Ready for high school flashbacks? Real estate report cards are out, and whether you should pin yours on the fridge or bury it in a locker depends on where you live.Among the 100 largest metros nationwide, only 10 earned A grades. And the valedictorian might surprise you: Des Moines, IA, where a median-priced home costs $349,903—requiring just 27.5% of the typical household’s income to cover, well below the 30% threshold considered affordable (assuming a 10% down payment and a 6.5% 30-year fixed mortgage).
Meanwhile, salutatorian Raleigh, NC, is crushing the construction test. New homes are going up faster than the city’s population would predict. All that supply means brand-new homes are actually cheaper than existing ones, which typically run $450,588.
“Homebuilding and affordability are inseparable, and if we want to improve affordability in a lasting way, we need to build more homes,” explains Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale...
RSK: Madison should actually rate a C if you truly look at the zoning laws and regulations that add cost to the construction. What is saving us is our household income barely pushes us into the B bracket.
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- - Volume: 26 - WEEK: 40 Date: 9/29/2026 4:45:13 PM -