Housing Affordability Index: US & Canada 2026
A comprehensive comparison of housing affordability across major North American cities. Track home price-to-income ratios, mortgage burdens, and discover the most affordable cities to buy a house in 2026.
| City ↕ | Country ↕ | Price-to-Income Ratio ↕ | Mortgage as % of Income ↕ | Price-to-Rent (City) ↕ |
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Methodology
Our Housing Affordability Index utilizes aggregate user-contributed and standardized public data to calculate localized affordability metrics. Data points are continuously updated to reflect 2026 market conditions.
- Price-to-Income Ratio: The median home price divided by the median annual disposable household income. A lower ratio indicates greater affordability.
- Mortgage as % of Income: Estimates the percentage of monthly disposable income required to pay a 20-year mortgage on a median-priced home.
- Price-to-Rent Ratio: The average cost of ownership divided by the average annualized rent. Ratios under 15 generally indicate buying is more favorable than renting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the housing affordability index for 2026?
The housing affordability index measures how affordable it is for a median-income household to buy a median-priced home. In 2026, the index shows significant disparities between major coastal metros and the more affordable Midwest and Sunbelt regions.
What are the most affordable cities to buy a house in the US?
Based on our data, cities like Saint Louis, MO, Wichita, KS, and Cleveland, OH rank among the most affordable, characterized by low price-to-income ratios and mortgage payments requiring a smaller percentage of disposable income.
How does housing affordability in Canada compare to the US?
Generally, major Canadian cities like Vancouver and Toronto exhibit higher price-to-income ratios and lower affordability compared to average US cities. However, certain US coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles share similar unaffordability extremes with top Canadian markets.
What is a good home price to income ratio?
Historically, a price-to-income ratio of around 2.6 to 3.0 was considered standard. In modern markets, a ratio under 4.0 is generally considered affordable, while ratios exceeding 5.0 often indicate severely unaffordable housing markets.
Why is housing affordability by city so different?
Housing affordability varies drastically by city due to local zoning laws, available land for development, regional economic growth, migration trends, and varying local median incomes, all of which uniquely impact localized supply and demand.