How to read this chart: A rising income-to-payment ratio indicates the increased debt burden of buying a home as prices rise at a faster rate than incomes.

About the index: The payments-to-income index is calculated quarterly using median family income and monthly mortgage payment on the median house.

Data sources: Monthly income is derived from median family data from the U.S. Census for 2000-2021, and Moody Analytic's forecasted median monthly incomes for 2022. Monthly payments are calculated using median home prices, and assume a 20% down payment with 30-year fixed rate mortgage based on national interest rates from Freddie Mac primary mortgage market survey. The payment-to-income ratio is calculated using the following formula: monthly mortgage payments / median monthly income.

Data provided through Sept. 30, 2022 and includes Houston, The Woodlands and Sugar Land.