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The Home Depot Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2022 Results; Plans to Invest Approximately $1 Billion in Annualized Compensation for Frontline, Hourly Associates; Increases Quarterly Dividend by 10 Percent; Provides Fiscal 2023 Guidance

The Home Depot Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2022 Results; Plans to Invest Approximately $1 Billion in Annualized Compensation for Frontline, Hourly Associates; Increases Quarterly Dividend by 10 Percent; Provides Fiscal 2023 Guidance
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The Home Depot Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2022 Results; Plans to Invest Approximately $1 Billion in Annualized Compensation for Frontline, Hourly Associates; Increases Quarterly Dividend by 10 Percent; Provides Fiscal 2023 Guidance

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ATLANTA, Feb. 21, 2023 /CNW/ -- The Home Depot®, the world's largest home improvement retailer, today reported fourth quarter and fiscal 2022 results.

Fourth Quarter 2022

Sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 were $35.8 billion, an increase of $112 million, or 0.3 percent from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. Comparable sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 decreased 0.3 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. decreased 0.3 percent.

Net earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 were $3.4 billion, or $3.30 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $3.4 billion, or $3.21 per diluted share, in the same period of fiscal 2021. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, diluted earnings per share increased 2.8 percent from the same period in the prior year.

Fiscal 2022

Sales for fiscal 2022 were $157.4 billion, an increase of $6.2 billion, or 4.1 percent, from fiscal 2021. Comparable sales for fiscal 2022 increased 3.1 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. increased 2.9 percent.

Net earnings for fiscal 2022 were $17.1 billion, or $16.69 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $16.4 billion, or $15.53 per diluted share in fiscal 2021. For fiscal year 2022, diluted earnings per share increased 7.5 percent versus last year. 

"Fiscal 2022 was another record year for The Home Depot as our team continued to successfully execute in a challenging and dynamic environment," said Ted Decker, chair, president and CEO. "Our ability to deliver growth on top of the $40 billion of sales growth achieved over the prior two-year period, while navigating persistent inflation, ongoing global supply chain disruptions, and a tight labor market, is a testament to investments we have made in the business, as well as our associates' relentless focus on our customers. I would like to thank our associates and our many partners for their hard work and dedication to our customers."

Investment in Associates

The Home Depot's associates are a key differentiator and competitive advantage for the company. In alignment with its core values, the company will invest in wage, benefits, training, and career development for its associates. Beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, The Home Depot will invest an additional approximately $1 billion in annualized compensation for frontline, hourly associates.

"The most important investment we can make is in our people. We believe this investment will position us favorably in the market, enabling us to attract and retain the level of talent needed to sustain the customer experience we strive to deliver," Decker said.  

Dividend Declaration

The Company today announced that its board of directors approved a 10 percent increase in its quarterly dividend to $2.09 per share, which equates to an annual dividend of $8.36 per share.

The dividend is payable on March 23, 2023, to shareholders of record on the close of business on March 9, 2023. This is the 144th consecutive quarter the Company has paid a cash dividend.

Fiscal 2023 Guidance

The Company is providing the following guidance for fiscal 2023:

  • Sales growth and comparable sales growth to be approximately flat compared to fiscal 2022
  • Operating margin rate of approximately 14.5 percent, which reflects approximately $1 billion in additional annual compensation for frontline, hourly associates
  • Tax rate of approximately 24.5 percent
  • Diluted earnings-per-share-percent-decline to be mid-single digits

The Home Depot will conduct a conference call today at 9 a.m. ET to discuss information included in this news release and related matters. The conference call will be available in its entirety through a webcast and replay at ir.homedepot.com/events-and-presentations.

