metro stringlengths 5 24 | state stringlengths 2 2 | survivors int64 0 3.49k | thin bool 2
classes | entry_price_usd float64 128k 1.25M ⌀ | typical_price_usd float64 150k 1.43M ⌀ | kept_per_month_usd float64 -6,286 716 ⌀ | keep_ratio float64 -4.12 0.53 ⌀ | rank float64 1 11 ⌀ | foothold_score float64 33.9 64.9 ⌀ | entry_pillar float64 7.3 72.7 ⌀ | cashflow_pillar float64 2.3 88.6 ⌀ | durability_pillar float64 32 63.9 ⌀ | fha_limit_2unit_usd int64 693k 1.6M | fha_limit_3unit_usd int64 838k 1.93M | fha_limit_4unit_usd int64 1.04M 2.4M | fha_limit_basis stringclasses 2
values |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rochester | NY | 87 | false | 160,000 | 234,900 | 563 | 0.516 | 1 | 64.9 | 65.5 | 84.1 | 50.1 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Syracuse | NY | 92 | false | 198,000 | 240,000 | 716 | 0.526 | 2 | 63.9 | 54.5 | 88.6 | 52.4 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Albany | NY | 69 | false | 269,900 | 299,900 | 558 | 0.421 | 3 | 60.3 | 36.4 | 79.5 | 63.9 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Cleveland | OH | 62 | false | 169,997 | 210,000 | 333 | 0.29 | 4 | 53.7 | 52.7 | 59.1 | 50.3 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Youngstown | OH | 14 | true | 127,500 | 190,000 | 234 | 0.295 | 5 | 48.3 | 56.4 | 43.2 | 46.1 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Pittsburgh | PA | 266 | false | 249,000 | 319,900 | 163 | 0.107 | 6 | 46.6 | 34.5 | 47.7 | 54.8 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Buffalo | NY | 240 | false | 237,900 | 284,900 | 241 | 0.197 | 7 | 43.8 | 41.8 | 40.9 | 47.4 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Toledo | OH | 40 | false | 134,900 | 150,000 | -50 | -0.071 | 8 | 39.3 | 72.7 | 2.3 | 42 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Chicago | IL | 366 | false | 449,000 | 550,000 | 184 | 0.083 | 9 | 37.3 | 7.3 | 43.2 | 55.5 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Grand Rapids | MI | 51 | false | 279,000 | 352,000 | -103 | -0.071 | 10 | 34.2 | 21.8 | 29.5 | 47 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Memphis | TN | 16 | true | 160,000 | 173,000 | -21 | -0.024 | 11 | 33.9 | 54.5 | 15.9 | 32 | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Akron | OH | 15 | true | 169,900 | 199,900 | -600 | -0.81 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Albuquerque | NM | 9 | true | 444,444 | 479,990 | -1,902 | -1.968 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Allentown | PA | 73 | false | 234,900 | 339,499 | -421 | -0.372 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Atlanta | GA | 64 | false | 375,000 | 499,000 | -1,097 | -0.618 | null | null | null | null | null | 920,150 | 1,112,250 | 1,382,250 | MSA above-floor |
Austin | TX | 165 | false | 450,000 | 499,900 | -2,204 | -1.642 | null | null | null | null | null | 731,700 | 884,450 | 1,099,150 | MSA above-floor |
Bakersfield | CA | 118 | false | 370,000 | 450,000 | -1,866 | -1.806 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Baltimore | MD | 18 | true | 250,000 | 300,000 | -583 | -0.478 | null | null | null | null | null | 956,950 | 1,156,700 | 1,437,500 | MSA above-floor |
Baton Rouge | LA | 43 | false | 230,000 | 319,900 | -1,380 | -1.433 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Birmingham | AL | 1 | true | 449,000 | 449,000 | -1,305 | -0.895 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Boston | MA | 217 | false | 915,000 | 1,100,000 | -1,955 | -0.728 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,232,250 | 1,489,500 | 1,851,100 | MSA above-floor |
Bridgeport | CT | 106 | false | 539,999 | 599,900 | -1,052 | -0.653 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,251,400 | 1,512,650 | 1,879,850 | MSA above-floor |
Cape Coral-Fort Myers | FL | 178 | false | 389,900 | 460,000 | -1,992 | -1.68 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Charleston | SC | 28 | false | 575,000 | 695,000 | -1,130 | -0.54 | null | null | null | null | null | 883,300 | 1,067,750 | 1,326,950 | MSA above-floor |
Charlotte | NC | 20 | false | 440,000 | 625,000 | -1,909 | -1.355 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Cincinnati | OH | 107 | false | 285,000 | 345,000 | -1,385 | -1.237 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Columbus | OH | 188 | false | 245,000 | 310,000 | -660 | -0.636 | null | null | null | null | null | 756,700 | 914,700 | 1,136,750 | MSA above-floor |
