Where a Paycheck Stretches Furthest: U.S. Home Price-to-Income Ratios (2026)
The largest U.S. cities ranked by median home value as a multiple of median household income — a truer measure of housing attainability than price alone.
Published August 2026 · Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year · 182 cities (population ≥ 150,000)
Key findings
- A median home costs just 1.8× the median income in Detroit, MI — the most attainable major U.S. city.
- At the other extreme, Glendale, CA homes run 12.2× income — 7× harder to afford than Detroit.
- The typical big city sits at 4.4× — a median home costs about 4.4 years of median household income.
- Only 26 of 182 major cities meet the classic "affordable" benchmark of 3× income or less — nearly all in the Midwest and South.
Most attainable: where a paycheck buys the most home
| # | City | Price-to-income | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit, MI | 1.8× | $66,700 | $37,761 |
| 2 | Akron, OH | 2.1× | $99,700 | $46,596 |
| 3 | Toledo, OH | 2.2× | $98,800 | $45,405 |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | 2.3× | $87,400 | $37,271 |
| 5 | Kansas City, KS | 2.4× | $133,800 | $56,120 |
| 6 | Brownsville, TX | 2.4× | $112,600 | $46,735 |
| 7 | Jackson, MS | 2.5× | $104,900 | $42,193 |
| 8 | Rochester, NY | 2.5× | $111,400 | $44,156 |
| 9 | Fort Wayne, IN | 2.6× | $152,500 | $58,233 |
| 10 | Montgomery, AL | 2.6× | $141,900 | $54,166 |
| 11 | Pasadena, TX | 2.7× | $171,600 | $64,698 |
| 12 | Laredo, TX | 2.7× | $164,400 | $60,928 |
| 13 | Des Moines, IA | 2.7× | $170,700 | $62,378 |
| 14 | Wichita, KS | 2.7× | $166,400 | $60,712 |
| 15 | Joliet, IL | 2.8× | $233,800 | $84,971 |
Least attainable: where homes cost the most income
| # | City | Price-to-income | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale, CA | 12.2× | $992,000 | $81,219 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | 10.8× | $822,600 | $76,244 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | 9.9× | $1,348,700 | $136,689 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 9.7× | $805,500 | $82,772 |
| 5 | Sunnyvale, CA | 9.6× | $1,680,700 | $174,506 |
| 6 | New York, NY | 9.6× | $732,100 | $76,607 |
| 7 | Oakland, CA | 9.4× | $883,800 | $94,389 |
| 8 | Long Beach, CA | 9.0× | $709,700 | $78,995 |
| 9 | Huntington Beach, CA | 8.5× | $976,800 | $114,747 |
| 10 | San Jose, CA | 8.5× | $1,149,600 | $136,010 |
Methodology
Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates. The ratio is median home value divided by median household income for incorporated places with a population of at least 150,000. Analysts often treat a ratio at or below 3× as "affordable." Per-city data and sources are on each city page.
Cite this study
Free to reuse with attribution:
Source: <a href="https://www.relocatefacts.com/study/home-price-to-income-2026">RelocateData — U.S. Home Price-to-Income Ratios (2026)</a>
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