The 16 major U.S. cities where housing costs take up the smallest share of income

The rising cost of housing remains a financial strain for many Americans.

Around 44% of people say they struggle to afford their monthly mortgage or rent, according to a Redfin survey of 4,000 households.

Nationally, when combining both renters and homeowners, housing costs equaled about 21% of median household income in 2024, according to a SmartAsset analysis of Census Bureau data. In the 50 largest cities, housing costs took up about 25% of residents’ income, although it was as high as 36% in certain cities.

For each city, SmartAsset calculated a weighted average of renter and homeowner median costs, based on the share of households that rent or own within the metro, to give a clearer view of the housing expenses residents might face.

Of course, many people in large cities put well over 30% of their income toward housing. That can be less obvious when looking at medians, which flatten extremes: high earners may spend millions on housing yet put a smaller share of their income toward it, while lower earners may spend 40% or more on relatively low housing costs.

And because incomes in many big cities are higher than the national average, the share may appear low even when housing is costly in dollar terms — especially places like San Jose or San Francisco.

Even so, the analysis offers a useful comparison of affordability, highlighting 16 cities that stand out when local incomes are measured against housing costs. The list below ranks them from the lowest to highest share within the 25% cutoff.

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