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
GET /affordability?metro={metro_name}&income={income}
Parameters:
metro (string, required) — Metro area name (e.g., "Austin-Round Rock")
income (integer, optional) — Custom household income for personalised score
Headers:
x-rapidapi-proxy-secret: YOUR_API_KEY
Response Schema
{
"metro": "Austin-Round Rock, TX",
"cbsa_code": "12420",
"median_home_price": 475000,
"median_household_income": 82000,
"income_used": 82000, // same as input if provided
"qualifying_income_threshold": 119700,
"affordability_index": 68, // 100 = exactly affordable
"price_to_income_ratio": 5.8,
"income_data_year": 2023,
"interpretation": "housing costs significantly exceed typical household income"
}
Interpretation Guide
| HAI Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| > 130 | Very affordable — median HH can easily qualify |
| 100–130 | Affordable — median HH qualifies comfortably |
| 70–100 | Moderately unaffordable — requires above-median income |
| 50–70 | Unaffordable — typical household significantly priced out |
| < 50 | Severely unaffordable — crisis level |