Οι Αμερικανοί μεσαίου εισοδήματος κερδίζουν έδαφος στην αγορά κατοικίας—αλλά ένα σημαντικό εμπόδιο παραμένει

The U.S. housing market is finally showing some signs of relief for middle-income buyers but not without complications. While affordability has ticked up slightly, one major challenge remains: there still aren’t enough homes available in their price range.

A recent joint report from the Εθνική Ένωση Μεσιτών (NAR) και Realtor reveals that inventory is rising compared to last year. However, access to homes that are actually affordable for many Americans continues to lag behind.

A Glimmer of Hope for Middle-Income Buyers

Buyers earning around $75,000 annually have seen some improvement. According to the report, the portion of homes they can afford rose modestly from 20.8% το Μάρτιο του 2024 προς την 21.2% το Μάρτιο του 2025. It’s a small increase but it signals movement in the right direction.

Yet, there’s a big catch.

That 21.2% share is still significantly below where it was before the pandemic. In fact, it’s 27.6 percentage points lower than what was considered typical in 2019, and 26.9 points below what would be expected in a balanced housing market.

Οικονομολόγος Νάντια Ευαγγέλου from NAR calls this the “middle-income paradox.” Middle earners are seeing the biggest gains in affordability but they also face the largest shortages.

The Numbers Behind the Affordability Gap

The report points to a shortfall of over 415,000 affordable homes τιμή κάτω από $254,780—the upper limit of what middle-income households can generally afford. These buyers are gaining access to more listings, but demand still far outpaces supply in their price bracket.

Upper-middle-income earners, those who can afford homes priced up to around $339,700, also saw a slight improvement. Their share of affordable listings rose to 37.1%. Still, they face a deficit of nearly 364,000 σπίτια, showing that supply shortages extend beyond just one income level.

On the lower end of the spectrum, households earning $ 50,000 ή λιγότερο haven’t seen any improvement at all. In fact, for most income brackets under $50,000, the percentage of listings they can afford has ζαρωμένος. For example, buyers earning $50,000 saw their share of affordable listings fall to just 8.7%, down 0.7 points from the year before.

Inventory Is Up—But It’s Not Enough

Nationally, housing inventory rose 20% από έτος σε έτος, which sounds encouraging. But according to Evangelou, we’re still “far from where we need to be.” The supply of homes is growing, but not at the right price points.

The good news? Builders are beginning to pivot.

“There’s been a shift toward constructing smaller, more budget-friendly homes,” Evangelou said. She sees this trend as a step in the right direction, especially for middle-income earners who are looking for more affordable options.

Still, Evangelou warns: “More homes alone won’t fix the problem unless they’re priced right.” She emphasizes the need to rethink χωροταξικοί νόμοι, support smaller-scale developments, and expand financing tools like down payment assistance to better align with what buyers can actually afford.

How States and Cities Compare

The report also analyzed housing affordability across 100 metro areas and all 50 states. The results show that 30% of metro areas are “moving closer to balance,” while **44% are stuck in the middle”—with supply and demand misaligned but not yet in crisis.

Δυστυχώς, 26% of metros are seeing affordability get even worse.

Some of the most balanced housing markets in the country include:

• Αϊόβα
• Οχάιο
• Ιντιάνα
• Ιλλινόις
• Δυτική Βιρτζίνια

On the other hand, affordability remains out of reach in:

• Καλιφόρνια
• Χαβάη
• Μασαχουσέτη
• Μοντάνα
• Αϊντάχο

These states have the biggest shortage of reasonably priced listings, making it harder for most buyers to enter the market.

Homeownership Still a Dream for Most Americans

Despite rising costs and limited supply, homeownership continues to hold strong as part of the American Dream. A separate Realtor.com survey conducted earlier this year found that three out of four U.S. adults still see owning a home as an essential milestone.

But as Evangelou notes, “If we want a housing market that works for everyone not just high earners we need to be intentional about what we build, where we build it, and who we’re building it for.”

The bottom line? Things are improving for some but unless more affordable homes hit the market soon, many Americans will continue to be locked out of homeownership.➡️For more information about finance, visit Nadlan Capital Group