Home prices are rising, interest rates are climbing, and mortgage payments are putting a bigger dent in Americans' budget than in years past.
A new study by Zillow revealed that a mortgage payment on the average U.S. home comprises 17.5% of the median income, climbing 2% from last year and reaching the highest level in nine years.
But while mortgage affordability has declined, is still nearly five points below the historical average because, as the study points out, mortgage rates remain lower than historical norms.
"While mortgage rates remain low by historic standards, they are creeping upward, eating into what buyers can pay, and in a handful of pricey markets, affordability already looks unnervingly low,” said Zillow Senior Economist Aaron Terrazas.
The study also found that affordability was nearly twice as bad for the nation’s lower-income homeowners.
“Among lower-income buyers in those pricey markets, it is outright impossible to afford the mortgage on even a lower-priced home,” Terrazas added. “As rates rise, both buyers and sellers will have to temper their expectations further.”
Here are the top 10 cities where homeowners spend more of their money on their monthly mortgage bill:
San Jose, California: 53.5%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California: 45.0%
San Francisco, California: 44.9%
San Diego, California: 37.9%
Sacramento, California: 28.8%
Seattle, Washington: 28.6%
Riverside, California: 28.3%
New York, New York: 27.9%
Portland, Oregon: 26.1%
Boston, Massachusetts: 25.8%
