Data Study·Published April 17, 2026
2026 Mortgage Affordability Index
The income you need to buy a median-priced home in every US state and Canadian province — and the gap between what you need and what the median household actually earns.
Key Findings
- Only 2 US states are affordable at the median household income: Iowa and West Virginia.
- Hawaii is the least affordable US state. Buying a median home ($832,967) requires $213,016 in annual income — 2.11× the state's median of $100,745.
- Every Canadian province is unaffordable at median income. The national gap ranges from 1.51× in Saskatchewan to 3.48× in British Columbia.
- In British Columbia, buying the average home (C$932,243) requires C$256,998 in annual income after Canada's OSFI B-20 stress test — more than 3× the provincial median of C$73,900.
- The gap between required and actual income is largest in Hawaii ($112,271) for the US and British Columbia (C$183,098) for Canada.
The 2026 affordability picture
Housing affordability in North America has never been tighter for the middle-income household. Using Freddie Mac's April 2026 Primary Mortgage Market Survey rate of 6.30% for the US and the Bank of Canada's 5.24% average 5-year fixed for Canada (stress-tested at 7.24% under OSFI B-20), a median household in most North American markets no longer earns enough to qualify for a median-priced home.
In the United States, only 2 of 51 states and DC pass the 28% PITI rule at the state median income. In Canada, the 32% Gross Debt Service ratio — combined with the federal stress test — pushes every single province above the qualifying threshold at median income. In British Columbia, the required qualifying income is 3.5× the provincial median.
The index below ranks every state and province by the income-to-affordability ratio — the multiple of the median household income required to qualify for a median-priced home using 10% down, 30-year fixed financing (US) or 25-year amortization with the B-20 stress test (Canada).
The full 2026 index (sortable)
Click any column header to sort. Toggle between the US and Canada datasets.
| State | Home price | Median income | Monthly PITI | Income needed | Gap | Ratio ▼ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $832,967 | $100,745 | $4,970 | $213,016 | +$112,271 | 2.11× |
| California | $774,582 | $100,149 | $4,904 | $210,154 | +$110,005 | 2.10× |
| Massachusetts | $656,690 | $104,828 | $4,334 | $185,722 | +$80,894 | 1.77× |
| New York | $507,794 | $85,820 | $3,517 | $150,728 | +$64,908 | 1.76× |
| Rhode Island | $499,272 | $83,504 | $3,414 | $146,304 | +$62,800 | 1.75× |
| Montana | $466,917 | $75,340 | $3,068 | $131,484 | +$56,144 | 1.75× |
| New Jersey | $569,411 | $104,294 | $4,113 | $176,276 | +$71,982 | 1.69× |
| Washington | $601,016 | $99,389 | $3,852 | $165,086 | +$65,697 | 1.66× |
| Oregon | $499,004 | $85,220 | $3,195 | $136,933 | +$51,713 | 1.61× |
| Colorado | $541,842 | $97,113 | $3,529 | $151,225 | +$54,112 | 1.56× |
| Idaho | $473,335 | $81,166 | $2,944 | $126,154 | +$44,988 | 1.55× |
| Florida | $375,662 | $77,735 | $2,811 | $120,466 | +$42,731 | 1.55× |
| Maine | $407,566 | $76,442 | $2,691 | $115,341 | +$38,899 | 1.51× |
| New Hampshire | $507,347 | $99,782 | $3,509 | $150,387 | +$50,605 | 1.51× |
| Utah | $537,810 | $96,658 | $3,314 | $142,010 | +$45,352 | 1.47× |
| Nevada | $446,865 | $81,134 | $2,761 | $118,343 | +$37,209 | 1.46× |
| District of Columbia | $583,084 | $109,707 | $3,672 | $157,359 | +$47,652 | 1.43× |
| Arizona | $423,330 | $81,486 | $2,708 | $116,046 | +$34,560 | 1.42× |
| Vermont | $394,038 | $82,730 | $2,730 | $117,012 | +$34,282 | 1.41× |
| Connecticut | $436,407 | $96,049 | $3,111 | $133,329 | +$37,280 | 1.39× |
| Nebraska | $276,500 | $76,376 | $2,419 | $103,660 | +$27,284 | 1.36× |
| New Mexico | $316,750 | $67,816 | $2,107 | $90,306 | +$22,490 | 1.33× |
| North Carolina | $336,408 | $73,958 | $2,294 | $98,305 | +$24,347 | 1.33× |
| Tennessee | $333,651 | $71,997 | $2,218 | $95,040 | +$23,043 | 1.32× |
| Wyoming | $363,227 | $75,532 | $2,299 | $98,518 | +$22,986 | 1.30× |
| South Dakota | $317,148 | $76,881 | $2,291 | $98,189 | +$21,308 | 1.28× |
| Wisconsin | $330,171 | $77,488 | $2,292 | $98,221 | +$20,733 | 1.27× |
| Louisiana | $211,635 | $60,986 | $1,799 | $77,091 | +$16,105 | 1.26× |
| Texas | $300,957 | $79,721 | $2,343 | $100,396 | +$20,675 | 1.26× |
| Virginia | $412,467 | $92,090 | $2,705 | $115,911 | +$23,821 | 1.26× |
| Delaware | $402,891 | $87,534 | $2,493 | $106,833 | +$19,299 | 1.22× |
| Minnesota | $346,668 | $87,117 | $2,455 | $105,209 | +$18,092 | 1.21× |
| South Carolina | $304,083 | $72,350 | $2,031 | $87,028 | +$14,678 | 1.20× |
| Georgia | $332,063 | $79,991 | $2,233 | $95,700 | +$15,709 | 1.20× |
| Maryland | $429,705 | $102,905 | $2,862 | $122,656 | +$19,751 | 1.19× |
| Kentucky | $231,894 | $64,526 | $1,728 | $74,053 | +$9,527 | 1.15× |
