Houses are more affordable in some places than others. Does your metro area rank near the top or bottom?
Lenders say a home is affordable when your house payment plus other debt payments add up to 36 percent or less of household income. Interest.com, a Bankrate-owned company, gathered data about housing costs and other debt in the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas. In the five least affordable cities, including San Francisco, New York, San Diego, Miami and Los Angeles, total debt was well above 36 percent of median income.
Nationally
Median house payment: $936
Median other debt: $504
Median total debt: $1,440
Median monthly household income: $4,209
Percentage of income going to pay debts: 34.2
San Francisco
Median house payment: $2,498
Median other debt: $484
Median total debt: $2,982
Median monthly household income: $5,998
Percentage of income going to pay debts: 49.7
New York City
Median house payment: $2,069
Median other debt: $502
Median total debt: $2,571
Median monthly household income: $5,194
Percentage of income going to pay debts: 49.5
San Diego
Median house payment: $1,746
Median other debt: $500
Median total debt: $2,246
Median monthly household income: $4,956
Percentage of income going to pay debts: 45.3
Miami
Median house payment: $1,074
Median other debt: $485
Median total debt: $1,559
Median monthly household income: $3,784
Percentage of income going to pay debts: 41.2
Los Angeles
Median house payment: $1,475
Median other debt: $468
Median total debt: $1,943
Median monthly household income: $4,721
Percentage of income going to pay debts: 41.2
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