US median home cost rises to 5 years of household income

Young buyers: A recent Pew Research Center analysis found that buying a home has become harder for younger adults across most U.S. metropolitan areas, reflecting widening gaps between home values and the incomes of households headed by people under 40. Housing affordability: Recent housing-affordability analyses indicate that U.S. home prices have risen faster than household incomes over the long term, increasing the price-to-income ratio from roughly three-and-a-half in the mid-1980s to around five in recent years. Affordability pressure: Recent housing data show that high home prices, elevated borrowing costs, and limited affordability continue to make homeownership difficult for many American households.