US HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS NOW WORSE THAN 2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS. 2005 Median salary: $46,000 Median house price: $184,000 2026 Median salary: $59,000 Median house price: $450,000 Salary increased by 28% House prices increased by 150% This gap has made ownership harder for most households. Today, nearly 75% of U.S. households can't afford a median-priced new home. A large share of buyers are simply priced out of the market. Mortgage rates remain another pressure point. Even after rate cuts, 30-year mortgage rates are still in the mid-6% range, much higher than the 3%-4% levels seen before 2022. Housing supply is also tight. The U.S. is estimated to be short several million homes, while many existing homeowners are not selling because they are locked into older low mortgage rates. As a result, sales activity has slowed sharply, and affordability has fallen to the weakest levels on record.