Jan 28, 2026 - Real Estate
Median earners priced out of Tampa Bay real estate market
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Only 11% of Tampa Bay homes on the market are affordable for the typical household, according to a Bankrate analysis.
Why it matters: Prospective homeowners earning a median income are priced out of the local real estate market.
By the numbers: The median Tampa Bay household earns roughly $73,079 a year, per the analysis, which looked at census data. That's about $34,000 less than the $107,084 needed to afford a median-priced home.
- Researchers considered homes affordable if annual housing costs (including insurance and property taxes) were below 30% of a household's gross income.
- In Tampa Bay, homes affordable to households earning the median income of $73,079 a year cost $213,000 or less with a $1,827 maximum monthly payment.
The big picture: Over 75% of U.S. homes on the market are unaffordable to the typical household, Bankrate found.
- Persistently high home prices and mortgage rates are only part of the squeeze. In many places, there aren't enough homes available.
What we're watching: Builders are leaning into townhomes as a more attainable option for first-time buyers.
- Townhomes lately made up 18% of single-family homebuilding — nearly double their share from a decade ago, said Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, at a December event.