This is a housing-obligation pressure analysis. It does not measure whether homeowners own life insurance or whether their coverage is adequate; the Census housing tables do not contain that information.
National snapshot
Our analysis of the latest available U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-Year detailed housing tables found that 51,697,973 of 86,635,506 owner-occupied homes—59.7%—had a mortgage or similar debt in 2024. The national median monthly owner cost among mortgaged homeowners was $2,035, and 29.4% of mortgaged households with computable income paid at least 30% of household income toward selected monthly owner costs.
Four findings that matter for homeowner protection
California leads the combined pressure index
California ranked first because it combined a 66.1% mortgage share, $3,001 median monthly owner cost, and 39.4% cost-burden rate.
Hawaii has the highest cost-burden rate
39.7% of mortgaged Hawaii homeowners with computable income spent at least 30% of household income on selected owner costs.
Debt prevalence and cost are not the same risk
The District of Columbia had the highest mortgage share and median monthly cost, but its lower cost-burden rate kept it outside the top five combined scores.
Nearly three in ten are already cost-burdened
Nationally, 29.4% of mortgaged owners with computable income crossed the 30% housing-cost threshold before any loss of household income.
States with the highest combined pressure
The index is a comparative research tool, not a recommendation or insurance score. It averages each jurisdiction's percentile rank across mortgage prevalence, median monthly mortgaged-owner costs, and the share of mortgaged owners paying at least 30% of income toward housing.
| Rank | Jurisdiction | Index | With mortgage | Median monthly cost | Cost-burdened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 96 | 66.1% | $3,001 | 39.4% |
| 2 | Colorado | 89 | 69% | $2,466 | 32% |
| 3 | Hawaii | 87.3 | 60.7% | $2,937 | 39.7% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 86.7 | 65.6% | $2,262 | 34% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 85.3 | 62.9% | $2,797 | 32% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 84.7 | 65.5% | $2,755 | 30.7% |
| 7 | Washington | 83.3 | 65.1% | $2,519 | 30.9% |
| 8 | Maryland | 80 | 70% | $2,389 | 28.2% |
| 9 | Nevada | 79.3 | 65.3% | $2,008 | 33.1% |
| 10 | District of Columbia | 78.7 | 74.3% | $3,181 | 25.7% |
Complete state and district results
| Rank | Jurisdiction | Index | Mortgaged owner households | With mortgage | Median monthly cost | Cost-burdened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 96 | 5,093,384 | 66.1% | $3,001 | 39.4% |
| 2 | Colorado | 89 | 1,127,939 | 69% | $2,466 | 32% |
| 3 | Hawaii | 87.3 | 184,501 | 60.7% | $2,937 | 39.7% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 86.7 | 186,736 | 65.6% | $2,262 | 34% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 85.3 | 1,425,656 | 62.9% | $2,797 | 32% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 84.7 | 1,156,846 | 65.5% | $2,755 | 30.7% |
| 7 | Washington | 83.3 | 1,297,548 | 65.1% | $2,519 | 30.9% |
| 8 | Maryland | 80 | 1,139,840 | 70% | $2,389 | 28.2% |
| 9 | Nevada | 79.3 | 486,194 | 65.3% | $2,008 | 33.1% |
| 10 | District of Columbia | 78.7 | 100,134 | 74.3% | $3,181 | 25.7% |
| 11 | Oregon | 78.7 | 697,580 | 63.4% | $2,234 | 31.4% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 78.3 | 609,939 | 62.9% | $2,454 | 30.3% |
| 13 | New York | 72.7 | 2,416,320 | 56.8% | $2,544 | 33.6% |
| 14 | Utah | 71.3 | 560,729 | 68% | $2,143 | 27.6% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 67.3 | 250,792 | 60.6% | $2,399 | 28% |
| 16 | Virginia | 66 | 1,522,866 | 65.8% | $2,149 | 26.4% |
| 17 | Georgia | 65.3 | 1,755,812 | 62.7% | $1,909 | 28.8% |
| 18 | Florida | 64.7 | 3,473,835 | 55.8% | $2,168 | 38.3% |
| 19 | Arizona | 63.3 | 1,224,573 | 60.6% | $1,893 | 30.1% |
| 20 | Alaska | 59.7 | 110,175 | 60.4% | $2,253 | 26.9% |
| 21 | Delaware | 58.3 | 191,093 | 62.8% | $1,821 | 27.4% |
| 22 | Texas | 58.3 | 3,958,949 | 55.5% | $2,211 | 30.8% |
