The housing market remains far from a full recovery and a balanced situation, especially when considering who can afford to purchase these available homes. When viewed through the lens of income and purchasing power, it becomes clear that access to affordable homes remains out of reach for many buyers, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors.
Nationwide, for-sale inventory is up nearly 20 percent from a year ago. Encouragingly, middle- and upper-middle-income buyers — those earning between $75,000 and $100,000 annually — have seen the greatest improvement in affordable housing supply among all income groups. In March 2024, 20.8 percent of listings were within reach for these households. By March 2025, that share rose modestly to 21.2 percent.
While the for-sale inventory gain marks a step in the right direction, it's still a long way from pre-pandemic conditions, the report said. In 2019, buyers in this income bracket could afford nearly
