Homeownership is often looked at as a good investment, but the rapid run-up in Massachusetts home prices last year took that to new heights.
According to a new analysis of Census Bureau data and home values by economists at listings portal Zillow, the median Boston homeowner made $9,764 more from the rising value of their home than the median resident of the metro area made all year.
Typical home values in the area grew $76,616 in 2021, Zillow said, while median pretax income in Boston in 2021 was $66,852.
“More than anything, 2021 was a year of haves and have-nots, and the chasm between the two widening throughout,” Zillow economist Nicole Bachaud said in a statement. “Those who owned a home saw their household wealth increase dramatically. But many renters witnessed that dream either soar out of reach or had to drastically adjust their expectations and plans.”
The growth in a typical home’s value was higher than the median income in 25 of 38 major U.S. metros studied by Zillow. Home value growth ranged from $229,000 in San Jose – about what an oral surgeon earns – to nearly $28,000 in St. Louis, the annual mean wage of a food preparation worker.
Nationally, the median homeowner made $2,667 more from the rising value of their home than the median worker made. The median home grew $52,667 in value last year, Zillow said, while the median worker took home $50,000.
At the same time, down payments – often the highest hurdle to homeownership for first-time buyers – rose by more than $10,000 in 2021 for a typical 30-year fixed mortgage.
