The National Association of REALTORS® reported a national median price of $434,900 for an existing single-family home in the second quarter of 2026, 1.5% higher than one year earlier.
A Related Measure
NAR’s separate monthly series for all
HUD’s archived National Association of REALTORS® housing-affordability table shows that in 1970 the median existing-home price was $23,000, median family income was $9,867, and the income required to qualify for the median home was $6,697.
HUD’s archived National Association of REALTORS® housing-affordability table shows that in 1980 the median existing-home price was $62,200, median family income was $21,023, and the income required to qualify was $26,328. The qualifying-inc
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, estimated that 43.5 million U.S. households were housing-cost burdened in 2024. That was 33% of all households, or about one in three.
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, estimated that 21.6 million U.S. households were severely housing-cost burdened in 2024. That was 16% of all households, meaning they spent
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reported that from 2014 to 2024 the number of U.S. rental units renting for less than $1,400 per month fell by 9.3 million. Over the same period, the number renting for $1,400 or more increased by
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, using U.S. Census Bureau data, reported that 49% of renter households with annual incomes from $45,000 to $74,999 were housing-cost burdened in 2024, meaning they spent more than 30% of income on
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reported that 83% of renter households earning under $30,000 were housing-cost burdened in 2024. About 67% were severely burdened, spending more than half their income on rent and utilities.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach 2026 report calculated a national one-bedroom Housing Wage of $29.19 per hour: the hourly wage a full-time worker would need to afford HUD Fair Market Rent without spending more than
In 2024, 22.7 million U.S. renter households — 49% of all renter households — spent more than 30% of their income on housing.
WHAT “COST BURDENED” MEANS
A household is generally described as housing-cost burdened when it spends more than 30