Dallas | TX | 70 | false | 399,000 | 549,000 | -2,437 | -1.992 | null | null | null | null | null | 721,400 | 872,000 | 1,083,650 | MSA above-floor |
Dayton | OH | 31 | false | 185,000 | 220,000 | -672 | -0.875 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Denver | CO | 68 | false | 550,000 | 700,000 | -2,544 | -1.739 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,104,150 | 1,334,700 | 1,658,700 | MSA above-floor |
Detroit | MI | 1 | true | 229,900 | 229,900 | 337 | 0.345 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
El Paso | TX | 40 | false | 198,000 | 250,000 | -833 | -1.041 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Fort Wayne | IN | 50 | false | 134,900 | 189,000 | -148 | -0.188 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Fresno | CA | 47 | false | 399,000 | 544,900 | -1,370 | -1.154 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Greensboro | NC | 6 | true | 250,000 | 412,000 | -1,423 | -1.482 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Harrisburg | PA | 10 | true | 185,000 | 335,000 | -282 | -0.234 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Hartford | CT | 50 | false | 350,000 | 399,999 | -549 | -0.461 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Houston | TX | 145 | false | 309,000 | 428,000 | -2,183 | -2.108 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Indianapolis | IN | 28 | false | 249,900 | 300,000 | -645 | -0.585 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Jacksonville | FL | 71 | false | 244,990 | 283,990 | -1,157 | -1.291 | null | null | null | null | null | 743,450 | 898,700 | 1,116,850 | MSA above-floor |
Kansas City | MO | 14 | true | 350,000 | 389,000 | -1,319 | -1.073 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Knoxville | TN | 40 | false | 316,848 | 499,000 | -1,386 | -1.329 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Lakeland | FL | 33 | false | 259,000 | 331,000 | -1,444 | -1.31 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Las Vegas | NV | 63 | false | 411,235 | 514,900 | -2,054 | -2.069 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Los Angeles | CA | 1,318 | false | 790,000 | 975,000 | -3,999 | -2.312 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,599,375 | 1,933,200 | 2,402,625 | MSA above-floor |
Louisville | KY | 86 | false | 300,000 | 389,000 | -1,287 | -1.286 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
McAllen | TX | 100 | false | 365,000 | 520,000 | -3,642 | -4.123 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Miami | FL | 149 | false | 675,000 | 769,900 | -2,273 | -1.049 | null | null | null | null | null | 853,900 | 1,032,150 | 1,282,700 | MSA above-floor |
Milwaukee | WI | 81 | false | 315,000 | 369,900 | -1,025 | -0.931 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Minneapolis | MN | 75 | false | 365,000 | 455,000 | -971 | -0.743 | null | null | null | null | null | 706,650 | 854,200 | 1,061,550 | MSA above-floor |
Nashville | TN | 44 | false | 449,000 | 525,000 | -1,486 | -0.935 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,317,650 | 1,592,700 | 1,979,350 | MSA above-floor |
New Orleans | LA | 38 | false | 300,000 | 389,000 | -22 | -0.012 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
New York | NY | 3,492 | false | 899,000 | 1,149,000 | -334 | -0.096 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,599,375 | 1,933,200 | 2,402,625 | MSA above-floor |
North Port-Sarasota | FL | 61 | false | 387,502 | 429,788 | -1,703 | -1.155 | null | null | null | null | null | 700,750 | 847,050 | 1,052,700 | MSA above-floor |
Oklahoma City | OK | 64 | false | 299,000 | 340,000 | -1,393 | -1.528 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Omaha | NE | 37 | false | 300,000 | 385,000 | -1,548 | -1.558 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Orlando | FL | 79 | false | 274,900 | 400,000 | -1,232 | -0.8 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Oxnard | CA | 18 | true | 829,000 | 999,000 | -4,650 | -2.762 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,325,000 | 1,601,600 | 1,990,450 | MSA above-floor |
Philadelphia | PA | 393 | false | 339,950 | 425,000 | -1,053 | -0.721 | null | null | null | null | null | 806,750 | 975,200 | 1,211,950 | MSA above-floor |
