Most Americans Can't Afford New Homes
Most Americans can’t afford a new home.
A new analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that 65% of U.S. households are priced out of newly built homes, based on current prices and mortgage rates.
In some parts of the country, the situation is even more extreme. More than 80% of households can’t afford a new home, highlighting how widespread the affordability gap has become.
This map, via Visual Capitalist's Dorosthy Neufeld, shows where Americans are being priced out and where barriers to homeownership are highest.
Ranked: Where Americans Are Most Priced Out of New Homes
At the extreme end, buying a new home is nearly out of reach. In New Hampshire, 83.4% of households are priced out of a new median-priced home.
In total, 11 states have at least 80% of households locked out.
This table shows the share of households priced out of new homes by state in 2026. A household is considered “priced out” if total housing costs—principal, interest, taxes, and insurance—exceed 28% of income, based on median new home prices and a 6% mortgage rate.
State
% of Households
Priced Out of New Homes
Median New Home Price
Income Needed to Qualify
New Hampshire
83.4%
$677,982
$211,080
Hawaii
83.0%
$884,781
$234,818
Maine
82.7%
$548,493
$160,714
Alaska
82.2%
$627,077
$188,313
Connecticut
81.8%
$696,752
$224,811
Wyoming
81.8%
$580,627
$164,982
Montana
81.5%
$495,610
$141,997
Oregon
81.0%
$608,135
$173,717
New York
80.5%
$656,108
$204,163
Vermont
80.1%
$580,627
$181,064
Pennsylvania
80.0%
$528,370
$160,900
Massachusetts
79.8%
$836,236
$246,370
Wisconsin
77.3%
$485,449
$149,085
Ohio
76.5%
$443,646
$137,310
Washington
76.1%
$649,812
$185,213
Colorado
75.1%
$644,149
$179,928
Kansas
73.4%
$401,237
$128,372
Rhode Island
72.9%
$578,724
$174,451
South Carolina
72.5%
$421,098
$118,180
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