Housing Affordability

These are the 25 most affordable and 25 least affordable U.S. housing markets in the third quarter of 1993, according to the National Assn. of Home Builders. The number corresponding to each area is the percentage of the homes sold that were within reach of the median income household at the prevailing mortgage interest rate. (The Omaha, Neb.-Iowa, area was tied with Youngstown-Warren, Ohio, for the 24th most affordable.)

MOST AFFORDABLE

Area / Percent

Jackson, Mich.: 94.8

Brazoria, Tex.: 93.7

Mansfield, Ohio: 93.4

Lansing-East Lansing, Mich.: 93.3

Saginaw-Midland, Mich.: 93.1

Rockford, Ill.: 93.0

Elkhart-Goshen, Ind.: 92.1

Grand Rapids, Mich.: 91.7

Milwaukee: 91.2

Springfield, Ill.: 91.1

Kalamazoo, Mich.: 91.0

Nashua, N.H.: 90.9

Kokomo, Ind.: 90.8

Peoria, Ill.: 90.7

Duluth, Minn.-Wis.: 90.1

Davenport-Moline, Iowa-Ill.: 90.0

Champaign-Rantoul, Ill.: 89.9

Macon, Ga.: 89.8

Lincoln, Neb.: 89.3

Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.: 89.2

Binghamton, N.Y.: 89.1

Utica-Rome, N.Y.: 89.0

Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa. 88.8

Omaha, Neb.-Iowa: 88.6

Youngstown-Warren, Ohio: 88.6

LEAST AFFORDABLE

Area / Percent

San Francisco: 17.5

Salinas-Monterey, Calif.: 23.5

Santa Cruz: 26.5

Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif.: 30.9

Los Angeles-Long Beach: 34.7

Honolulu: 36.5

Stamford, Conn.: 38.5

San Jose: 39.1

New York: 40.8

Santa Barbara-Lompoc: 42.2

San Diego: 42.3

Oakland: 45.1

Orange County: 46.1

Stockton: 50.2

Norwalk, Conn.: 50.4

Bridgeport-Milford, Conn.: 50.6

Chico, Calif.: 51.3

Ventura: 51.7

Yuba City, Calif.: 51.9

Reno, Nev.: 53.4

Vallejo-Napa, Calif.: 53.5

Sacramento: 56.9

Danbury, Conn.: 58.0

Fresno: 59.9

El Paso: 60.1