What does this measure?

The median home value divided by the median household income, adjusted for inflation, and broken down for homeowners in various racial and ethnic groups.

Why is this important?

This ratio provides a rough estimate of the affordability of homes in a community. A ratio less than 2 or 3 is considered affordable.

How is our county performing?

In 2015-19, homes in Berks County were generally affordable for all racial and ethnic groups. The ratios for Asian Americans, African Americans and Hispanics were 2.6, 2.1, 2.5 respectively and whites were 2.5. Housing was more affordable in Berks County across racial and ethnic groups than in the nation and Pennsylvania. Schuylkill County was more affordable than Berks across racial and ethnic lines. Berks was more affordable than in Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties across racial and ethnic lines.

Why do these disparities exist?

Historic and current policies and systems, from racist housing policies to employment discrimination to education systems that fail to equitably serve all populations, have prevented people of color from fully participating in our economy, locking them out of economic opportunity. This has resulted in lower incomes for people of color, which means housing costs are a greater burden.

Notes about the data

Multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.

The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic).

There may be additional research available on this topic. Click on Reports and Resources to learn more.