The affordability gap
Affordability is the relationship between what housing costs and what local incomes support. This report publishes the cost side from the US360 dataset and states plainly that the income side is not yet sourced per state.
Annual report · Housing
Housing Affordability Report 2026
Median home values, the deposit gap and what affordability means state by state.
Published Mar 2, 2026 · Last updated Jun 28, 2026 · 11 min read
Editorial details
Author
Elena Marsh
Editorial Director
Reviewer
Priya Raman
Personal Finance Editor
Published
Mar 2, 2026
Version 1.1
Last reviewed
Jun 28, 2026
11 min read
Editor's review: Rent figures are deliberately absent: US360 has not sourced a consistent per-state rent measure yet.
Key findings
What the data shows
- Median home value varies by a multiple, not a margin, across the 51 hubs.
- A low cost index does not guarantee low home values — several affordable states carry above-average housing costs.
- Deposit requirements, not monthly payments, are the binding constraint for most first-time buyers.
The report
A structural read on buying and renting across the United States, built from the published median home values in the US360 state dataset.
Buying versus renting
Renters face screening, first month's rent and a deposit; buyers face a down payment, closing costs and property tax. Both are published in the state hubs as narrative guidance rather than as national averages.
Data visuals
Charts and tables
Every visual states whether it is derived from published US360 data or a labelled placeholder, and every chart can be read as a data table.
- West Virginia$165,000
- Mississippi$175,000
- Oklahoma$200,000
- Arkansas$205,000
- Louisiana$205,000
- Iowa$215,000
- Kansas$220,000
- Kentucky$225,000
- Ohio$225,000
- Alabama$230,000
View as data table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | $165,000 |
| Mississippi | $175,000 |
| Oklahoma | $200,000 |
| Arkansas | $205,000 |
| Louisiana | $205,000 |
| Iowa | $215,000 |
| Kansas | $220,000 |
| Kentucky | $225,000 |
| Ohio | $225,000 |
| Alabama | $230,000 |
Derived from the published US360 state dataset.
Sample layout only. US360 has not connected a dataset for this visual, so no values are shown.
Placeholder. US360 has not connected a per-state rent dataset — this panel shows the intended layout only.
Sources
Where this data comes from
US360 never presents a third-party statistic as its own. Each source below is labelled by origin.
- US360 editorial analysis
US360 state dataset
Median home value for all 51 hubs.
- Official federal agency
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Fair market rent programme used as context for the planned rent measure.
Open source - Official federal agency
US Census Bureau
Housing characteristics context.
Open source
Limitations
- No per-state rent figure is published in this edition.
- Median values hide very large metro-to-rural variation.
Download center
Files, versions and dates
Each file carries its version number and publication date. Files are prepared by the research desk and released with the report edition.
- Housing Affordability Report 2026PDF report · v1.1 · Jun 28, 2026Preparing
- Housing affordability infographicInfographic · v1.1 · Jun 28, 2026Preparing
- First-home planning worksheetWorksheet · v1.0 · Mar 2, 2026Preparing
Corrections & versions
What changed, and when
Version history
- v1.1 — Jun 28, 2026Review pass; added the deposit-gap section.
- v1.0 — Mar 2, 2026First publication.
Corrections
- Apr 15, 2026Corrected the Washington, D.C. median home value label after the hub dataset was extended to include D.C.
Related rankings
Compare the states behind it
Most Affordable States
Where does an average household budget stretch furthest?
- 1Mississippi99.7
- 2Iowa95.8
- 3Kentucky95.1
US360 analysis of published data
Best States for Families
Where can a family buy a home and stay near services?
- 1Texas74
- 2Ohio71.7
- 3Mississippi70.9
US360 analysis of published data
Trust & transparency
How to read US360 research
How reports are created
A researcher drafts from the shared state dataset, a second researcher recomputes every composite, and an editor reviews the wording before publication.
How data is verified
A measure only enters a ranking when the same field exists for all 51 hubs. Anything partial stays a labelled placeholder.
When reports are updated
Annual reports are re-published yearly with a mid-year review. Rankings recompute with the dataset and are reviewed at least twice a year.
Known limitations
State-level figures cannot describe a specific city or neighbourhood, and several important measures are still unsourced. Each report lists its own limits.
Corrections process
Corrections are published on the report page with the date and the change, and the version history records what moved.
Reader feedback
Anyone can flag a figure through the contact page. Flagged figures are re-checked before the next review date.
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