At the end of the fourth quarter, the company operated a total of 2,322 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The Company employs approximately 475,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the demand for our products and services; net sales growth; comparable sales; the effects of competition; our brand and reputation; implementation of store, interconnected retail, supply chain and technology initiatives; inventory and in-stock positions; the state of the economy; the state of the housing and home improvement markets; the state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans, and consumer credit; the impact of tariffs; issues related to the payment methods we accept; demand for credit offerings; management of relationships with our associates, potential associates, suppliers and service providers; cost and availability of labor; costs of fuel and other energy sources; international trade disputes, natural disasters, climate change, public health issues (including the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related recovery), cybersecurity events, military conflicts or acts of war, supply chain disruptions, and other business interruptions that could compromise data privacy or disrupt operation of our stores, distribution centers and other facilities, our ability to operate or access communications, financial or banking systems, or supply or delivery of, or demand for, our products or services; our ability to address expectations regarding environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters and meet ESG goals; continuation or suspension of share repurchases; net earnings performance; earnings per share; dividend targets; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; changes in interest rates; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; commodity or other price inflation and deflation; our ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims and litigation, including compliance with related settlements; the challenges of international operations; the adequacy of insurance coverage; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; the impact of legal and regulatory changes, including changes to tax laws and regulations; store openings and closures; guidance for fiscal 2023 and beyond; financial outlook; and the impact of acquired companies on our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions. Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties – many of which are beyond our control, dependent on the actions of third parties, or currently unknown to us – as well as potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended January 30, 2022 and also as may be described from time to time in future reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There also may be other factors that we cannot anticipate or that are not described herein, generally because we do not currently perceive them to be material. Such factors could cause results to differ materially from our expectations.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements other than as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in our other public statements.

 

 

THE HOME DEPOT, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(Unaudited)



Three Months Ended




Fiscal Year Ended



in millions, except per share data

January 29,
2023


January 30,
2022


% Change


January 29,
2023


January 30,
2022


% Change

Net sales

$   35,831


$   35,719


0.3 %


$ 157,403


$ 151,157


4.1 %

Cost of sales

23,905


23,857


0.2


104,625


100,325


4.3

Gross profit

11,926


11,862


0.5


52,778


50,832


3.8

Operating expenses:












Selling, general and administrative

6,549


6,431


1.8


26,284


25,406


3.5

Depreciation and amortization

625


606


3.1


2,455


2,386


2.9

 Total operating expenses

7,174


7,037


1.9


28,739


27,792


3.4

Operating income

4,752


4,825


(1.5)


24,039


23,040


4.3

Interest and other (income) expense:












Interest income and other, net

(43)


(18)


N/M


(55)


(44)


25.0

Interest expense

451


341


32.3


1,617


1,347


20.0

 Interest and other, net

408


323


26.3


1,562


1,303


19.9

Earnings before provision for income taxes

4,344


4,502


(3.5)


22,477


21,737


3.4

Provision for income taxes

982


1,150


(14.6)


5,372


5,304


1.3

Net earnings

$     3,362


$     3,352


0.3 %


$   17,105


$   16,433


4.1 %













Basic weighted average common shares

1,015


1,038


(2.2) %


1,022


1,054


(3.0) %

Basic earnings per share

$       3.31


$       3.23


2.5


$     16.74


$     15.59


7.4













Diluted weighted average common shares

1,018


1,043


(2.4) %


1,025


1,058


(3.1) %

Diluted earnings per share

$       3.30


$       3.21


2.8


$     16.69


$     15.53


7.5














Three Months Ended




Fiscal Year Ended



Selected Sales Data (1)

January 29,
2023


January 30,
2022


% Change


January 29,
2023


January 30,
2022


% Change

Customer transactions (in millions)

378.5


402.5


(6.0) %


1,666.4


1,759.7


(5.3) %

Average ticket

$     90.05


$     85.11


5.8


$     90.36


$     83.04


8.8

Sales per retail square foot

$   571.15


$   571.79


(0.1)


$   627.17


$   604.74


3.7






(1)

Selected Sales Data does not include results for HD Supply.

