Report Lands Gilbert Among Most Affordable Big Cities in America
A new study by SmartAsset has just put together a list of the most affordable big cities in America according to housing markets and Gilbert, Arizona has not disappointed.
Combining data collected from Bankrate, the U.S. Census Bureau 2015 American Community Survey, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and government websites, SmartAsset chose a “holistic approach” that included closing costs, real estate taxes, homeowners insurance, and mortgage rates, across cities with larger than a 200,000 population. Averaging these expenses over five years as a proportion of median household income, the most affordable cities accounted for the smallest proportion of median income.
Gilbert earned a No.5 spot on the most affordable list. With a median income of $82,424, much higher than the national average of $50,992, buyers can more easily afford expenses like an annual average mortgage payment at $11,523 (nearly $1,000 more than the average nationwide.) But other expenses were lower than average, like the annual homeowner’s insurance averaging at $1,115 (just under the national average,) annual property tax at $1,780 (less than the national average of $2,471,) and average closing costs at $2,608 (almost $1,000 below the national average.) Given 83 points out of a possible 100, Gilbert shines as a up-and-coming affordable city.
Though Mesa’s numbers don’t compare with Gilbert in terms of annual salaries, averaging a $48,809 median income, the city soars above competitors with 91 points out of a possible 100 on the property tax index($1,104 per year).
One city on the index list scored perfectly with 100 points: Fort Wayne, Indiana with a median income of $43,774 and an average annual mortgage payment of $4,784.