Interactive Map: Where in the Bay Area can you rent or buy on your income?

This interactive map shows where in the San Francisco Bay Area you can afford to rent or buy based on your income.

Where did this data come from?

Rent and mortgage payment data for ZIP codes is provided by Zillow. The data includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma counties, and is current as of autumn 2019.

Median mortgage payments are calculated assuming a 20 percent down payment and a 30-year fixed rate mortgage at a rate of 4.01 percent, the average weekly rate for 2019 through October 1. Rental data is for multifamily units with five or more units and excludes single-family home rentals.

Additional data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Note: data is not exhaustive and some Bay Area ZIP codes may be excluded, including P.O. box ZIP codes, ZIP codes for specific companies, entities or military bases, and ZIP codes in rural areas or low housing stock.

‍What counts as affordable?

Housing is typically considered affordable when homeowners and renters spend 30 percent or less of their gross monthly income on housing costs. In California, more than 38 percent of homeowners with a mortgage spend more than this amount on housing each month, as well as more than 55 percent of renters.

Have a question about the data or calculator? Email kbartley@bayareanewsgroup.com

The full Price We Pay series on the Bay Area’s housing crisis is available to subscribers here. Not a subscriber? For a special offer that includes unlimited access to the series and our websites, click here for The Mercury News or here for the East Bay Times.