Housing Affordability Index - First-Time Buyer
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C.A.R.'s First-time Buyer Housing Affordability Index (FTB-HAI) measures the percentage of households that can afford to
purchase an entry-level home in California. C.A.R. also reports first-time buyer indexes for regions and select counties within the
state. The Index is the most fundamental measure of housing well-being for first-time buyers in the state.

Download the complete revised CA Historical Quarterly Series: CA 2000 to present.
Download the complete revised historical series for the Regions: CA & Regions 2000 to present.
Download the complete revised historical series for the Counties: CA & Counties 2000 to present.

For the First-Time Buyer Housing Affordability Index Methodology Report Click here.

Note: The effective interest rate series previously used to calculate C.A.R.’s First-Time Buyer Housing Affordability Index (FTB-HAI) was discontinued in 2008. Beginning with this news release, the FTB-HAI will incorporate an effective interest rate that is based on the one-year, adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) from Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS). The effective rate accounts for both the one-year ARM rate and the points/fees as reported by Freddie Mac.

First-time Buyer Housing Affordability Index

C.A.R. Region

Q1
2009

Q4
2008

 

Q1
2008

 

California

        69

62

r

46

r

California - Condos

        73

68

r

52

r

United States

        76

74

r

71

r

High Desert

        83

78

r

65

r

Los Angeles County

        57

49

r

36

r

Monterey Region

        71

61

r

31

r

Northern California

        63

60

r

53

r

Northern Wine Country

        60

56

r

42

r

Orange County

        56

52

r

38

r

Palm Sprgs/Lwr Desert

        75

68

r

44

r

Riverside/SBernardino

        77

72

r

58

r

Sacramento County

        80

76

r

65

r

San Diego County

        61

59

r

43

r

San Francisco Bay

        62

50

r

32

r

San Luis Obispo County

        49

47

r

33

r

Santa Barbara Area

        64

58

r

33

r

Santa Clara County

        62

53

r

33

r

Southern California

        67

61

r

44

r

Ventura County

        65

61

r

45

r

County

 

 

 

 

 

Alameda

        62

51

r

36

r

Contra Costa

        50

38

r

33

r

Fresno

        77

72

r

58

r

Marin

        41

33

r

25

r

Merced

        84

81

r

63

r

Riverside

        77

73

r

57

r

San Bernardino

        79

73

r

61

r

San Francisco

        39

33

r

25

r

San Joaquin

 n.a.

 n.a.

 

 n.a.

 

San Mateo

        51

40

r

24

r

Santa Cruz

        53

46

r

30

r

Sonoma

        63

59

r

44

r

Stanislaus

 n.a.

 n.a.

 

 n.a.