Only 14% of occupations studied could afford a typical home in 2025
Across the country, rising housing costs are making it increasingly difficult for workers to afford a home in the communities where they live and work. NHC’s second annual Priced Out: When a Good Job Isn’t Enough report takes a closer look at this growing affordability gap, revealing how dramatically access to homeownership has changed over the past five years. The report explores what this means for America’s workforce and local economies as the dream of homeownership moves further out of reach for millions of Americans.
Findings show that:
- Homeownership affordability has fallen sharply: Affordable occupation–metro combinations dropped from 32,794 in 2020 to 12,189 in 2025, while workers in 188 metro areas now need at least twice the income to afford a typically priced home.
- Renters are losing ground, too: Nearly half of tracked occupation–metro combinations could not afford a two-bedroom rental in 2025, while 38 metro areas required salaries above $75,000 to afford one without being cost-burdened.
- Even higher earners are being priced out: The average salary among occupations that lost the ability to buy was $70,283, while 193 metro areas now require salaries above $100,000 to afford a typically priced home—up from just 30 in 2019.