| Oklahoma | $220,468 | $66,148 | $1,761 | $75,467 | +$9,319 | 1.14× |
| Illinois | $285,736 | $83,211 | $2,213 | $94,840 | +$11,629 | 1.14× |
| Alaska | $387,636 | $95,665 | $2,540 | $108,841 | +$13,176 | 1.14× |
| Kansas | $244,761 | $75,514 | $1,977 | $84,710 | +$9,196 | 1.12× |
| Michigan | $259,857 | $72,389 | $1,894 | $81,170 | +$8,781 | 1.12× |
| North Dakota | $284,076 | $77,871 | $2,036 | $87,273 | +$9,402 | 1.12× |
| Arkansas | $222,050 | $62,106 | $1,609 | $68,956 | +$6,850 | 1.11× |
| Missouri | $263,040 | $71,589 | $1,841 | $78,892 | +$7,303 | 1.10× |
| Pennsylvania | $282,736 | $77,545 | $1,962 | $84,083 | +$6,538 | 1.08× |
| Alabama | $236,453 | $66,659 | $1,648 | $70,614 | +$3,955 | 1.06× |
| Mississippi | $192,906 | $59,127 | $1,447 | $62,027 | +$2,900 | 1.05× |
| Ohio | $242,141 | $72,212 | $1,727 | $74,011 | +$1,799 | 1.02× |
| Indiana | $254,122 | $71,959 | $1,718 | $73,609 | +$1,650 | 1.02× |
| Iowa | $231,585 | $75,501 | $1,731 | $74,199 | $-1,302 | 0.98× |
| West Virginia | $174,412 | $60,798 | $1,129 | $48,369 | $-12,429 | 0.80× |
Ratio = required income ÷ median household income. A ratio of 1.0× means the median household exactly qualifies; 2.0× means you need double the median income. Click column headers to sort.
US: least and most affordable states
Top 5 least affordable US states
- Hawaii — requires $213,016 to afford a $832,967 home (2.11× median income)
- California — requires $210,154 to afford a $774,582 home (2.10× median income)
- Massachusetts — requires $185,722 to afford a $656,690 home (1.77× median income)
- New York — requires $150,728 to afford a $507,794 home (1.76× median income)
- Rhode Island — requires $146,304 to afford a $499,272 home (1.75× median income)
Top 5 most affordable US states
- West Virginia — requires $48,369 to afford a $174,412 home (0.80× median income)
- Iowa — requires $74,199 to afford a $231,585 home (0.98× median income)
- Indiana — requires $73,609 to afford a $254,122 home (1.02× median income)
- Ohio — requires $74,011 to afford a $242,141 home (1.02× median income)
- Mississippi — requires $62,027 to afford a $192,906 home (1.05× median income)
Canada: least and most affordable provinces
Top 5 least affordable provinces / territories
- British Columbia — requires C$256,998 to afford a C$932,243 home (3.48× median income)
- Ontario — requires C$245,518 to afford a C$802,601 home (3.12× median income)
- Quebec — requires C$164,989 to afford a C$552,983 home (2.47× median income)
- Nova Scotia — requires C$152,008 to afford a C$467,926 home (2.42× median income)
- Nunavut — requires C$205,727 to afford a C$710,000 home (2.27× median income)
Top 3 most affordable provinces / territories
- Saskatchewan — requires C$110,157 to afford a C$334,166 home (1.51× median income)
- Northwest Territories — requires C$159,652 to afford a C$538,081 home (1.56× median income)
- Newfoundland and Labrador — requires C$105,690 to afford a C$332,983 home (1.61× median income)
Methodology
United States
- Mortgage rate: 6.30% (30-year fixed, Freddie Mac PMMS, April 2026)
- Down payment: 10%
- Loan term: 30 years
- Property tax: state-level effective rate from Tax Foundation
- Homeowners insurance: state average from Bankrate (2026)
- Front-end DTI ratio: 28% (standard PITI-to-income qualification)
- Required income = (monthly PITI × 12) ÷ 0.28
Monthly P&I = Loan × [r(1+r)^n] / [(1+r)^n − 1]
Monthly PITI = P&I + (Price × PropTaxRate / 12) + (AnnualInsurance / 12)
Required Income = (Monthly PITI × 12) / 0.28
Monthly PITI = P&I + (Price × PropTaxRate / 12) + (AnnualInsurance / 12)
Required Income = (Monthly PITI × 12) / 0.28
Canada
- Contract rate: 5.24% (5-year fixed conventional, April 2026)
- Stress test qualifying rate: contract + 200 bps = 7.24% (OSFI B-20)
- Down payment: minimum per federal rules (CMHC schedule for LTV > 80%)
- Amortization: 25 years
- Property tax: provincial effective rate (nesto.ca Canada Property Tax Guide)
- Monthly heat allowance: C$150 (standard GDS assumption)
- GDS ratio: 32% (Canadian qualifying standard)
- Required income = (monthly PITI × 12) ÷ 0.32
Data sources
All data used in this study:
- Zillow ZHVI State All Homes — US median home prices (March 2026)
- US Census ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903 — US state median household income (2024)
- Tax Foundation — US state property tax rates
- Bankrate — US state average home insurance rates (2026)
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey — US mortgage rates (April 2026)
- WOWA.ca / CREA — Canadian provincial average home prices (February 2026)
- Statistics Canada, Canadian Income Survey 2023 — Canadian provincial median household income
- nesto.ca Canada Property Tax Guide 2026
- Bank of Canada — 5-year fixed mortgage rates
- OSFI Guideline B-20 — Canadian stress test rules
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