In 2005, the least-affordable place in the country to live, measured by the percentage of income devoted to mortgage payments, was Salinas, Calif.California is growing, mainly from immigrants and foreigners. I wonder how people afford to own homes here.
The second was the Santa Cruz-Watsonville area of California.
The third? Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif.
In fact, California has the distinction of having the 11 least-affordable metropolitan areas in the country.