place.

All the cities on this graphic are classified as severely unaffordable⁠—and, for the 12th year in a row, Hong Kong takes the top spot as the world's most unaffordable housing market, with a score of 23.2.

The least affordable was Miami, where the median-priced home costs $598,000 and would require a monthly payment of $3,183 to cover mortgage and taxes — more than 85 percent of the local median household income of $44,581 (or $3,715 a month). Los Angeles and New York followed — no surprise given their steep home prices.

Strained affordability has seen many homebuilders turn to smaller units. The Pandemic Housing Boom, which pushed national home prices up over 40%, coupled with last year's mortgage rate shock, has resulted in a deterioration of housing affordability.

The most expensive state to move to in 2023 is Hawai'i, with an average home price of $636,400. Following up is Washington DC, with an average house price of $618,100. In third place is California, with an average house price of $538,000. That's an extreme difference between Arkansas and California.

What is the least affordable place to live in the United States? ›

Hawaii and California are the LEAST affordable places to live in the U.S as incomes fail to keep up with soaring property prices.

The state's now home to the least affordable places to live in the U.S., according to multiple studies covering rental costs, home prices and income. Rent.com reported Tampa's average rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,682, up 32.4% since the year before. In St. Petersburg, it's $1,890 or 19.6% higher than 2021.

Nationwide, about 27.4% of homeowners — or more than a quarter — fall into the “house poor” category, according to the data. “Overall, 21% of cost-burdened homeowners have a household income of less than $75,000,” the report states.

The US hasn't built enough homes in recent decades. The shortage is among the reasons homes are unaffordable for many Americans. It could also be contributing to other problems — like inequality, low birth rates, and climate change.

There is a shortage of 7.3 million affordable and available rental homes for renters with extremely low incomes in the US, up 8 percent from 6.8 million in 2019. The lack of housing options for renters with extremely low incomes are driving the overall affordable housing shortage across the country.

1 most expensive state to buy a house in 2022: Hawaii. Hawaii is the least affordable state to buy a house this year. The median household income is $99,800 and it takes 35.15% of that amount to afford a home. According to the study, the island state is in high demand for both vacationers and residents.

Singapore and New York City tied for the first rank amongst the world's most expensive cities in 2022, pushing Israel's Tel Aviv from the first place in 2021 to the third place in 2022. Both these cities had high inflation and a strong currency. Surprisingly, this is the Big Apple's first time atop the ranking.

What is the least affordable housing city in the world? ›

A global report rating middle income housing affordability has ranked Sydney 93rd out of 94 metropolitan markets. The Demographia International Housing Affordability report for 2023 was released on Monday, with Sydney ranking just ahead of the world's least affordable nation Hong Kong.

California's chronic shortage of housing manifests itself in sky-high housing costs, the nation's worst poverty and its highest level of homelessness.

In the U.S., Miami was the city with the highest risk of a housing bubble and reported the highest house prices and rental growth of all the cities in the study. For the rest of the country, the Magic City was followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and New York.

Hawaii. Hawaii is truly a paradise, but it is also the most expensive state in America to live in. The cost of living in Hawaii overall is 86% higher than the national average, and the cost of housing in Hawaii is a jaw-dropping 207% above the national average.

In its report, Niche also ranked the cheapest places to live in the U.S. At the top of the list this year is Brownsville, Texas. Brownsville has been steadily rising in Niche's Lowest Cost of Living ranking over the past few years, placing number six in 2021, number three in 2022 and finally, number one in 2023.

The demand for housing in California far exceeds the available land, which drives up the prices. To make matters worse, the state has stringent environmental regulations that make it cumbersome and expensive to build new homes. These regulations limit the supply of land even further, resulting in higher prices.

Over time, population increases have resulted in less available land throughout the country. There is no shortage, but land is generally more expensive to buy than it once was. The increase in land costs is directly related to the rise in average home prices.

One of the biggest factors is supply and demand. In areas where there is high demand for housing but limited supply, prices are likely to be higher. This is particularly true in urban areas, where people are often willing to pay a premium to live close to their jobs and other amenities.

Its 2022 ranking for the best places to live looked at five metrics: job market, value, quality of life, desirability, and net migration. The best place to live in America is Huntsville, Alabama, followed by Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Where is the cheapest and safest place to live in America? ›

Augusta, a small city near Georgia's border with South Carolina, is one of the cheapest and safest places to live in the USA. It has a low crime rate and a low cost of living, making it perfect for those looking to live comfortably and save money. Augusta is just 2 hours from Atlanta, an exciting city.

