It’s no surprise that homebuyers are feeling overwhelmed. The majority of American families now find themselves priced out of the housing market.

A recent analysis by Bankrate reveals that over 75% of home listings across the nation are financially inaccessible to families earning the median income, which is just under $80,000 annually.

By the year 2025, purchasing a median-priced home will require an annual income of approximately $113,000, transforming the dream of owning a starter home into an unsolvable equation for many.

In certain urban areas, the situation isn’t merely challenging—it’s almost comically out of reach.

Cities like Miami and Los Angeles offer so few affordable homes that a median-income family would be fortunate to find even one viable listing among hundreds.

Meanwhile, a handful of metros, mostly in the Rust Belt and South, are the rare bright spots.

In Pittsburgh and St. Louis, for example, almost half the market remains within reach.

Rising prices, stubborn mortgage rates and thin inventory is driving the crunch and squeezing out everyday buyers.

“For many families, the challenge isn’t just high home prices and elevated mortgage rates. It’s that housing shortages across the country have left them with far fewer homes they can afford,” Alex Gailey, a data analyst at Bankrate, said.

And when options disappear, she added, homeownership starts to feel like something reserved for the lucky.

“When only a sliver of the market is affordable to the typical household, homeownership starts to feel less like a milestone and more like a luxury. It’s no surprise that one in six aspiring homeowners have walked away in the last five years.”

Still, Gailey says the picture changes dramatically depending on where you live.

“Some large cities still give median-income households a path to buying a home, while others have become increasingly difficult to break into.”

Her advice is to get preapproved early, stick to a real budget, expand your search radius and use first-time buyer programs if eligible.