U.S. Housing Least Affordable in History

American households are spending more of their income on housing than at any other point in recorded history.

1 minute read

December 7, 2022, 8:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Gray houses under construction

Kwangmoozaa / Housing construction

According to an article in The Real Deal, housing in the United States is less affordable than ever. “In September 2022, a median-income household would have had to spend a little over 46 percent of its income to afford a median-priced home. That’s a 14-point spike from September 2021, when a household had to spend about a third of its income to afford a home in its community.” This remains the case in all but one U.S. metro areas with a population of more than 500,000. 

California takes the top five spots on the list of most unaffordable metro areas, with the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area, where it would cost a median-income household 66 percent of their income to buy a home, coming in sixth.

The cities with the steepest declines in affordability, the article notes, are in the Southeast, where housing prices were historically low.

Sunday, December 4, 2022 in The Real Deal

Black and white Rideshare Pick-Up Zone sign

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing

From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

June 1, 2023 - Human Transit

Urban sidewalk shaded by large mature trees

Cool Walkability Planning

Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

June 1, 2023 - Todd Litman

Traffic on the 405 interstate freeway through the Sepulveda Pass at Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, California

Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.

The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.

May 30, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Empty Muni underground train platform

Activists Mourn Potential Death of Bay Area Transit With Mock Funeral

In an action meant to draw attention to the financial crisis facing California’s public transit agencies, activists held a mock funeral for BART and Muni, citing the cause of death as ‘neglect.’

43 minutes ago - SFGate

Close-up of phone screen with Airbnb app screen

Proposed Short-Term Rental Tax Would Fund Affordable Housing in California

A state bill would impose a tax similar to a hotel tax on short-term rental owners, with the revenue funding affordable housing projects.

1 hour ago - Cap Radio

Elderly woman enters house with help from caregiver who is holding her hands

The Challenges of Aging in Place

Seniors in one Bay Area community want to stay in their communities, but many find the cost of living and maintaining older homes prohibitive.

2 hours ago - Palo Alto Online

Project Manager III

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

UDO Transportation Planner

City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.