A new report from the consumer financial comparison site Compare the Market revealed that it would take the average American more than a decade to afford a home in one of the hottest towns in the greater San Antonio-Austin megaregion.
The company recently analyzed data from more than 800 housing markets in the United States to better understand where the American dream of homeownership is “most out of reach” relative to the average state income. For Texas, it places that average at $61,235 — not far off from the roughly $62,000 estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fredericksburg was the only Texas town to land a top 50 spot on the list, ranked No. 44, making it the least affordable housing market in the Lone Star State. For some, the small Hill Country town’s growth has sparked a wave of affordability concerns in recent years. As new luxury developments and other million-dollar investments target the area, some say the region is losing its small-town charm.
The study claims it would take prospective buyers about 11 years of income to purchase a home in the growing Hill Country town, where the typical home price averages about $671,058.
But behind Fredericksburg, other towns across the Hill Country, North Texas and the Gulf Coast made the list. Though it didn’t crack the top 50, Mineral Wells was named the second-least affordable housing market in Texas. Compare Market claims it would take the average buyer 7.7 years of salary to buy an average home in the Dallas-area micropolitan.
In Kerrville, the third-least-affordable town on the list, the study found that it would take local residents the equivalent of 6.9 years of income to afford one of the area’s homes, which can reach an average value of $421,362. Affordability concerns have persisted in Kerrville for several years, with many residents voicing outrage over a luxury housing developer’s efforts to edge its way into town.
Outside of Austin, the suburb of Round Rock was ranked the state’s fourth-least affordable housing market, and Port Lavaca was ranked fifth-least affordable. It would take the average Texas resident 6.8 and 6.4 years’ worth of salary to afford a typical home in each city, respectively.
Hailey, Idaho, was named the most unaffordable housing market in the United States, with the study showing that it would take 28.9 years’ worth of salary for the average Idaho resident, with a salary of $55,640, to purchase a home in the resort river valley destination.
In Massachusetts, it might take you 25.5 years to purchase a home on Martha’s Vineyard, and in Key West, Florida, it might take some 22.8 years to buy that dream home.