Well, it is average locally earned disposable income compared to local housing cost, as a percentage. And in that case, houses are ridiculously expensive now. Most of my prior generation relatives purchased homes in the 70s in their early 20s while working minimum wage jobs as single income households. They were forklift drivers and steel workers, required no education, yet somehow a house was cheaper than 2 years income. I think you need to question your understanding a little more thoroughly. Also look at how ridiculously cheap the average rent was... if you don't own, you rent, and rent was something like half of a paycheck, making saving for a house much easier.