That’s one of the many findings from the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey, conducted biennially to assess housing needs, conditions and costs. The bureau published profiles this morning for 29 metro areas detailing a variety of characteristics pulled from the most recent 2011 survey.
One of the more revealing measures is monthly housing costs (including utilities and real estate taxes) as a percentage of family income.
Nationally, housing costs accounted for a quarter of current income in 2011, up slightly from 24 percent in 2009. The median monthly housing cost was $927, according to the survey.
Along with the national survey, the Census Bureau published data for a supplemental sample of housing units in 29 metro areas. The following table lists selected housing costs for metro areas with published data. Figures shown are for all occupied units.
| Metro Area | Median monthly housing cost as % of current income | Median monthly housing costs | Median Monthly Water Costs | Median Monthly Trash Costs | Total Occupied Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, PA | 21 | $743 | $50 | $16 | 992,600 |
| Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY | 23 | $748 | $23 | $17 | 469,800 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 21 | $776 | $40 | $13 | 419,500 |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH | 24 | $798 | $38 | $17 | 860,400 |
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA | 26 | $838 | $29 | $25 | 463,000 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | 22 | $855 | $40 | $20 | 676,700 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 28 | $856 | $25 | $19 | 480,600 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 21 | $863 | $39 | $18 | 1,115,200 |
| Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN | 22 | $880 | $42 | $20 | 815,700 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 25 | $893 | $50 | $27 | 627,800 |
| Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC | 23 | $899 | $40 | $21 | 665,900 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 23 | $923 | $40 | $19 | 793,700 |
| Columbus, OH | 25 | $934 | $43 | $20 | 684,000 |
| Providence, RI | 29 | $998 | $37 | $22 | 522,100 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 25 | $1,015 | $60 | $58 | 789,300 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ | 27 | $1,026 | $50 | $30 | 1,510,100 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX | 25 | $1,057 | $50 | $50 | 1,545,500 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 27 | $1,075 | $40 | $18 | 1,902,500 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA | 26 | $1,080 | $58 | $26 | 858,500 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 27 | $1,126 | $52 | $30 | 630,500 |
| Denver, CO | 25 | $1,130 | $50 | $20 | 983,900 |
| Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA | 29 | $1,181 | $55 | $35 | 783,700 |
| Riverside-San Bernadino-Ontario, CA | 32 | $1,242 | $57 | $25 | 1,286,900 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | 35 | $1,294 | $50 | $30 | 3,227,000 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos | 31 | $1,424 | $75 | $27 | 1,093,600 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA | 29 | $1,501 | $50 | $30 | 907,200 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana, CA | 31 | $1,606 | $40 | $21 | 983,300 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA | 28 | $1,647 | $50 | $28 | 720,100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 29 | $1,800 | $50 | $30 | 624,100 |
NOTE: The percentages reported do not consider individuals reporting no cash rent or not earning any income. Current income is defined as the total income of the family and any primary individuals over the past year. It is not collected for every household member.
For more detailed data, including data for additional metro areas from prior surveys, please refer to the Excel files posted here.
