Home prices are at an all-time high in more than half of 112 metropolitan areas with a population of 200,000, according to Attom Data Solutions U.S. Home Sales Report. On top of that, most U.S. wages were flat until just recently and
Combined with a gap between incomes and home prices that is historically wide in certain local markets, these pressures on affordability puts certain areas at risk for a housing bubble.
Here's a look at 10 counties in metropolitan areas where home prices have outpaced wages by the biggest margins year-over-year, and purchasing power is at historic lows.
The data, from the Attom Data Home Affordability Index, measures average wages to buy a median-priced home on a recent and historical basis. The third-quarter 2017 data is ranked by the difference between the year-over-year increase in median home prices and the increase in average weekly wages needed to buy a median-priced house during the same period.
All the counties that follow have an affordability index below 100, meaning they are less affordable now than they have been historically on average; and in each area, more than 50% of average wages are needed to buy a median-priced home.
The ranking only includes counties that had a population of at least 100,000 and at least 100 homes sales during the quarter.
No. 10: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn. (Williamson County)
Gap between growth in home prices and wages: 4.11%
Affordability Index: 94
No. 9: St. George, Utah (Washington County)
Median sales price: $262,802
Gap between growth in home prices and wages: 4.69%
No. 8: New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (Kings County, N.Y.)
Gap between growth in home prices and wages: 4.73%
Affordability Index: 89
No. 7: Medford, Ore. (Jackson County)
Gap between growth in home prices and wages: 6.09%
Affordability Index: 98
No. 6: San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif. (Contra Costa County)
Gap between growth in home prices and wages: 6.45%
Affordability Index: 94
No. 5: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. (Snohomish County)
Gap between growth in home prices and wages: 7.05%
Affordability Index: 94
No. 4: Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, Calif. (El Dorado County)
Gap between growth in home prices and wages: 8.03%
Affordability Index: 98
No. 3: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash. (Yamhill County, Ore.)
Price-Wage Growth Gap: 8.05%
Affordability Index: 84
No. 2: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. (King County)
Price-Wage Growth Gap: 11.24%
Affordability Index: 95
No. 1: San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas (Comal County)
Price-Wage Growth Gap: 14.04%
Affordability Index: 77