How It Works
The methodology behind the score
ADI is built on four components, each drawn from named public datasets. No proprietary black boxes. No manufactured data. Every number traces back to a primary source.
Score Components
What goes into the score
Housing Affordability
35%
Price-to-income ratio for your occupation in your city, benchmarked against the national median. Includes both buy and rent scenarios using FHFA House Price Index and HUD Fair Market Rent data.
FHFA House Price Index, HUD Fair Market Rents
Income Adequacy
25%
Your occupation's median income relative to the cost of a standard household budget in your metro area, using BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey regional breakdowns.
BLS — OEWS, Consumer Expenditure Survey
Savings Trajectory
20%
Whether your income, after housing and essential expenses, allows for meaningful savings toward homeownership and retirement at the standard 15% savings rate.
BLS — Consumer Expenditure Survey
Geographic Opportunity
20%
Job market depth for your occupation in your metro area, school quality index, and healthcare cost index — factors that determine whether your income is likely to grow.
BLS — OEWS, NCES, CMS data
Score Interpretation
What your score means
80–100
Thriving
Your income comfortably supports homeownership, savings, and family goals in your current location.
60–79
On Track
You can afford the basics and are making progress, but homeownership may require trade-offs.
40–59
Stretched
Homeownership is possible but difficult. Relocation or income growth would significantly improve your outlook.
0–39
Struggling
The math doesn't work in your current location at your current income. Significant change is needed.
Data Sources
Where the data comes from
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Updated: Annual (OEWS), Quarterly (CEX)
- → Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- → Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
- → Regional Price Parities (RPP)
FHFA & HUD
Updated: Monthly / Quarterly
- → FHFA House Price Index (HPI)
- → HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
- → FRED 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate
U.S. Census Bureau
Updated: Annual
- → American Community Survey (ACS)
- → Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE)
Additional Sources
Updated: Annual
- → National Center for Education Statistics (school quality)
- → CMS Medicare cost data (healthcare)
- → Tax Foundation (state/local tax rates)
FAQ
Common questions
How is ADI different from a credit score?
A credit score measures your creditworthiness — how reliably you repay debt. ADI measures affordability — whether your income and location allow you to achieve a standard of living that includes homeownership, family formation, and retirement security. The two are unrelated. You can have an excellent credit score and a low ADI score (high earner in an unaffordable city) or a lower credit score and a high ADI score (modest earner in an affordable market).
What data do you actually use?
ADI is built on four primary data sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (occupation-level income by metro area), BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (household spending patterns by region), FHFA House Price Index (median home prices by metro area), and HUD Fair Market Rents (median rents by metro area). All sources are publicly available and updated regularly.
Is my financial data safe?
ADI does not require you to link any financial accounts. The score is computed using public data about your occupation and location — not your personal bank account, credit card, or investment data. We ask for your occupation and city. That's it.
How often is the data updated?
Housing price data (FHFA HPI) is updated quarterly. HUD Fair Market Rents are updated annually. BLS occupational wage data is updated annually (May release). The ADI score for any given occupation-city combination is refreshed as new data becomes available from each source.
Why does the score vary so much by city?
Because housing costs vary enormously while incomes for the same occupation vary much less. A registered nurse earns roughly $75K–$95K across most US metros. But the median home price in that nurse's city might be $250K (Des Moines) or $1.25M (San Francisco). The income-to-housing ratio — the single most powerful driver of the ADI score — varies by a factor of 5x or more across US metros.
What does a score of 100 mean?
A score of 100 means that someone in your occupation, in your city, can comfortably afford the median home, maintain a standard household budget, save 15% of income, and have meaningful retirement prospects. In practice, no city scores 100 for all occupations. Scores above 80 are considered 'thriving'; 60–80 is 'on track'; 40–60 is 'stretched'; below 40 is 'struggling'.
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