I hate when studies are done relating to “average” anything. One person making a billion dollars and 999 making nothing averages to a million dollars each. When these are properly put into context of “mean” we get a much better idea of distribution. When those income requirements for income to afford rent or purchasing a home are related to mean income instead of average the picture appears even darker.

As this disparity gets wider it is made even worse by banks who set qualification incomes to only include the 1% and then builders cater to this much more affluent buyer and the average size and cost of new homes increases, setting the market value of everything below them.