2.07 Cost of Living (2 of 2)

This page includes data on housing and transportation costs from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT). Traditional definitions of residential affordability include housing costs but not transportation costs. The H+T Affordability Index was designed to measure true residential affordability by adding together housing and transportation costs as a percentage of household income. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), housing is affordable if housing costs do not exceed 30% of household income. Based on research, CNT found 15% of household income to be an attainable goal for transportation affordability. By combing this 15% with HUD’s 30% household affordability standard, CNT recommends that true residential affordability be defined as combined housing and transportation costs consuming no more than 45% of household income.