The national home-price-to-income ratio has reached 5.08, nearly double the recommended 2.6 maximum, leaving no major U.S. city within an affordable range. ST. LOUIS , April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 1980, the median U.S. home price has grown 551%, while median household incomes have only risen 373%, according to a new report from Best Interest Financial and Clever Real Estate , a St. Louis-based real estate company. The median U.S. home price of $414,900 is more than five times the median household income of $81,604, yielding a home-price-to-income ratio of 5.08. Experts generally recommend that ratio stay at or below 2.6, making today's market nearly twice as unaffordable as it should be. In the five years following the onset of COVID-19, median home prices climbed roughly 31% from $321,500 in 2019 to $420,300 in 2024, while median household incomes grew by only about 22%, from $68,700 to $83,730. In ... Full story available on Benzinga.com
U.S. Home Prices Have Soared 551% Since 1980, Compared to Income Growth of Just 373%
