From aftermarketNews.com
A median-income household cannot afford the average-priced new car or light truck in any of the 50 largest cities in the U.S., according to research released by Bankrate.com. Bankrate.com’s full list of how much a median-income household in each of the surveyed cities can afford to spend on a vehicle can be found here.
“People are spending far too much money on their cars,” said Steve Pounds, personal finance analyst at Bankrate.com. “There are many safe, affordable and stylish options on the market for people to choose from that won’t cut into more important budget items, such as college funds and retirement savings.”
When calculating how much a household can afford to spend on a car or light truck, Bankrate.com considered three key factors that are commonly referred to as the “20/4/10” rule. That is: a down payment of at least 20 percent; financing lasting no longer than four years; and principal, interest and insurance not exceeding 10 percent of a household’s gross income.
Bankrate.com recommends that median-income households spend no more than the following amounts on vehicle payments (principal and interest) in total and each month. For comparative purposes, the average price of a new car or light truck in 2016 was $33,865, according to Kelley Blue Book.
Cities that ranked high for car affordability:
Metro Area, Affordable Purchase Price, Maximum Monthly Payment
- San Jose, Calif., $32,856, $662
- San Francisco, $31,970, $644
- Seattle, $25,660, $522
- Washington, D.C., $25,237, $498
- San Diego, $25,033, $500
- Charlotte, N.C., $21,655, $408
- Portland, Ore., $21,484, $390
- Austin, Texas, $21,083, $413
- Raleigh, N.C, $20,901, $394
- Boston, $21,484, $390
The bottom 10 cities (starting with the lowest) in terms of car affordability:
Metro Area, Affordable Purchase Price, Maximum Monthly Payment
- Detroit, $6,174, $120
- Rochester, N.Y., $7,392, $148
- Cleveland, $7,558, $151
- Hartford, Conn., $7,960, $156
- Buffalo, N.Y., $8,319, $168
- Miami, $8,646, $171
- New Orleans, $9,812, $200
- Birmingham, Ala., $9,823, $183
- Cincinnati, $11,017, $217
- Providence, R.I., $11,297, $223
