CEOWORLD Housing Affordability Index: 50 U.S. Cities Ranked for 2025
Summary
CEOWORLD magazine’s 2025 Housing Affordability Study ranks 50 of the largest US cities by weighted median housing costs (combining homeowners and renters) relative to median household income using 2024 ACS data. The study finds Miami is the least affordable major city (housing-to-income ratio 36.02%) while El Paso is the most affordable (20.35%). Most large metros now exceed common affordability benchmarks, with implications for employers, investors and policymakers.
Key Points
- Miami is the least affordable city: housing consumes 36.02% of median household income (2024).
- El Paso is the most affordable among the 50 cities: residents spend 20.35% of income on housing.
- 47 of the 50 largest cities exceed the national average housing share; many breach the 28% affordability rule.
- High-cost hubs include Los Angeles (32.64%), New York (28.70%) and Boston (28.40%).
- Mid-tier metros such as Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia and Denver see persistent pressure in the mid-20% range.
- Primary drivers: mortgage rates, rental-market tightness, property taxes and insurance, local regulations/HOAs, and utility costs.
- Implications for leaders: talent attraction/retention risks, corporate expansion trade-offs, targeted investment opportunities and rising policy pressure to boost supply and reform zoning.
- Methodology: weighted median housing costs (owners + renters) divided by median household income (2024 ACS) to produce housing-to-income ratios for apples-to-apples comparisons.
Author
Punchy: Sophie Ireland, senior economist and finance editor at CEOWORLD. The write-up is designed for executives — sharp, data-led and focused on decisions that matter.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you hire people, pick office locations, invest in property or set pay bands, this tells you where housing will wreck budgets (hello Miami) and where staff can actually afford to live (El Paso and a few others). Saves you digging through spreadsheets — fast, practical and immediately usable for strategy and hiring moves.