Weekly Real Estate News
Homeownership remained less affordable than historical local norms in 98% of the U.S. counties examined during the third quarter, according to a new report from property-data firm ATTOM.
The company’s third-quarter 2026 Home Affordability Report found that 570 of 583 counties with sufficient data were less affordable than their historical averages. The national median home sale price was $368,000, down 1% from the second quarter and 2% from a year earlier, but borrowing costs and other ownership expenses continued to strain buyers.
The report is dated October 22, although its webpage displays an October 20 byline; the exact first-publication timestamp is not independently established.
Wages and ownership costs remain out of balance
ATTOM calculates the income required for major monthly homeownership expenses, including mortgage principal and interest, mortgage insurance, property taxes and homeowners insurance, assuming a 20% down payment and a 28% front-end debt-to-income threshold. It compares that amount with local average wages.
Among major counties, ATTOM estimated ownership expenses consumed 69.9% of typical wages in Los Angeles County, 69.6% in San Diego County and 92.6% in Orange County, California. By contrast, the measure was 20.7% in Harris County, Texas, and 24.3% in Dallas County.
The headline 98% figure describes affordability compared with each county’s own historical norm. It does not mean 98% of all U.S. homes are unaffordable to every household.
Even as national prices eased, ATTOM noted that mortgage rates near 7.3% at the end of the quarter and rising consumer prices limited the relief for would-be buyers.
Primary source: ATTOM’s third-quarter 2026 affordability report.
