Trulia analyzed metros to find the areas with the highest percentage if zip codes with affordable homes for the local median income.
Each of the country’s 50 largest markets had at least one ZIP code where half or more homes were deemed to be affordable to a would-be buyer earning the local median income. But there were also extremes. Of the more than 8,000 ZIP codes examined, 261 are completely out of reach for the typical income earner: no homes are affordable. But there are more than twice as many ZIP codes (604) scattered across the country where all homes are affordable.
Looking at all ZIP codes across the 50 largest metros, the share of affordable homes in those located within 30 miles of the city center is 14 percentage points less, on average, than in those ZIP codes more than 30 miles from downtown. A location closer to the center of the city tends to fetch a premium since that often means lower commuting costs (in both time and money), and land values tend to be higher closer to a given metro’s center of gravity.
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