Stacking home prices against income

As a ratio of home prices to household income, the cost of buying a house grew by multiples over the past several decades. The New York Times editorial board used a stacking coin metaphor to show the magnitude of the costs across the country.

One coin represents $10,000. The width of the stack, or coins across, represents the median income. The height, or number of coin stacks, represents the home price multiple. So even though the median household income in San Francisco is more (wider stack), the cost of house more than makes up for that (more stacks).

I like the stacks. It reminds me of when I’d count months of collected coins as a kid and feel rich with my penny rolls.