10/07/2026
A good job is no longer enough to guarantee access to homeownership.
NHC’s second annual Priced Out: When a Good Job Isn’t Enough report finds that in 2025, workers could afford a typically priced home in just 14% of the occupation–metro combinations analyzed.
The findings show how dramatically housing affordability has shifted:
🏠 Affordable homeownership combinations fell from 32,794 in 2020 to just 12,189 in 2025.
🔑 Nearly half of occupation–metro combinations could not afford a two-bedroom rental in 2025.
💰 193 metro areas now require an annual salary above $100,000 to afford a typically priced home—up from just 30 in 2019.
Explore the findings and see what housing affordability looks like for workers across the country: