The cost of owning a home in the US has surged since the Covid-19 pandemic. The median home price in August was $413,000, up from $321,000 during the same month in 2020 — a 28% increase, according to federal data .

To better understand this strain on some families, CNN turned to a home ownership affordability index published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. It measures the affordability for median-income households across the US who are hoping to buy a median-priced home in a given area.

The index compares the actual median household income to the “qualified” income needed to keep annual housing costs at or below 30%.

An index score of 100 or higher indicates the median household income is enough to afford the median-priced home based at that threshold. A score less than 100

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