A recent CityLab article highlights the nationwide challenge to afford housing. In very few areas (only 12 counties) can a worker making minimum wage and working 40 or fewer hours a week afford rent for a one-bedroom unit. “Affordability” is defined as paying less than than 30% of a household income for housing costs (for both renters and owners).

To consider this one aspect of housing affordability locally, we can ask What percentage of metro Atlanta residents pay more than 30% of their income towards housing costs? Metro-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community 1-Year Survey shows that 32.5% of metro Atlanta residents pay more than 30% of their income towards housing (rental or homeowner costs). 

This number puts Atlanta in the middle of the pack compared to the 100 largest metros in the U.S. (a map of this variable is available at Neighborhood Nexus). The tables below show the top 10 “least affordable” metros (with the highest percentages of residents paying more than 30% of household income for housing costs) and the top 10 “most affordable” (those with the lowest percentages of residents paying 30% or more).

This map drills down to look at the spatial trend of housing affordability within metro Atlanta. The dark blue areas can be considered the “least affordable,” as these are the areas that have the highest percentage of residents paying more than 30% of their household income towards housing costs. In these areas, between 47.3% and 82.5% of households pay more than 30% of their incomes towards housing.

The green areas can be considered the “most affordable,” as these are the areas that have the lowest percentage of residents paying more than 30% of their household income towards housing costs. In these areas, between 9.4% and 26.5% of households pay more than 30% of their incomes towards housing. 

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011-2015 American Community 5-Year Survey via Neighborhood Nexus