What's Hot: Four Units Here, 70 Units There: The Georgetown Residential Pipeline | A Mortgage Program for Doctors New To the DC Area
Study: 24% of DC “Working Households” Pay More Than Half of Income on Housing
According to a study released by the Center for Housing Policy, housing costs have become more of a burden on middle class Americans in the past couple years.
The study looked at Census data from “working American” households, defined as households that have an income of no more than 120 percent of the median income for a given area. In this group, the percentage of households that carried a “severe housing cost burden” — paying more than half of their income on housing — rose from 22 percent in 2008 to almost 24 percent in 2010.

Share of working households with severe housing costs burdens. Courtesy of CHP.
The District matched the nationwide numbers, with about 24 percent of working households carrying a severe housing burden in 2010 compared to 22 percent in 2008. But in the metro area, which includes some of Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, those paying more than half toward housing dropped slightly, from 22 percent in 2008 to 21 percent in 2010. That puts the region on the lower end of the pack, nowhere near the high of 43 percent in Miami and above the low of 15 percent in Pittsburgh.
From the study:
Working households needed to put in at 20 hours of work in order to be included in the study; if those working less than 20 hours had been included, the percentage of households carrying the severe burden (nationwide) would have risen to 27 percent in 2010, according to the study.
See other articles related to: census, affordability
This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/housing_affordability_still_tough_for_middle_class_americans/5203
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever

UrbanTurf has compiled virtual looks at large new developments around the DC region.... read »

The Q1 2021 crane count shows DC in the lead.... read »

A zoning hearing is scheduled for later this month.... read »

UrbanTurf looks at one of our favorite metrics regarding competition in the housing m... read »

Applications will open today for up to 18 months of rental and utility assistance.... read »
- A Virtual Tour of More Than 35 DC-Area Developments
- DC Has the Most Cranes in the Sky of Any U.S. City
- A More Vivid Look at 557-Unit Development Proposed Near Dave Thomas Circle
- The 7 DC Neighborhoods Where You Aren't The Only Person Bidding on a Home
- DC Announces New $352 Million Rent Assistance Program
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Visit guides.urbanturf.com or start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro