Realtors across the country are sounding the alarm that a new wave of fast-growing markets could slip out of reach for typical buyers by 2027, as home values race ahead of local incomes. Based on their projections, nine cities in particular are on track to become effectively unaffordable within just a few years, with rapid price escalation and intense demand reshaping who can realistically buy a home there.
1) Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho is at the top of many watchlists because realtors predict that its rapid price escalation will make it unaffordable by 2027 for a large share of would-be buyers. In national analyses of markets that could soon be out of reach, Boise is grouped with cities where projected home values are expected to outpace the U.S. average, echoing research that cites a projected home value of $421,415 in 2027 versus a U.S. average projected home value of $409,480 and a widening Difference between local and national prices. While that specific figure is tied to another city, the methodology behind it, which compares local trajectories to the national baseline, is the same framework real estate experts are now applying to Boise’s surge.
In practical terms, that means buyers who once saw Boise as a relatively affordable alternative to coastal markets may soon find that wages and savings cannot keep up with listing prices and required down payments. Realtors who contributed to broader forecasts of cities that will become unaffordable by 2027 describe a pattern in which strong in-migration, limited inventory and investor interest combine to push typical starter homes out of reach, a dynamic that is now visible in Boise’s bidding wars and shrinking days on market. For local residents, the stakes are clear: without significant new construction or income growth, the city risks pricing out first-time buyers and long-time renters who had hoped to stay rooted in the community.
2) Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina is another city where realtors are warning that booming demand could push median home prices to unaffordable levels by 2027. In national coverage of markets expected to become out of reach within a few years, experts point to Charlotte’s rapid population growth, strong job market and limited supply as classic ingredients for a sharp affordability squeeze, similar to the pressures described in lists of cities projected to be unaffordable by 2027. The city’s appeal to financial services firms, tech employers and remote workers has translated into intense competition for single-family homes and townhouses, especially in neighborhoods close to major employment centers.
For buyers, the concern is not just rising sticker prices but the way those increases interact with borrowing costs and local incomes. Realtors who contributed to these forecasts note that when home values rise faster than wages for several consecutive years, the share of households able to qualify for a conventional mortgage shrinks quickly, even if interest rates stabilize. In Charlotte’s case, that could mean middle-income families who once targeted in-town neighborhoods may be pushed to distant suburbs or out of the metro area altogether. The broader trend also matters for renters, since landlords often raise rents in step with surging property values, making it harder for households to save for a down payment before the 2027 window closes.
3) Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado has already seen years of strong appreciation, and realtors now forecast that steep additional rises in housing costs could make the city inaccessible for many buyers by 2027. In national roundups of markets on the brink of an affordability tipping point, Denver is cited alongside other fast-growing metros where projected home values are expected to climb well above the national trajectory, echoing the kind of projections that put some cities’ 2027 values at $421,415 compared with a U.S. average of $409,480 and a widening gap between local and national prices. While Denver’s exact future price is not specified in the available reporting, the city’s inclusion in these expert lists signals that its trajectory is viewed as similarly aggressive…