By request, here’s an update to my table of housing stats for the top 30 largest cities in the country. Actually this time it’s the top 31, since Las Vegas got ousted from #30 by Oklahoma City the last time I did this list (in late 2010). Also of note: Detroit’s ongoing dramatic decline in population caused it to fall from the eleventh-largest city last time to the eighteenth-largest this time around. At this rate Seattle will be bigger than Detroit in just another few years.
All of the data below is based on official Census Bureau estimates for July 2011 (the latest data available). Note that these numbers are for the cities proper, not the whole metro area.
The “price” column represents the median home value, the “rent” column is the median monthly rent, and “income” is the median household income.
- “P/R” is the median home sale price divided by the annual median rent (“rent” * 12). Higher numbers mean home prices are more expensive relative to rents.
- “P/I” is the median home sale price divided by the median household income. Higher numbers mean home prices are more expensive relative to incomes.
- “I/R” is the median household income divided by the annual median rent. Lower numbers mean rents are more expensive relative to incomes.
By default the table is sorted by population. Click on any column header to sort by that column.
| City | State | Pop. | Land | Density | Price | Rent | Income | P/R | P/I | I/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | NY | 8,244,910 | 302.6 | 27,247 | $490,900 | $1,063 | $49,461 | 38.5 | 9.9 | 3.9 |
| Los Angeles | CA | 3,819,702 | 469.1 | 8,143 | $438,300 | $1,033 | $46,148 | 35.4 | 9.5 | 3.7 |
| Chicago | IL | 2,707,120 | 227.2 | 11,915 | $228,300 | $789 | $43,628 | 24.1 | 5.2 | 4.6 |
| Houston | TX | 2,145,146 | 599.6 | 3,578 | $122,100 | $667 | $42,877 | 15.3 | 2.8 | 5.4 |
| Philadelphia | PA | 1,536,471 | 135.1 | 11,373 | $142,000 | $691 | $34,207 | 17.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Phoenix | AZ | 1,469,471 | 516.7 | 2,844 | $137,500 | $685 | $43,960 | 16.7 | 3.1 | 5.3 |
| San Antonio | TX | 1,359,758 | 407.6 | 3,336 | $112,300 | $658 | $42,613 | 14.2 | 2.6 | 5.4 |
| San Diego | CA | 1,326,179 | 325.2 | 4,078 | $429,200 | $1,201 | $60,797 | 29.8 | 7.1 | 4.2 |
| Dallas | TX | 1,223,229 | 340.5 | 3,592 | $122,800 | $661 | $40,585 | 15.5 | 3.0 | 5.1 |
| San Jose | CA | 967,487 | 176.5 | 5,481 | $540,800 | $1,297 | $76,593 | 34.7 | 7.1 | 4.9 |
| Jacksonville | FL | 827,908 | 747.0 | 1,108 | $141,200 | $704 | $44,802 | 16.7 | 3.2 | 5.3 |
| Indianapolis | IN | 827,609 | 365.1 | 2,267 | $116,300 | $606 | $39,015 | 16.0 | 3.0 | 5.4 |
| Austin | TX | 820,611 | 297.0 | 2,763 | $217,700 | $760 | $49,987 | 23.9 | 4.4 | 5.5 |
| San Francisco | CA | 812,826 | 46.9 | 17,342 | $719,800 | $1,361 | $69,894 | 44.1 | 10.3 | 4.3 |
| Columbus | OH | 797,434 | 217.2 | 3,672 | $127,000 | $626 | $40,463 | 16.9 | 3.1 | 5.4 |
| Fort Worth | TX | 758,738 | 342.2 | 2,217 | $120,300 | $634 | $47,399 | 15.8 | 2.5 | 6.2 |
| Charlotte | NC | 751,087 | 242.3 | 3,100 | $167,400 | $710 | $50,177 | 19.6 | 3.3 | 5.9 |
| Detroit | MI | 706,585 | 138.8 | 5,093 | $50,200 | $547 | $25,193 | 7.6 | 2.0 | 3.8 |
| El Paso | TX | 665,568 | 255.3 | 2,607 | $120,200 | $597 | $40,702 | 16.8 | 3.0 | 5.7 |
| Memphis | TN | 652,050 | 315.1 | 2,069 | $96,000 | $591 | $34,960 | 13.5 | 2.7 | 4.9 |
| Boston | MA | 625,087 | 48.4 | 12,907 | $364,300 | $1,118 | $49,081 | 27.2 | 7.4 | 3.7 |
| Seattle | WA | 620,778 | 83.9 | 7,402 | $420,400 | $943 | $61,037 | 37.2 | 6.9 | 5.4 |
| Denver | CO | 619,968 | 153.3 | 4,044 | $247,800 | $772 | $47,371 | 26.7 | 5.2 | 5.1 |
| Baltimore | MD | 619,493 | 80.9 | 7,653 | $154,400 | $722 | $38,721 | 17.8 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Washington | DC | 617,996 | 61.4 | 10,065 | $422,400 | $1,131 | $63,124 | 31.1 | 6.7 | 4.7 |
| Nashville | TN | 609,644 | 504.0 | 1,210 | $161,600 | $656 | $42,639 | 20.5 | 3.8 | 5.4 |
| Louisville | KY | 602,011 | 385.1 | 1,563 | $138,300 | $552 | $42,019 | 20.9 | 3.3 | 6.3 |
| Milwaukee | WI | 597,867 | 96.1 | 6,220 | $131,300 | $613 | $33,122 | 17.8 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Portland | OR | 593,820 | 133.4 | 4,450 | $275,500 | $768 | $47,033 | 29.9 | 5.9 | 5.1 |
| Oklahoma City | OK | 591,967 | 607.0 | 975 | $135,200 | $558 | $42,995 | 20.2 | 3.1 | 6.4 |
| Las Vegas | NV | 589,317 | 135.8 | 4,340 | $153,200 | $803 | $46,995 | 15.9 | 3.3 | 4.9 |
Here are the averages weighted by population:
- Median Home Price: $293,638
- Median Rent: $861
- Median Income: $46,731
- Price to Rent: 26.1
- Price to Income: 6.0
- Income to Rent: 4.7
As of 2011, Seattle had the seventh most-expensive home prices relative to incomes, the twenty-third most-expensive rents compared to incomes, and the third highest price to rent ratio.