Despite market headwinds, housing affordability improved for the second consecutive month, according to the National Association of Realtors’ August Housing Affordability Index.

Affordability improved on a national and regional basis, with the greatest monthly gains in affordability happening in the South (+0.4 percent), Midwest (+0.3 percent) and Northeast (+0.2 percent). Meanwhile, the West experienced no change, the report explained.

Every household making a median income was able to afford a median-priced home, granted they provided a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year fixed mortgage loan at 2.89 percent.

The Midwest was the most affordable region, with the average household making almost double ($86,614) of what they needed to afford a median-priced home in the region ($44,016).

Meanwhile, the West was the least affordable region with the average household barely surpassing the income ($94,372) to afford a median-priced home ($82,128). On a national basis, households making a median income of $87,865 surpassed the income they needed to afford a median-priced home by almost $30,000 ($58,080).

Although housing affordability improved on a month-to-month basis, the gap between incomes and housing costs widened on an annual basis. From August 2020 to August 2021,  monthly mortgage payments increased 13.8 percent while median household incomes only increased 3.9 percent.

Buyers in the Northeast bore the brunt of increased housing costs, with overall affordability decreasing 10.7 percent. The South (7.1 percent) and West (4.9 percent) rounded out the top three, as the Midwest experienced the smallest decrease of 4.8 percent.

Rapid home price growth is to blame for the decrease in annual affordability, despite mortgage rates dipping to historical lows during the height of the pandemic.

“Nationally, mortgage rates were down 11 basis point from one year ago (one percentage point equals 100 basis points),” the report read. “Compared to one year ago, the monthly mortgage payment rose to $1,210 from $1,062, an increase of 13.9 percent.”

“The annual mortgage payment as a percentage of income increased to 16.5 percent this August from 15.1 percent from a year ago due to higher home prices and only modest gains in median family incomes,” it added.

Households on the West Coast spent 21.8 percent of their income on mortgage costs — 3.2 percent below NAR’s affordability threshold of 25 percent. Homeowners in the Northeast spent 16.8 percent of their income on mortgage costs, followed by 15.6 percent in the South and 12.7 percent in the Midwest.

Market normalization and slower homebuying activity bodes well for buyers, NAR said, with affordability likely to improve throughout the fall.

“Mortgage rates have fallen back to back months and are historically low below 3 percent,” the report concluded. “Home price growth has also slowed down which is a good sign for first-time home buyers who have been priced out of the market.”

“As such, the income needed to afford a mortgage (qualifying incomes) has declined since June due to the seasonal decline in home prices and continued decline in mortgage rates,” it added.

Email Marian McPherson

homebuying
Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×