It takes over a decade to save for a home in Portland

• In our closest big city, Seattle, it takes 13.3 years.

Why it matters: Affordability could be a "major driver of cross-country moves" as buyers seek a lifestyle within their means, Zillow economists tell Axios.

By the numbers: The research assumes a Portland home price of $550,800, and saving 5% of the median household income each month.

• In the Portland area, the median household annual income is $87,000, per Zillow.
• That translates to saving $363 each month.

Zoom out: It takes longer in Oregon to save for a down payment than the national average of 8.9 years.

• Yes, but: It takes even longer in Washington, California and Montana.
• In Midwestern states, saving for a down payment takes the least amount of time, while Hawaii tops the list at more than 18 years.

The big picture: Saving enough for a down payment is the biggest barrier to becoming a homeowner, says Brandi Snowden, a director at the National Association of Realtors.

• Many would-be buyers are saddled with debt, including student loans, car loans and credit card debt.
• But the national median down payments fell earlier this year as interest rates crept up, Axios' Emily Peck reports.

The intrigue: 29% of Portland area home sales were made in cash in April as the share of U.S. cash buyers reached a nine-year high, recent data from the real estate company Redfin shows.

Between the lines: The share of first-time buyers in the U.S. has shrunk to a record low as inventory and affordability issues persist, according to the National Association of Realtors.

• First-timers are also waiting longer to buy; the median first-time buyer age jumped from 33 to 36 from 2021 to 2022, the latest data shows.

Of note: A majority of Americans said in May it was the worst time ever to buy a house.