Clear definitions, formulas, and interpretation guidance for the metrics that drive housing market analysis.
The midpoint price of homes actively listed for sale in an area.
The mean asking price across all active listings.
How long the typical listing stays active before going under contract.
How many months it would take to sell all current listings at the current pace.
A smoothed measure of typical home value across a market.
Home prices relative to local household income — a core affordability gauge.
Annual rent as a percentage of home value — a cash-flow indicator for investors.
The share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied rather than rented.
The share of housing units sitting empty.
The count of homes currently listed for sale.
The midpoint of household incomes in an area, from Census ACS.
Home price normalized by living area — useful for comparing across home sizes.
The percentage change in a metric versus the same month a year earlier.
How fast homes are selling, often scored from days on market.
The share of income households spend on housing.
The Census approximation of a USPS ZIP code used for statistics.