Can the average family afford a home? Our affordability index measures median income vs median home price across all 50 states.
| # | State | Affordability Index ▼ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | 108 | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #2 | Iowa | 103 | $63,200 | 90 | A+ | |
| #3 | Kansas | 101 | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #4 | North Dakota | 97 | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #5 | Nebraska | 95 | $66,500 | 91 | A | |
| #6 | Arkansas | 94 | $52,100 | 84 | A | |
| #7 | Michigan | 94 | $63,400 | 89 | A | |
| #8 | Mississippi | 93 | $46,500 | 83 | A | |
| #9 | Alabama | 91 | $56,200 | 87 | A | |
| #10 | Missouri | 91 | $61,000 | 88 | A | |
| #11 | Oklahoma | 91 | $55,800 | 86 | A | |
| #12 | Illinois | 89 | $72,200 | 93 | A | |
| #13 | Louisiana | 89 | $52,300 | 91 | A | |
| #14 | Pennsylvania | 89 | $67,600 | 94 | A | |
| #15 | Ohio | 88 | $59,300 | 89 | A | |
| #16 | Indiana | 87 | $58,600 | 90 | A | |
| #17 | Kentucky | 86 | $55,600 | 87 | B+ | |
| #18 | Minnesota | 86 | $77,700 | 97 | B+ | |
| #19 | Wisconsin | 86 | $64,800 | 93 | B+ | |
| #20 | South Dakota | 82 | $62,100 | 91 | B+ | |
| #21 | Alaska | 81 | $77,800 | 127 | B+ | |
| #22 | Maryland | 80 | $90,200 | 118 | B+ | |
| #23 | Connecticut | 74 | $83,800 | 121 | B | |
| #24 | Delaware | 74 | $69,100 | 102 | B | |
| #25 | Virginia | 73 | $80,600 | 103 | B | |
| #26 | Wyoming | 72 | $65,000 | 95 | B | |
| #27 | Texas | 70 | $67,300 | 93 | B | |
| #28 | South Carolina | 67 | $56,200 | 92 | B | |
| #29 | Georgia | 66 | $63,400 | 93 | B | |
| #30 | New Hampshire | 66 | $83,300 | 112 | B | |
| #31 | New Mexico | 65 | $53,000 | 91 | B | |
| #32 | Vermont | 63 | $63,400 | 110 | C | |
| #33 | New Jersey | 62 | $87,700 | 121 | C | |
| #34 | Maine | 61 | $63,200 | 109 | C | |
| #35 | North Carolina | 60 | $61,000 | 95 | C | |
| #36 | Rhode Island | 59 | $71,200 | 109 | C | |
| #37 | Tennessee | 56 | $59,700 | 91 | C | |
| #38 | Arizona | 55 | $65,600 | 103 | C | |
| #39 | Florida | 55 | $63,100 | 103 | C | |
| #40 | New York | 55 | $75,900 | 139 | C | |
| #41 | Massachusetts | 54 | $89,700 | 135 | C | |
| #42 | Nevada | 54 | $64,200 | 104 | C | |
| #43 | Idaho | 53 | $62,300 | 97 | D | |
| #44 | Colorado | 52 | $80,200 | 105 | D | |
| #45 | Oregon | 52 | $71,200 | 113 | D | |
| #46 | Utah | 52 | $75,600 | 103 | D | |
| #47 | Montana | 48 | $60,600 | 103 | D | |
| #48 | Washington | 48 | $82,100 | 115 | D | |
| #49 | California | 38 | $84,900 | 142 | F | |
| #50 | Hawaii | 36 | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of housing affordability across all 50 states, West Virginia ranks #1 with 108, while Hawaii ranks last at 36. The national average is 73.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 72. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your housing affordability. Use our home affordability calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
West Virginia ranks #1 with 108. Iowa and Kansas round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with 36. California and Washington are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 73. The median is 72.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.