| 23 | Vermont | 54 | 120,869 | 57.8% | $1,893 | 28.6% |
| 24 | Illinois | 53.7 | 2,060,729 | 59.7% | $1,994 | 27.3% |
| 25 | Minnesota | 52.7 | 1,059,567 | 62.6% | $1,985 | 24.7% |
| 26 | Montana | 52.7 | 173,999 | 54.1% | $1,878 | 32.2% |
| 27 | Idaho | 52.3 | 325,019 | 60.4% | $1,769 | 28.1% |
| 28 | North Carolina | 45.3 | 1,817,586 | 60.5% | $1,747 | 26.5% |
| 29 | Wyoming | 43 | 97,188 | 52.9% | $1,815 | 30% |
| 30 | Maine | 37.7 | 250,316 | 55.5% | $1,796 | 26.7% |
| 31 | South Carolina | 37.3 | 916,190 | 57% | $1,627 | 27.4% |
| 32 | Nebraska | 35.7 | 317,524 | 57.8% | $1,764 | 24.5% |
| 33 | Louisiana | 35 | 651,366 | 51.8% | $1,650 | 30% |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | 33.3 | 2,106,687 | 56.7% | $1,775 | 24.2% |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 32.7 | 1,033,752 | 60% | $1,701 | 23.1% |
| 36 | Kansas | 29.7 | 467,374 | 57% | $1,749 | 23.1% |
| 37 | Tennessee | 29 | 1,105,878 | 56.5% | $1,637 | 25.4% |
| 38 | New Mexico | 28.3 | 300,803 | 49.4% | $1,628 | 28% |
| 39 | Missouri | 28 | 1,032,787 | 58.8% | $1,589 | 23.6% |
| 40 | Indiana | 27.3 | 1,225,914 | 62.5% | $1,466 | 22.1% |
| 41 | South Dakota | 24.7 | 142,522 | 54.6% | $1,739 | 24.1% |
| 42 | Ohio | 24.3 | 2,000,980 | 59.7% | $1,563 | 22.6% |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 23 | 567,767 | 53.9% | $1,606 | 25.6% |
| 44 | Michigan | 22.3 | 1,716,123 | 56.5% | $1,573 | 24% |
| 45 | Iowa | 20.7 | 556,765 | 58.1% | $1,538 | 21.2% |
| 46 | Alabama | 19 | 781,925 | 53.5% | $1,500 | 25.6% |
| 47 | North Dakota | 18 | 109,653 | 51.3% | $1,814 | 20.2% |
| 48 | Mississippi | 14.7 | 401,890 | 48.4% | $1,448 | 26.2% |
| 49 | Kentucky | 12.7 | 695,632 | 54.7% | $1,453 | 22.9% |
| 50 | Arkansas | 8.7 | 438,657 | 52.4% | $1,375 | 23.1% |
| 51 | West Virginia | 0 | 251,070 | 44.9% | $1,272 | 19.6% |
Methodology
Source. U.S. Census Bureau 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Table-Based Summary Files, detailed tables B25081, B25088, and B25091. The analysis includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia. National figures use the United States summary row.
Mortgage share. Owner-occupied housing units with a mortgage, contract to purchase, or similar debt divided by all owner-occupied housing units.
Median monthly owner cost. The B25088 median selected monthly owner cost for housing units with a mortgage. Selected costs can include mortgage payments, real estate taxes, property insurance, utilities, and certain recurring fees as defined by the ACS.
Cost-burden share. Mortgaged owner units spending 30.0% or more of household income on selected monthly owner costs divided by mortgaged owner units for which the ratio could be computed. The numerator sums B25091 categories 30.0–34.9%, 35.0–39.9%, 40.0–49.9%, and 50.0% or more.
Pressure index. For each of the three measures, jurisdictions receive a percentile rank from 0 to 100. The index is the unweighted average of those percentile ranks, rounded to one decimal. Higher values indicate a higher combination of prevalence, monthly cost, and burden relative to other jurisdictions; they do not predict death, default, or insurance need.
Reproducibility. The complete output is available as a downloadable CSV. The published calculation script and raw Census table links make every result auditable.
Limitations
- ACS estimates are survey estimates and have margins of error; the index uses published point estimates.
- State-level medians do not describe every household or local market.
- Selected monthly owner costs are not the same as the mortgage payment alone.
- The study does not measure life-insurance ownership, policy quality, household savings, or individual suitability.
- The index is sensitive to the three equally weighted measures and should be read alongside the underlying values.
Sources
We prioritize regulators, government agencies, and primary consumer guidance. Links open the original source.
- 2024 ACS 1-Year Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04)U.S. Census Bureau · Accessed July 22, 2026