Stable employment is no longer enough to put homeownership within reach for many teachers, health care workers, first responders, and military families, particularly younger and single-income buyers.
A Homes for Heroes analysis found that established households in those professions could afford the median-priced home in as many as 39 of the nation’s 50 largest metros. Among households headed by someone under 35, however, teachers and health care workers could afford the median-priced home in only five: Buffalo, New York; Cleveland; Detroit; Pittsburgh; and St. Louis.
Young military households met the affordability threshold in four metros, while young fire and law enforcement households did so in eight.
For mortgage originators, the findings show that dependable employment does not necessarily translate into enough purchasing power, particularly early in a borrower’s career or without a second household income.
“Our research underscores the need to expand housing affordability so teachers, health care professionals, first responders, and military families can continue living in the communities they serve,” said Amit Kulkarni, interim CEO of Homes for Heroes.
Single-Income Buyers Face Steeper Barriers
According to the analysis, there was not one major metro where a teacher or health care professional earning the median wage could afford the area’s median-priced home alone.
Fire and law enforcement professionals and military personnel earning median wages could qualify as single-income buyers, but only in a limited number of markets, including Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.
These borrowers may require strategies beyond a standard preapproval. Down payment assistance, employer-supported housing benefits, gift funds, lower-priced properties, and government-backed loan programs could help bridge some of the gap. None, however, fully addresses the difference between local wages and home prices in the most expensive markets.
Variable earnings can also complicate qualifying for some borrowers in these occupations. Nurses, health care professionals, police officers, and firefighters may receive overtime, shift differentials, bonuses, or other compensation that lenders must document and determine is likely to continue.
Military borrowers and veterans may have access to VA financing, which can eliminate the down payment requirement for eligible borrowers. Removing the down payment hurdle, however, does not necessarily make the monthly payment affordable in markets where prices, taxes, and insurance costs remain elevated.
Midwest Offers The Widest Path To Ownership
The most affordable markets for these workers were concentrated in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, where home prices remain more closely aligned with household earnings.
Pittsburgh ranked as the most affordable metro for teacher, health care, fire, and law enforcement households. Buffalo ranked first for military and veteran households.
Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis also appeared consistently among the five most affordable markets across the occupational groups. Indianapolis ranked among the five most affordable markets for health care households.
The geographic pattern could help lenders identify markets where targeted outreach to public-service professionals is supported by realistic purchasing power rather than employment stability alone.
At the other end of the spectrum, Los Angeles ranked as the least affordable metro for teachers and health care professionals. The median home listing price there reached $1.1 million in May, more than seven times the median household income among the two occupational groups, according to the report.
San Jose, California, was the least affordable market for fire and law enforcement households and military and veteran households. San Francisco, San Diego, and New York also ranked among the least affordable metros across multiple professions.
Affordability Does Not Guarantee Mortgage Approval
Homes for Heroes compared occupational household incomes with the income needed to purchase a median-priced home, assuming a 3% down payment and accounting for mortgage rates, property taxes, and homeowners insurance. The analysis used Census Bureau income data adjusted to 2026 wage levels and Realtor.com listing prices from May.
A metro was considered affordable when median household income met or exceeded the estimated income requirement. That does not mean an individual borrower would qualify. Credit history, debt-to-income ratio, student loans, mortgage insurance, closing costs, reserves, and property-specific expenses can all affect approval.
*This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by a human editor before publication.