 

THE HOME DEPOT, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)


in millions

January 29,
2023


January 30,
2022

Assets




Current assets:




Cash and cash equivalents

$           2,757


$           2,343

Receivables, net

3,317


3,426

Merchandise inventories

24,886


22,068

Other current assets

1,511


1,218

Total current assets

32,471


29,055

Net property and equipment

25,631


25,199

Operating lease right-of-use assets

6,941


5,968

Goodwill

7,444


7,449

Other assets

3,958


4,205

Total assets

$         76,445


$         71,876





Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity




Current liabilities:




Short-term debt

$                —


$           1,035

Accounts payable

11,443


13,462

Accrued salaries and related expenses

1,991


2,426

Current installments of long-term debt

1,231


2,447

Current operating lease liabilities

945


830

Other current liabilities

7,500


8,493

Total current liabilities

23,110


28,693

Long-term debt, excluding current installments

41,962


36,604

Long-term operating lease liabilities

6,226


5,353

Other long-term liabilities

3,585


2,922

Total liabilities

74,883


73,572

Total stockholders' equity (deficit)

1,562


(1,696)

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$         76,445


$         71,876

 

THE HOME DEPOT, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)



Fiscal Year Ended

in millions

January 29,
2023


January 30,
2022

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:




Net earnings

$         17,105


$         16,433

Reconciliation of net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities:




Depreciation and amortization

2,975


2,862

Stock-based compensation expense

366


399

Changes in working capital

(6,240)


(3,043)

Changes in deferred income taxes

138


(276)

Other operating activities

271


196

 Net cash provided by operating activities

14,615


16,571





Cash Flows from Investing Activities:




Capital expenditures

(3,119)


(2,566)

Payments for businesses acquired, net


(421)

Other investing activities

(21)


18

 Net cash used in investing activities

(3,140)


(2,969)





Cash Flows from Financing Activities:




(Repayments of) proceeds from short-term debt, net

(1,035)


1,035

Proceeds from long-term debt, net of discounts

6,942


2,979

Repayments of long-term debt

(2,491)


(1,532)

Repurchases of common stock

(6,696)


(14,809)

Proceeds from sales of common stock

264


337

Cash dividends

(7,789)


(6,985)

Other financing activities

(188)


(145)

 Net cash used in financing activities

(10,993)


(19,120)

Change in cash and cash equivalents

482


(5,518)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(68)


(34)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

2,343


7,895

 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

$           2,757


$           2,343

 

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Key shipping company files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The Illinois-based general freight trucking company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize.

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The U.S. trucking industry has had a difficult beginning of the year for 2024 with several logistics companies filing for bankruptcy to seek either a Chapter 7 liquidation or Chapter 11 reorganization.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused a lot of supply chain issues for logistics companies and also created a shortage of truck drivers as many left the business for other occupations. Shipping companies, in the meantime, have had extreme difficulty recruiting new drivers for thousands of unfilled jobs.

Related: Tesla rival’s filing reveals Chapter 11 bankruptcy is possible

Freight forwarder company Boateng Logistics joined a growing list of shipping companies that permanently shuttered their businesses as the firm on Feb. 22 filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with plans to liquidate.

The Carlsbad, Calif., logistics company filed its petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California listing assets up to $50,000 and and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities. Court papers said it owed millions of dollars in liabilities to trucking, logistics and factoring companies. The company filed bankruptcy before any creditors could take legal action.

Lawsuits force companies to liquidate in bankruptcy

Lawsuits, however, can force companies to file bankruptcy, which was the case for J.J. & Sons Logistics of Clint, Texas, which on Jan. 22 filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas. The company filed bankruptcy four days before the scheduled start of a trial for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a former company truck driver who had died from drowning in 2016.

California-based logistics company Wise Choice Trans Corp. shut down operations and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on Jan. 4 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, listing $1 million to $10 million in assets and liabilities.

The Hayward, Calif., third-party logistics company, founded in 2009, provided final mile, less-than-truckload and full truckload services, as well as warehouse and fulfillment services in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Chapter 7 filing also implemented an automatic stay against all legal proceedings, as the company listed its involvement in four legal actions that were ongoing or concluded. Court papers reportedly did not list amounts for damages.

