Most Affordable Areas in the U.S. are in the Midwest
The Midwest and Southeast regions of the U.S. continue to experience above-average hiring and a large segment of current renters who earn enough income to qualify to buy a home. Demand for housing is being driven by the labor market , which is steadily generating increases in wages. On the list of the percentage of current renters who can afford to buy a home - St. Louis, Missouri checks in at number six . The recent report by the National Association of Realtors reviewed employment growth, household income and qualifying income levels in nearly 100 of the largest metropolitan statistical areas across the country to determine which areas with employment gains above the recent national average also have the largest share of renters who can currently afford to buy a home. Data supports a significant increase in renter households — both millennials and those who lost their home — since the Great Recession, and especially in metro areas that hav...