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These are the world’s most ‘impossibly unaffordable’ cities—and 5 of them are in the U.S.

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These are the world’s most ‘impossibly unaffordable’ cities—and 5 of them are in the U.S.

While buying a home just about anywhere today might seem tough, certain markets are so pricey, they’ve earned the designation of “impossibly unaffordable.”

For the past 20 years, researchers at Chapman University’s Center for Demographics and Policy have been tracking home prices in 94 English-speaking major metropolitan cities worldwide.

Its just-released Demographia International Housing Affordability report uses price-to-income ratio—the median house price divided by the median household income—to come up with what’s called a “median multiple rating.” The higher this rating, the less affordable the area. A median multiple score over 9 is considered “impossibly unaffordable.”

Hong Kong, with a median multiple score of 16.7, topped the list of impossibly unaffordable cities for the 14th year in a row. (Hong Kong is the only Asian city included on the list.) This city was followed by Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada.

Hong Kong topped the list for unaffordable cities across the world. NurPhoto via Getty Images

Five U.S. cities also made the top 10: San Jose, CA, came in fourth, followed by Los AngelesHonoluluSan Francisco, and San Diego. (Toronto, Canada, and Melbourne, Australia, round out the top 10.)

Curious just how impossibly unaffordable these U.S. cities have become? Take a gander at the median home price, the median multiple score, and a sample listing for each city below.

San Jose cam in at fourth for ‘impossibly unaffordable’ cities across the world. Shutterstock

Median home price: $1.35 million
Median multiple score: 11.9

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles also came in the top 10 for its high cost of living and prices of homes. AFP via Getty Images

Median home price: $1.27 million
Median multiple score: 10.9

Honolulu, HI

Honolulu’s price look more affordable, but those prices largely reflect condos and apartments, rather than houses. REUTERS

Median home price: $650,000
Median multiple score: 10.5

(While that median price doesn’t seem astronomical, condos or apartments make up much of the housing stock in Honolulu.)

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco’s median home price came in at $1.2 million. Mark – stock.adobe.com

Median home price: $1.2 million
Median multiple score: 9.7

San Diego, CA

San Diego also made the top 10 list. REUTERS

Median home price: $1 million
Median multiple score: 9.5

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