Phoenix | AZ | 82 | false | 499,999 | 598,000 | -2,272 | -2.402 | null | null | null | null | null | 714,000 | 863,100 | 1,072,600 | MSA above-floor |
Portland | OR | 154 | false | 585,000 | 675,000 | -2,213 | -1.487 | null | null | null | null | null | 898,050 | 1,085,550 | 1,349,050 | MSA above-floor |
Portland ME | ME | 15 | true | 505,000 | 660,000 | -2,519 | -1.557 | null | null | null | null | null | 787,650 | 952,050 | 1,183,200 | MSA above-floor |
Providence | RI | 170 | false | 579,000 | 665,000 | -1,664 | -1.108 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,008,450 | 1,219,000 | 1,514,950 | MSA above-floor |
Raleigh | NC | 22 | false | 265,000 | 470,000 | -1,489 | -1.171 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Richmond | VA | 30 | false | 424,900 | 599,900 | -2,502 | -1.766 | null | null | null | null | null | 905,400 | 1,094,450 | 1,360,100 | MSA above-floor |
Riverside-San Bernardino | CA | 79 | false | 559,990 | 629,888 | -1,614 | -0.933 | null | null | null | null | null | 883,300 | 1,067,750 | 1,326,950 | MSA above-floor |
Sacramento | CA | 129 | false | 545,000 | 688,000 | -2,567 | -1.94 | null | null | null | null | null | 979,000 | 1,183,400 | 1,470,700 | MSA above-floor |
Salt Lake City | UT | 41 | false | 615,000 | 749,900 | -3,146 | -2.75 | null | null | null | null | null | 815,600 | 985,900 | 1,225,200 | MSA above-floor |
San Antonio | TX | 209 | false | 289,900 | 374,000 | -1,851 | -1.982 | null | null | null | null | null | 714,000 | 863,100 | 1,072,600 | MSA above-floor |
San Diego | CA | 163 | false | 999,000 | 1,250,000 | -5,732 | -2.823 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,413,350 | 1,708,400 | 2,123,100 | MSA above-floor |
San Francisco | CA | 77 | false | 1,200,000 | 1,400,000 | -3,110 | -0.847 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,599,375 | 1,933,200 | 2,402,625 | MSA above-floor |
San Jose | CA | 70 | false | 1,250,000 | 1,425,000 | -6,286 | -2.62 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,599,375 | 1,933,200 | 2,402,625 | MSA above-floor |
Scranton | PA | 0 | true | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Seattle | WA | 120 | false | 875,000 | 1,100,000 | -3,769 | -1.796 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,361,800 | 1,646,100 | 2,045,700 | MSA above-floor |
Spokane | WA | 90 | false | 349,950 | 399,999 | -1,163 | -1.184 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
St. Louis | MO | 46 | false | 315,000 | 365,000 | -1,358 | -1.276 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Tampa | FL | 72 | false | 325,000 | 405,999 | -1,353 | -1.039 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Tucson | AZ | 122 | false | 339,500 | 425,000 | -2,025 | -2.536 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Tulsa | OK | 13 | true | 320,000 | 368,000 | -1,888 | -1.958 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Virginia Beach-Norfolk | VA | 35 | false | 349,900 | 389,000 | -554 | -0.408 | null | null | null | null | null | 970,200 | 1,172,750 | 1,457,450 | MSA above-floor |
Washington DC | DC | 44 | false | 850,000 | 1,130,000 | -4,585 | -1.563 | null | null | null | null | null | 1,599,375 | 1,933,200 | 2,402,625 | MSA above-floor |
Wichita | KS | 143 | false | 365,000 | 370,000 | -1,473 | -1.371 | null | null | null | null | null | 693,050 | 837,700 | 1,041,125 | national floor |
Worcester | MA | 114 | false | 590,000 | 649,995 | -1,368 | -0.899 | null | null | null | null | null | 697,800 | 843,500 | 1,048,300 | MSA above-floor |
Dataset Card for Foothold Index (83 US Metros, 2026)
Dataset Details
Homepage / methodology: https://vantovault.com/library/foothold-score/ Maintained at: Van to Vault (vantovault.com) License: CC BY 4.0 — use with attribution to Van to Vault (vantovault.com) Point of contact: Stephan D., Van to Vault
Dataset Summary
The dataset behind Van to Vault's Foothold screen: 83 U.S. metro areas with the inputs used to test where buying a small two-to-four unit building beats renting for a first-time, owner-occupant buyer. 23,424 two-to-four unit listings were screened across the 83 metros; 11,495 survived every livability/financing test. On the metro-level figures those survivors produce, 11 metros clear the affordability bar at a 6.66% mortgage rate (data as of 2026-08-06).
