Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on HireAHelper.
A very tight labor market has led to an increase in overall wages. Real median hourly wages have grown by 11.4% since 2000.
However, home prices have risen even faster; the real median home price has grown by nearly 44% over the same period. While workers’ wages are rising, home prices — and price levels overall — are eating away at these earnings gains.
As workers consider moving to take advantage of better-paying jobs, regional differences in home prices remain top of mind.
Despite having higher-paying jobs, high home prices mean that it is still difficult to afford a home in some parts of the country.
To determine the locations where people need to work the most hours to afford a home, researchers at HireAHelper analyzed the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zillow.
The researchers ranked metros according to the weekly work hours needed to afford a median-priced home. The analysis assumes the worker is earning a median wage, makes a 20% down payment on the mortgage, and allocates less than 30% of their monthly wage to mortgage payments.
Researchers also calculated the monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home, the median home price, the median hourly wage, and the median annual wage.
Here are the U.S. metropolitan areas where people need to work the most hours to afford a home.
15. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
![Las Vegas Skyline](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/24095642/shutterstock_1708270630.jpg?s=e0b515108dcdceb5e226d3b27f1761ea32f8cb7c5ec71351df166389cb87b6f8)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 89
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,077
Median home price: $418,187
Median hourly wage: $18.05
Median annual wage: $37,550
14. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
![Nashville, Tennessee](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/23230316/shutterstock_1407119939-scaled.jpg?s=0bdfac8d556fd8387e64111b5c7d0fcf7e84a28b8dc48fcd078ed01e3b4315af)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 91
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,228
Median home price: $448,498
Median hourly wage: $18.88
Median annual wage: $39,260
13. Austin-Round Rock, TX
![Austin, Texas](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/18164015/Austin-Texas.jpg?s=ccf1074a5f5ab36cfb81b0e5b39ccdbceda2a299e026fca99229994f27f624c3)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 91
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,669
Median home price: $537,243
Median hourly wage: $22.55
Median annual wage: $49,910
12. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR, WA
![Aerial view of Portland with Mount Hood in the background.](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/Portland_219469414-Josemaria-Toscano.jpg?s=f6ba12a88ad3cf9f9497f7d2be314bcae7b10c3997d06034c764acc0caa1f3ac)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 92
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,784
Median home price: $560,474
Median hourly wage: $23.26
Median annual wage: $48,380
11. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
![Sacramento, California](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/27124306/shutterstock_3711211.jpg?s=631e36c12f41e4516164476a7492c3bae6a1606aca04bb5acfa37b06d8927324)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 96
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,917
Median home price: $587,164
Median hourly wage: $23.35
Median annual wage: $48,570
10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
![Miami, Florida](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/Miami_428711317-littleny.jpg?s=2da78de9fca728713044e4412398c1157c6398a7093bc4724eb1f1f75c5512f5)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 98
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,364
Median home price: $475,854
Median hourly wage: $18.59
Median annual wage: $38,670
9. Salt Lake City, UT
![Salt Lake City, Utah homes](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22125854/shutterstock_1561075337-1-scaled.jpg?s=ebe595fce16fa1970b7b3c7c1557b962ef6ec599d51b21495323e7c41af94574)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 98
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,867
Median home price: $577,249
Median hourly wage: $22.55
Median annual wage: $46,900
8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
![Seattle, Washington](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/seattle.jpg?s=8da829dea0f7e7bf13ae7c42b9416aa1f9cc8eb2b3beea972f901de691a27f75)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 99
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $3,718
Median home price: $748,399
Median hourly wage: $28.96
Median annual wage: $60,230
7. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
![Denver Colorado](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/12171641/shutterstock_1631960200-scaled.jpg?s=43edae741d8e9fbd1082583662457f3c667e3c41e8a177807871281c30fc0998)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 100
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $3,072
Median home price: $618,385
Median hourly wage: $23.66
Median annual wage: $49,210
6. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
![Riverside, California](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/30194719/riverside-california-shutterstock_1440563744.jpg?s=1ef4cf7f01e4a5c3aaede337273ce3ac5f47c3a3e8ae58bc6e24fb287b2163fe)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 117
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $2,855
Median home price: $574,659
Median hourly wage: $18.76
Median annual wage: $39,020
5. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
![The skyline of San Diego](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/16044817/san-diego-skyline-scaled.jpg?s=2237bfeab150fbab11dae3fce61a88272e825ca38cdc73bcf572fa35331a4dd2)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 145
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $4,342
Median home price: $874,095
Median hourly wage: $23.10
Median annual wage: $48,050
4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
![Long Beach California traffic](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/09141955/shutterstock_1566929398-scaled.jpg?s=b458ec99d18be3b03397bab63db43e5da9d2973ead83122b99ad8e8d529c15f5)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 150
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $4,460
Median home price: $897,894
Median hourly wage: $22.87
Median annual wage: $47,580
3. Urban Honolulu, HI
![Downtown Honolulu](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/12224140/shutterstock_28981297-scaled.jpg?s=dfa4efe95ce9faab0215a8a9068d4be2b2c8598e38cae3b388bbbd545da762e5)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 151
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $4,557
Median home price: $917,354
Median hourly wage: $23.17
Median annual wage: $48,200
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
![The skyline of San Jose](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/16045222/san-jose-scaled.jpg?s=adcccbca2ede906f976fdd00c8a189d16c7d611ac3d4763dc9c27d1ec189a4d5)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 162
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $7,636
Median home price: $1,537,192
Median hourly wage: $36.31
Median annual wage: $75,510
1. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
![San Francisco, California](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/18090929/shutterstock_160968266-scaled.jpg?s=7bc805f562159373e862256284c6d024fe0623a6d72f839b96c4da3442fea1d4)
Weekly hours needed to afford a median-priced home: 174
Monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home: $6,754
Median home price: $1,359,655
Median hourly wage: $29.81
Median annual wage: $62,000
Methodology
![A man studies financial data at his computer](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/workers/images/width=730/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20003931/shutterstock_559918339.jpg?s=28fcd4fd0f44213c7209b14ea704179eb01d09274b41adcbcc3fd94de5077b82)
To determine the locations where people need to work the most hours to afford a home, researchers at HireAHelper analyzed the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Occupational and Employment and Wage Statistics and Zillow’s Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a measure of typical home value.
The researchers ranked metros according to the weekly work hours needed to afford a median-priced home. In the event of a tie, the metro with the larger median hourly wage was ranked higher.
Researchers also calculated the monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home, the median home price, and the median annual wage.
Median home price was calculated from Zillow’s ZHVI, and the monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home was calculated by assuming a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20% down payment.
Weekly work hours needed to afford a median-price home were calculated assuming that no more than 30% of wage income goes towards mortgage payments.
To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 people were included in the analysis.