Chicago is the most affordable housing market in the country. That’s according to a just-released study from ZipRealty that looked at 30 metro areas and determined home affordability based on a market’s median home sales price and median household income.
The study found the best real estate bargains in the U.S. are found east of the Rocky Mountains, as Chicago was followed on the list of most affordable housing markets by Philadelphia, Orlando, Richmond Va. And Dallas. Conversely, the three most expensive housing markets were all in California: Orange County topped the list followed by the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.
The average home in Chicago sells for 2.2 times the local median household income. The study pegged the median sales price of a home in Chicago at $160,000 and the estimated family income was $72,400. By contrast, the average home in Orange County sells for 6.4 times the market’s estimated family income.
“In the most affordable areas in the nation, homes are available for just over twice the annual average household income,” said ZipRealty CEO Lanny Baker. “While the cost of a home is still a very significant expenditure for families everywhere, it’s interesting to see these regional differences in affordability.
“The cities at the top of our list are far more affordable than other places, particularly the larger California metros. Our list offers families a handful of metros where the cost of housing is relatively more affordable.”
Rounding out the top-10 most affordable metro areas in the nation where Raleigh N.C., Baltimore, Houston, Tucson and Nashville.