For much of the past decade, a 20% down payment was enough to make homeownership feasible in most U.S. cities—typically requiring around six years of saving. That standard no longer holds: as mortgage rates and home prices have surged, the gap between what buyers can afford and what homes cost has widened dramatically. While these housing affordability challenges exist nationwide, some areas give potential buyers shorter savings timelines than others. A new analysis from Upgraded Points examines how long it would take the typical household to save for a home in cities across the U.S., based on current home prices, mortgage rates, incomes, and other housing-related costs.

For much of the past decade, a 20% down payment was enough to make homeownership feasible in most U.S. cities—typically requiring around six years of saving. That standard no longer holds: as mortgage rates and home prices have surged, the gap between what buyers can afford and what homes cost has widened dramatically. While these housing affordability challenges exist nationwide, some areas give potential buyers shorter savings timelines than others. A new analysis from Upgraded Points examines how long it would take the typical household to save for a home in cities across the U.S., based on current home prices, mortgage rates, incomes, and other housing-related costs.