In some cases, debtors don't have to take a drastic action, such as a liquidation, and can instead file a Chapter 11 reorganization.

Truck shipping products.

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Nationwide Cargo seeks to reorganize its business

Nationwide Cargo Inc., a general freight trucking company that also hauls fresh produce and meat, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois with plans to reorganize its business.

The East Dundee, Ill., shipping company listed $1 million to $10 million in assets and $10 million to $50 million in liabilities in its petition and said funds will not be available to pay unsecured creditors. The company operates with 183 trucks and 171 drivers, FreightWaves reported.

Nationwide Cargo's three largest secured creditors in the petition were Equify Financial LLC (owed about $3.5 million,) Commercial Credit Group (owed about $1.8 million) and Continental Bank NA (owed about $676,000.)

The shipping company reported gross revenue of about $34 million in 2022 and about $40 million in 2023.  From Jan. 1 until its petition date, the company generated $9.3 million in gross revenue.

Related: Veteran fund manager picks favorite stocks for 2024

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Tight inventory and frustrated buyers challenge agents in Virginia

With inventory a little more than half of what it was pre-pandemic, agents are struggling to find homes for clients in Virginia.

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No matter where you are in the state, real estate agents in Virginia are facing low inventory conditions that are creating frustrating scenarios for their buyers.

“I think people are getting used to the interest rates where they are now, but there is just a huge lack of inventory,” said Chelsea Newcomb, a RE/MAX Realty Specialists agent based in Charlottesville. “I have buyers that are looking, but to find a house that you love enough to pay a high price for — and to be at over a 6.5% interest rate — it’s just a little bit harder to find something.”

Newcomb said that interest rates and higher prices, which have risen by more than $100,000 since March 2020, according to data from Altos Research, have caused her clients to be pickier when selecting a home.

“When rates and prices were lower, people were more willing to compromise,” Newcomb said.

Out in Wise, Virginia, near the westernmost tip of the state, RE/MAX Cavaliers agent Brett Tiller and his clients are also struggling to find suitable properties.

“The thing that really stands out, especially compared to two years ago, is the lack of quality listings,” Tiller said. “The slightly more upscale single-family listings for move-up buyers with children looking for their forever home just aren’t coming on the market right now, and demand is still very high.”

Statewide, Virginia had a 90-day average of 8,068 active single-family listings as of March 8, 2024, down from 14,471 single-family listings in early March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Altos Research. That represents a decrease of 44%.

Virginia-Inventory-Line-Chart-Virginia-90-day-Single-Family

In Newcomb’s base metro area of Charlottesville, there were an average of only 277 active single-family listings during the same recent 90-day period, compared to 892 at the onset of the pandemic. In Wise County, there were only 56 listings.

Due to the demand from move-up buyers in Tiller’s area, the average days on market for homes with a median price of roughly $190,000 was just 17 days as of early March 2024.

“For the right home, which is rare to find right now, we are still seeing multiple offers,” Tiller said. “The demand is the same right now as it was during the heart of the pandemic.”

According to Tiller, the tight inventory has caused homebuyers to spend up to six months searching for their new property, roughly double the time it took prior to the pandemic.

For Matt Salway in the Virginia Beach metro area, the tight inventory conditions are creating a rather hot market.

“Depending on where you are in the area, your listing could have 15 offers in two days,” the agent for Iron Valley Real Estate Hampton Roads | Virginia Beach said. “It has been crazy competition for most of Virginia Beach, and Norfolk is pretty hot too, especially for anything under $400,000.”

According to Altos Research, the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News housing market had a seven-day average Market Action Index score of 52.44 as of March 14, making it the seventh hottest housing market in the country. Altos considers any Market Action Index score above 30 to be indicative of a seller’s market.

Virginia-Beach-Metro-Area-Market-Action-Index-Line-Chart-Virginia-Beach-Norfolk-Newport-News-VA-NC-90-day-Single-Family

Further up the coastline on the vacation destination of Chincoteague Island, Long & Foster agent Meghan O. Clarkson is also seeing a decent amount of competition despite higher prices and interest rates.

