The /affordability endpoint returns the Housing Affordability Index (HAI) for a US metro area, using Census ACS median household income and Redfin median home prices.
Request
Response Schema
matched_metro is the Census row the name actually resolved to — check it, because a loose name can match a neighbouring metro, and a near miss returns a did_you_mean array. Passing income adds a personalized object with your debt-to-income percentage and the maximum price a 28% DTI supports.
How the Index Is Calculated
The index compares what a median household can comfortably pay against what the median home actually costs to finance, on the same 20% down, 7.0% over 30 years assumptions the rest of the API uses:
An index of 100 means the median-income household can exactly afford the median home at a 28% debt-to-income ratio. The value is capped at 200. Note this is a 28%-DTI index, not the NAR qualifying-income formula, so it will not match HAI figures published elsewhere.
Interpretation Guide
The interpretation field returns one of exactly three labels:
| Index | interpretation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ≥ 100 | Affordable | The median-income household can carry the median home inside 28% DTI |
| 70–99.9 | Stretched | Affordable only above the median income, or with a larger deposit |
| < 70 | Unaffordable | The typical household is priced out at prevailing rates |