HUD Location Affordability Index

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Details Housing and transportation costs as a percentage of household income
Topics Cost of living, housing, transportation, income
Source US Department of Housing and Urban Development Location Affordability Portal
Years Available 2025
Geographies tracts
Public Edition or Subscriber-only Public Edition
Download Available yes
For more information https://hudgis-hud.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/HUD::location-affordability-index-v-3/about
Last updated on PolicyMap February 2025

Description:

The Location Affordability Index is a calculation designed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to estimate the costs of housing and transportation across the country. Data is provided on the percentage of household income spent on housing, transportation, and the combination of the two. Separate values are also offered for owner and renter households. Annual cost spent on transportation and annual total public transit trips are also included.

HUD’s methodology was significantly updated in Version 3 of the Location Affordability Index Model (LAIM), which was released in March of 2019. The biggest difference between Version 2 and 3 of the LAIM was the reduction in geographies available – Version 3 only modelled results for Census Tracts.

HUD uses different calculations for eight different types of households, with different sizes, incomes, and number of commuters. They are defined as follows:

HOUSEHOLD TYPE SIZE OF HH INCOME # COMMUTERS
Median-Income Family 4 Median Income for Region 2
Very Low-Income Individual 1 National Poverty Line 1
Working Individual 1 50% of Median Income for Region 1
Single Professional 1 135% of Median Income for Region 1
Retired Couple 2 80% of Median Income for Region 0
Single-Parent Family 3 50% of Median Income for Region 1
Moderate Income Family 3 80% of Median Income for Region 1
Dual-Professional Family 4 150% of Median Income for Region 2

The LAIM Version 3 was produced from U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) 2012-2016 survey data, U.S. Census TIGER files, and the U.S. Census Longitudinal Employment-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) and OnTheMap 7 data, which was built on 2014 Census data. Since this study was released by HUD in 2019, that is the data year given on PolicyMap.

A very thorough explanation of the calculations made by HUD are available here: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/location-affordability-index/.

Available Data Layers & Indicators
Indicator Name Geographies Measurement Type Time Frame Coverage
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a moderate-income family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a median-income family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a working individual renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a single professional renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a moderate-income family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a very low-income individual renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a retired couple owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median-income family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a median-income family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a single-parent family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a retired couple owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a single-parent family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a dual-professional family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a single professional owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a dual-professional family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a moderate-income family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a working individual owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a single-parent family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a moderate-income family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a median-income family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a moderate-income family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a working individual household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a single professional household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a retired couple household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a single professional household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a dual-professional family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a dual-professional family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a single-parent family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a median-income family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a very low-income individual owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a single professional household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a retired couple household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median-income family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a retired couple renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a moderate-income family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a moderate-income family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median-income family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a single-parent family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a working individual owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a single-parent family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a very low-income individual household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a single professional renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a dual-professional family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a retired couple household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a very low-income individual household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a very low-income individual renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a working individual household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a single professional owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a single-parent family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a working individual renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a very low-income individual household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a working individual household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a dual-professional family household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a retired couple renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing by a very low-income individual owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a dual-professional family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a median-income family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a median-income family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a very low-income individual owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a very low-income individual renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a working individual owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a working individual renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a single professional owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a single professional renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a retired couple owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a retired couple renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a single-parent family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a single-parent family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a moderate-income family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a moderate-income family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a dual-professional family owner household Census Tract Percent 2025
Percent of income spent on transportation by a dual-professional family renter household Census Tract Percent 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a median-income family household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a median-income family owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a median-income family renter household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a very low-income individual household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a very low-income individual owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a very low-income individual renter household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a working individual household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a working individual owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a working individual renter household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a single professional household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a single professional owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a single professional renter household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a retired couple household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a retired couple owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a retired couple renter household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a single-parent family household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a single-parent family owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a single-parent family renter household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a moderate-income family household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a moderate-income family owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a moderate-income family renter household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a dual-professional family household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a dual-professional family owner household Census Tract Number 2025
Annual transit trips taken by a dual-professional family renter household Census Tract Number 2025