“People are taking their time to actually come see things now instead of buying site unseen, and occasionally we see some seller concessions, but the traffic and the demand is still there; you might just work a little longer with people because we don’t have anything for sale,” Clarkson said.

“I’m busy and constantly have appointments, but the underlying frenzy from the height of the pandemic has gone away, but I think it is because we have just gotten used to it.”

While much of the demand that Clarkson’s market faces is for vacation homes and from retirees looking for a scenic spot to retire, a large portion of the demand in Salway’s market comes from military personnel and civilians working under government contracts.

“We have over a dozen military bases here, plus a bunch of shipyards, so the closer you get to all of those bases, the easier it is to sell a home and the faster the sale happens,” Salway said.

Due to this, Salway said that existing-home inventory typically does not come on the market unless an employment contract ends or the owner is reassigned to a different base, which is currently contributing to the tight inventory situation in his market.

Things are a bit different for Tiller and Newcomb, who are seeing a decent number of buyers from other, more expensive parts of the state.

“One of the crazy things about Louisa and Goochland, which are kind of like suburbs on the western side of Richmond, is that they are growing like crazy,” Newcomb said. “A lot of people are coming in from Northern Virginia because they can work remotely now.”

With a Market Action Index score of 50, it is easy to see why people are leaving the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria market for the Charlottesville market, which has an index score of 41.

In addition, the 90-day average median list price in Charlottesville is $585,000 compared to $729,900 in the D.C. area, which Newcomb said is also luring many Virginia homebuyers to move further south.

Median-Price-D.C.-vs.-Charlottesville-Line-Chart-90-day-Single-Family

“They are very accustomed to higher prices, so they are super impressed with the prices we offer here in the central Virginia area,” Newcomb said.

For local buyers, Newcomb said this means they are frequently being outbid or outpriced.

“A couple who is local to the area and has been here their whole life, they are just now starting to get their mind wrapped around the fact that you can’t get a house for $200,000 anymore,” Newcomb said.

As the year heads closer to spring, triggering the start of the prime homebuying season, agents in Virginia feel optimistic about the market.

“We are seeing seasonal trends like we did up through 2019,” Clarkson said. “The market kind of soft launched around President’s Day and it is still building, but I expect it to pick right back up and be in full swing by Easter like it always used to.”

But while they are confident in demand, questions still remain about whether there will be enough inventory to support even more homebuyers entering the market.

“I have a lot of buyers starting to come off the sidelines, but in my office, I also have a lot of people who are going to list their house in the next two to three weeks now that the weather is starting to break,” Newcomb said. “I think we are going to have a good spring and summer.”

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These Cities Have The Highest (And Lowest) Share Of Unaffordable Neighborhoods In 2024

These Cities Have The Highest (And Lowest) Share Of Unaffordable Neighborhoods In 2024

Authored by Sam Bourgi via CreditNews.com,

Homeownership…

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These Cities Have The Highest (And Lowest) Share Of Unaffordable Neighborhoods In 2024

Authored by Sam Bourgi via CreditNews.com,

Homeownership is one of the key pillars of the American dream. But for many families, the idyllic fantasy of a picket fence and backyard barbecues remains just that—a fantasy.

Thanks to elevated mortgage rates, sky-high house prices, and scarce inventory, millions of American families have been locked out of the opportunity to buy a home in many cities.

To shed light on America’s housing affordability crisis, Creditnews Research ranked the 50 most populous cities by the percentage of neighborhoods within reach for the typical married-couple household to buy a home in.

The study reveals a stark reality, with many cities completely out of reach for the most affluent household type. Not only that, the unaffordability has radically worsened in recent years.

Comparing how affordability has changed since Covid, Creditnews Research discovered an alarming pattern—indicating consistently more unaffordable housing in all but three cities.

Fortunately, there’s still hope for households seeking to put down roots in more affordable cities—especially for those looking beyond Los Angeles, New York, Boston, San Jone, and Miami.

