Where homes cost the most relative to income
Home values track incomes across US cities, and the cities furthest above the line are where housing is least affordable.
US cities with higher Median Household Income tend to have higher Median Home Value.
Very strong link: a correlation of 0.90 across 434 US cities.CorrelationHow closely two metrics move together, from −1 to +1. Near +1: both rise together. Near −1: one rises as the other falls. Near 0: no clear link.More in the glossary →
Home values rise with local incomes, but not evenly. Cities far above the trend line are where homes cost the most relative to what households earn.
Each dot in the chart is one of 434 US cities. The correlation between Median Household Income and Median Home Value is 0.90, a very strong relationship: about 81% of the differences in Median Home Value from place to place line up with Median Household Income. Ranked instead of measured, the link is 0.88.
The highest Median Home Value is in Palo Alto, CA ($2M), Cupertino, CA ($2M) and Manhattan Beach, CA ($2M); the lowest is in Flint, MI ($53,500), Youngstown, OH ($63,300) and Detroit, MI ($83,900). The median place has $312,450 for Median Home Value and $71,670 for Median Household Income.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Glendale, CA, Mountain View, CA and Boulder, CO have a much higher Median Home Value than their Median Household Income would predict, while Southlake, TX, Colleyville, TX and Leawood, KS have a much lower one.
This is a comparison across places, not proof that one causes the other: both can follow from something else, such as income, age or how urban a place is. Median Household Income is from 2024 and Median Home Value from 2024.
Highest Median Home Value
| Place | Median Home Value | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto, CA | $2M | $231,101 |
| Cupertino, CA | $2M | $234,707 |
| Manhattan Beach, CA | $2M | $204,306 |
| Menlo Park, CA | $2M | $210,025 |
| Los Gatos, CA | $2M | $217,554 |
Lowest Median Home Value
| Place | Median Home Value | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Flint, MI | $53,500 | $37,646 |
| Youngstown, OH | $63,300 | $34,408 |
| Detroit, MI | $83,900 | $39,938 |
| Muncie, IN | $97,300 | $44,471 |
| Bay City, MI | $97,600 | $49,420 |
Explore it yourself
- Open this comparison in the interactive chart to highlight places, change the metrics or colour by party.
- Full ranking and sources for Median Household Income
- Full ranking and sources for Median Home Value