Each row is one metro: entry price (25th-percentile surviving listing), typical price, kept-per-month (what an owner keeps each month versus renting), keep ratio, rank, Foothold score, and the three sub-pillar scores (entry, cashflow, durability). Metros that did not clear the metro-level affordability test have null rank/score fields but keep their listing-level stats (survivors, entry/typical price, kept-per-month), so the file also works as a broader 83-metro pricing reference, not just an 11-metro leaderboard.
Full methodology, the seven listing-level screens, and per-metro writeups: https://vantovault.com/library/foothold-score/
Supported Tasks
Not built for a specific ML task — this is a compiled reference/screening dataset. It supports
regression on foothold_score / kept_per_month_usd, or classification on whether a metro clears the
bar (rank non-null). Most users will simply use it as a lookup table.
Languages
English (metro names, US English column labels).
Dataset Structure
Data Instances
One row per U.S. metro (83 rows).
Data Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
metro |
Metro area name |
state |
Two-letter state code |
survivors |
Listings that passed all seven screens (price floor, FHA ceiling, condition floor, yield ceiling, neighborhood crime, abandonment, value trend) |
thin |
true if fewer than 20 surviving listings — dollar figures can move substantially month to month |
entry_price_usd |
25th-percentile surviving listing price |
typical_price_usd |
Median surviving listing price |
kept_per_month_usd |
Median surviving deal's monthly position vs. renting (rent avoided + tenant rent − full payment − maintenance reserve) |
keep_ratio |
kept_per_month_usd as a share of a month of rent; 0 = owning costs the same as renting |
rank |
1–11 for metros that clear the affordability bar; null otherwise |
foothold_score |
Weighted composite score (0–100); null for metros that don't clear the bar |
entry_pillar |
Sub-score: how hard the metro is to enter |
cashflow_pillar |
Sub-score: monthly economics once owned |
durability_pillar |
Sub-score: whether the metro is likely to hold up |
fha_limit_2unit_usd, fha_limit_3unit_usd, fha_limit_4unit_usd |
HUD CY2026 FHA loan limits the FHA ceiling test ran against. Each listing is tested against the limit for its own unit count |
fha_limit_basis |
national floor where the metro sits at the HUD CY2026 national floor (49 metros); MSA above-floor where HUD assigns the MSA a higher limit (34 metros) |
Data Splits
No splits — one flat table.
Dataset Creation
Source Data
Listings from Realtor.com. Rents from HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents FY2026. Vacancy and income from the US Census American Community Survey 2023. Crime from FBI Table 8 and CrimeGrade. Home value trend from the Zillow Home Value Index. FHA limits from HUD CY2026. Mortgage rate 6.66% from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week ending 30 July 2026.
Annotations
Not applicable — all fields are computed from the source data listed above using the screening rules documented at the methodology link.
Considerations for Using the Data
- Entry price is a real asking price on a real building, not the cheapest listing on the market or an average.
- Five metros (Bakersfield, Rochester, Scranton, Syracuse, Youngstown) carry only one rent series rather than two.
- This is a screening tool on asking prices and modeled rents — it has not seen the inside of any building, and it does not model flood insurance or condition beyond a crude price-per-square-foot test.
- Data as of 2026-08-06; mortgage rates and prices move. Confirm current figures before relying on them.
Citation
If you use this dataset, please cite:
Van to Vault. "Foothold Index 2026: 11 Metros Where Owning Beats Renting." https://vantovault.com/library/foothold-score/
Dataset Card Contact
Stephan D. — Van to Vault (vantovault.com)
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