From Governing.com:
If you’re living in California, expect to spend a sizable chunk of your income on housing.
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.
To see chart, click here.
