St Petersburg: Still A (relative) Housing Bargain Compared to Other American Cities

The Tampa Bay Times reported recently that Smart Assets, a financial technology company, ranked the largest cities in the U. S. ...

The Tampa Bay Times reported recently that Smart Assets, a financial technology company, ranked the largest cities in the U. S. for affordable homeownership.  This study looked at mortgage payments, property taxes, and closing costs at purchase in the most populous 115 U. S. cities.  The study concluded that a city was more affordable if the total costs for an average house represented a small proportion of the median income in that city.  St Petersburg was ranked second in Florida, behind Jacksonville, and immediately followed by Tampa.  Most important for those considering retiring here from out of the area, St. Petersburg ranked 39th out of 115 on the national list for affordability.  It should be no surprise that San Francisco and San Jose, California were at the bottom of the list.