Department of Numbers

Eugene, Oregon Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Eugene-Springfield, Oregon metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics.1 The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated. You can also compare Eugene home affordability to other cities.

Eugene, Oregon Home Price-to-Income Ratios

The current price-to-income ratio for Eugene is 4.68 as determined by June 2011 Realtor median sales prices. The second chart shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Eugene HPI series. Median household income data for Eugene is from the Census American Community Survey.

Price-to-Income Dollar Ratio: Realtor

Price-to-Income Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Eugene, Oregon Home Price-to-Income Ratio History

Date Realtor
(Dollar Ratio)
FHFA
(Index Ratio)
December 2011 130.1
September 2011 130.9
June 2011 4.68 129.1
March 2011 4.19 132.8
December 2010 4.87 138.6
September 2010 4.87 141.9
June 2010 4.87 141.6
March 2010 4.87 142.9
December 2009 5.11 145.9

Eugene, Oregon Home Price-to-Rent Ratios

The current adjusted price-to-rent ratio for Eugene is 21.43 as determined by June 2011 Realtor median sales prices. This ratio is calculated using household size adjusted median contract rent for Eugene. The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Eugene median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent Dollar Ratio: Realtor, Realtor Adjusted Rent

Price-to-Rent Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Eugene, Oregon Home Price-to-Rent Ratio History

Date Realtor
(Dollar Ratio)
Realtor Adjusted
(Dollar Ratio)
FHFA
(Index Ratio)
December 2011 113.4
September 2011 114.1
June 2011 23.16 21.43 112.5
March 2011 20.72 19.18 115.8
December 2010 24.13 22.33 120.8
September 2010 24.13 22.33 123.7
June 2010 24.13 22.33 123.5
March 2010 24.13 22.33 124.6
December 2009 25.22 24.00 126.8

Eugene, Oregon Home Rent-to-Mortgage Payment Ratio

The rent-to-mortgage payment ratio uses the adjusted rent for Eugene against a 100% loan-to-value mortgage (30-year fixed) for the median price home using Realtor home sales statistics. It's a lot like a cap rate, but I find it more appealing in ratio form. A ratio of 1.0 means that annual rent is equivalent annual mortgage payments. Values less than 1.0 indicate rents are cheaper and values greater than 1.0 mean mortgage payments are cheaper. Beware, taxes are not considered here. The rent-to-mortgage payment ratio for Eugene was 0.77 in June 2011.

Rent-to-Mortgage Payment Dollar Ratio: Realtor

Eugene, Oregon Home Rent-to-Mortgage Payment Ratio History

Date Realtor Adjusted Rent
(Dollar Ratio)
December 2011
September 2011
June 2011 0.77
March 2011 0.82
December 2010 0.72
September 2010 0.75
June 2010 0.72
March 2010 0.70
December 2009 0.65

Eugene, Oregon Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage value is determined by taking the median household income for Eugene, Oregon and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Eugene, Oregon Inferred Affordable Mortgage History

Date Inferred Mortgage
January 2012 $212,958
December 2011 $211,928
November 2011 $211,161
October 2011 $209,134
September 2011 $208,132
August 2011 $204,193
July 2011 $197,562
June 2011 $198,490
May 2011 $195,500
April 2011 $191,031
March 2011 $191,031
February 2011 $188,639
January 2011 $192,800

1. Specifically, home prices are from the non seasonally adjusted FHFA all-transactions quarterly series. Dollar ratios are calculated using NAR metro prices when available. Rent and income data are from the Census ACS and are carried forward into the following year prior to release of the new data.