The typical American family has a hard time putting down roots in many parts of the country. In 11 of the top 50 cities, at least 50% of neighborhoods are out of reach for the average married-couple household. The affordability gap has widened significantly since Covid; in fact, no major city has reported an improvement in affordability post-pandemic.

Sam Bourgi, Senior Analyst at Creditnews

Key findings

  • The most unaffordable cities are Los Angeles, Boston, St. Louis, and San Jose; in each city, 100% of neighborhoods are out of reach for for married-couple households earning a median income;

  • The most affordable cities are Cleveland, Hartford, and Memphis—in these cities, the typical family can afford all neighborhoods;

  • None of the top 50 cities by population saw an improvement in affordable neighborhoods post-pandemic;

  • California recorded the biggest spike in unaffordable neighborhoods since pre-Covid;

  • The share of unaffordable neighborhoods has increased the most since pre-Covid in San Jose (70 percentage points), San Diego (from 57.8 percentage points), and Riverside-San Bernardino (51.9 percentage points);

  • Only three cities have seen no change in housing affordability since pre-Covid: Cleveland, Memphis, and Hartford. They’re also the only cities that had 0% of unaffordable neighborhoods before Covid.

Cities with the highest share of unaffordable neighborhoods

With few exceptions, the most unaffordable cities for married-couple households tend to be located in some of the nation’s most expensive housing markets.

Four cities in the ranking have an unaffordability percentage of 100%—indicating that the median married-couple household couldn’t qualify for an average home in any neighborhood.

The following are the cities ranked from the least affordable to the most:

  • Los Angeles, CA: Housing affordability in Los Angeles has deteriorated over the last five years, as average incomes have failed to keep pace with rising property values and elevated mortgage rates. The median household income of married-couple families in LA is $117,056, but even at that rate, 100% of the city’s neighborhoods are unaffordable.

  • St. Louis, MO: It may be surprising to see St. Louis ranking among the most unaffordable housing markets for married-couple households. But a closer look reveals that the Mound City was unaffordable even before Covid. In 2019, 98% of the city’s neighborhoods were unaffordable—way worse than Los Angeles, Boston, or San Jose.

  • Boston, MA: Boston’s housing affordability challenges began long before Covid but accelerated after the pandemic. Before Covid, married couples earning a median income were priced out of 90.7% of Boston’s neighborhoods. But that figure has since jumped to 100%, despite a comfortable median household income of $172,223.

  • San Jose, CA: Nestled in Silicon Valley, San Jose has long been one of the most expensive cities for housing in America. But things have gotten far worse since Covid, as 100% of its neighborhoods are now out of reach for the average family. Perhaps the most shocking part is that the median household income for married-couple families is $188,403—much higher than the national average.

  • San Diego, CA: Another California city, San Diego, is among the most unaffordable places in the country. Despite boasting a median married-couple household income of $136,297, 95.6% of the city’s neighborhoods are unaffordable.

  • San Francisco, CA: San Francisco is another California city with a high married-couple median income ($211,585) but low affordability. The percentage of unaffordable neighborhoods for these homebuyers stands at 89.2%.

  • New York, NY: As one of the most expensive cities in America, New York is a difficult housing market for married couples with dual income. New York City’s share of unaffordable neighborhoods is 85.9%, marking a 33.4% rise from pre-Covid times.

  • Miami, FL: Partly due to a population boom post-Covid, Miami is now one of the most unaffordable cities for homebuyers. Roughly four out of five (79.4%) of Miami’s neighborhoods are out of reach price-wise for married-couple families. That’s a 34.7% increase from 2019.

  • Nashville, TN: With Nashville’s population growth rebounding to pre-pandemic levels, the city has also seen greater affordability challenges. In the Music City, 73.7% of neighborhoods are considered unaffordable for married-couple households—an increase of 11.9% from pre-Covid levels.

  • Richmond, VA: Rounding out the bottom 10 is Richmond, where 55.9% of the city’s 161 neighborhoods are unaffordable for married-couple households. That’s an 11.9% increase from pre-Covid levels.