Try living in Portugal

Definitely one of the cheapest and safest places to live in the world, Portugal is very popular among people leaving the US to move abroad. Transportation is very sophisticated and easy to use all over Portugal, and you can travel cheaply around the country by train or bus.

The other reasons that people leave the state after moving here are varied: “A nearly 14,000-member Facebook group for people moving out of Florida has cited severe weather, low wages, crowded beaches, changing politics, and steep housing prices as reasons people left.”

The bottom line is Florida is a far less expensive state to live in than California because it has less expensive homes, lower sales tax on things you buy, and lower income taxes on money you earn.

Finding a Financial Advisor in Florida

For example, Florida doesn't have a state income tax while California does. Florida residents only owe federal taxes on their income. On top of that, Florida housing prices are also cheaper than in California.

According to Census Bureau data, over 38 percent of owner-occupied housing units are owned free and clear. For homeowners under age 65, the share of paid-off homes is 26.4 percent.

The country with the highest free-and-clear homeownership rate in the list above was Lithuania at 83%. In the U.S., the free-and-clear homeownership rate was 23%.

Becoming house poor can affect your ability to save for retirement, pay off debt or afford other purchases. It can create feelings of stress and anxiety around your finances and make you feel as if you're only one setback away from financial disaster.

Revised Housing Market Forecast

Although home prices are expected to improve in the second half of the year, the California median home price is projected to decrease by 5.6 percent to $776,600 in 2023, down from the median price of $822,300 recorded in 2022.

The United States subprime mortgage crisis was a multinational financial crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010 that contributed to the 2007–2008 global financial crisis. The crisis led to a severe economic recession, with millions of people losing their jobs and many businesses going bankrupt.

What is the root cause of the housing crisis? ›

High costs of living, inadequate wages, and wealth and income inequality; A safety net that does not provide sufficient housing or supportive services.

Price Forecast

It predicts a month-over-month increase of 0.8% from March 2023 to April 2023 and a year-over-year increase of 4.6% from March 2023 to March 2024. These forecasts indicate a positive outlook for the housing market, projecting further growth in the coming months.

As prices become unsustainable and interest rates rise, purchasers withdraw. Borrowers are discouraged from taking out loans when interest rates rise. On the other side, house construction will be affected as well; costs will rise, and the market supply of housing will shrink as a result.

Sixteen million homes currently sit vacant across the U.S. In every state across the country, many homes remain empty while hundreds of thousands of Americans face homelessness.

The most expensive city in the U.S. in terms of housing costs is San Jose, California. It combined the highest monthly housing costs in our study with the second-highest home values, but San Francisco wasn't far behind. In fact, there's a bigger gap between San Francisco (No. 2) and San Diego (No.

1. Hawaii. Hawaii is known for its beautiful beaches, warm climate, and breathtaking scenery. However, it is also the most expensive state to buy a house, with a Zillow Home Value Index of $834,582.

According to data from Florida Atlantic University, Atlanta has the most overpriced housing market in the United States. The capital of the Peach State beats out multiple Florida cities, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Memphis, Tennessee to take the top spot for 2023.

To compare other locations to the Las Vegas and U.S. housing market, enter a city, neighborhood, state, or zip code into the search bar. Las Vegas's median sale price is 1% lower than the national average. Overall cost of living in Las Vegas is 0% higher than the national average.

Singapore and New York City tied for the first rank amongst the world's most expensive cities in 2022, pushing Israel's Tel Aviv from the first place in 2021 to the third place in 2022. Both these cities had high inflation and a strong currency. Surprisingly, this is the Big Apple's first time atop the ranking.

Where is the best housing in America? ›

Green Bay, Wisconsin. Among northern U.S. metro areas that offer a low cost of living, Green Bay might be the best option for you, as it's the No. 1 Best Place to Live in the U.S. in 2023-2024. Green Bay residents spend just 19.92% of the area's median household income on housing costs.

Hawaii and California are the LEAST affordable places to live in the U.S as incomes fail to keep up with soaring property prices.

According to several studies on cost of living, Hawaii is the most expensive U.S. state to live in. Prices are typically double in Hawaii compared to those on the mainland, and the continued rise in inflation is making costs ranging from housing to health care much more expensive.

The hottest housing markets include those markets in North Carolina, Colorado and Texas that were also popular during the pandemic, including Raleigh and Durham, Denver and Austin. Markets to watch that improved the most between November and December 2022 include Portland, Oregon, Richmond, Virginia, and St.

China is home to more of the world real estate market assets (by value) than any other country at $42.7tn or 21 per cent of global real estate value, just ahead of the US at $42.1tn.