The Paycheck to Paycheck Apples to Oranges Report

A report funded by Freddie Mac and prepared by the National Association of Counties and the Center for Housing Policy addresses the important issue of housing affordability. But its principal measures are not comparable. The report provides information on the estimated household income required to buy the median priced home in a number of counties. It goes on to compare this number with the "typical" wage of various occupations, such as police officer or teacher. Many households have more than one wage earner, and therefore a comparison of household income to the wages of particular jobs is misleading, and invites the conclusion that the situation is much worse than it actually is.