Cities with the lowest share of unaffordable neighborhoods

All the cities in our top-10 ranking have less than 10% unaffordable neighborhoods—meaning the average family can qualify for a home in at least 90% of the city.

Interestingly, these cities are also outside the top 15 cities by population, and eight are in the bottom half.

The following are the cities ranked from the most affordable to the least:

  • Hartford, CT: Hartford ranks first with the percentage of unaffordable neighborhoods at 0%, unchanged since pre-Covid times. Married couples earning a median income of $135,612 can afford to live in any of the city’s 16 neighborhoods. Interestingly, Hartford is the smallest city to rank in the top 10.

  • Memphis, TN: Like Hartford, Memphis has 0% unaffordable neighborhoods, meaning any married couple earning a median income of $101,734 can afford an average homes in any of the city’s 12 neighborhoods. The percentage of unaffordable neighborhoods also stood at 0% before Covid.

  • Cleveland, OH: The Midwestern city of Cleveland is also tied for first, with the percentage of unaffordable neighborhoods at 0%. That means households with a median-couple income of $89,066 can qualify for an average home in all of the city’s neighborhoods. Cleveland is also among the three cities that have seen no change in unaffordability compared to 2019.

  • Minneapolis, MN: The largest city in the top 10, Minneapolis’ share of unaffordable neighborhoods stood at 2.41%, up slightly from 2019. Married couples earning the median income ($149,214) have access to the vast majority of the city’s 83 neighborhoods.

  • Baltimore, MD: Married-couple households in Baltimore earn a median income of $141,634. At that rate, they can afford to live in 97.3% of the city’s 222 neighborhoods, making only 2.7% of neighborhoods unaffordable. That’s up from 0% pre-Covid.

  • Louisville, KY: Louisville is a highly competitive market for married households. For married-couple households earning a median wage, only 3.6% of neighborhoods are unaffordable, up 11.9% from pre-Covid times.

  • Cincinnati, OH: The second Ohio city in the top 10 ranks close to Cleveland in population but has a much higher median married-couple household income of $129,324. Only 3.6% of the city’s neighborhoods are unaffordable, up slightly from pre-pandemic levels.

  • Indianapolis, IN: Another competitive Midwestern market, only 4.4% of Indianapolis is unaffordable, making the vast majority of the city’s 92 neighborhoods accessible to the average married couple. Still, the percentage of unaffordable neighborhoods before Covid was less than 1%.

  • Oklahoma City, OK: Before Covid, Oklahoma City had 0% neighborhoods unaffordable for married-couple households earning the median wage. It has since increased to 4.69%, which is still tiny compared to the national average.

  • Kansas City, MO: Kansas City has one of the largest numbers of neighborhoods in the top 50 cities. Its married-couple residents can afford to live in nearly 95% of them, making only 5.6% of neighborhoods out of reach. Like Indiana, Kansas City’s share of unaffordable neighborhoods was less than 1% before Covid.

The biggest COVID losers

What's particularly astonishing about the current housing market is just how quickly affordability has declined since Covid.

Even factoring in the market correction after the 2022 peak, the price of existing homes is still nearly one-third higher than before Covid. Mortgage rates have also more than doubled since early 2022.

Combined, the rising home prices and interest rates led to the worst mortgage affordability in more than 40 years.

Against this backdrop, it’s hardly surprising that unaffordability increased in 47 of the 50 cities studied and remained flat in the other three. No city reported improved affordability in 2024 compared to 2019.

The biggest increases are led by San Jose (70 percentage points), San Diego (57.8 percentage points), Riverside-San Bernardino (51.9 percentage points), Sacramento (43 percentage points), Orlando (37.4 percentage points), Miami (34.7 percentage points), and New York City (33.4 percentage points).

The following cities in our study are ranked by the largest percentage point change in unaffordable neighborhoods since pre-Covid:

Tyler Durden Thu, 03/14/2024 - 14:00

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