I'm looking for a recent report or web site that would show the top cities for
high average income but low cost of housing (rent). I'm guessing that
there's an official ratio formula out there somewhere. I'm just
looking for areas that would pay well and have cheap housing. Top 100
areas, maybe? Thanks for your help.

Hello 1busydad-ga,

I'm glad you found the articles helpful. The US Census has an
incredible wealth of information available but sometimes it's hard to
find exactly what you're looking for or to "massage" the information
into the format you want.

http://www.census.gov/
US Census Bureau

Here is my comment as the answer as you noted in your comment. Thanks very much.

~ czh ~

Here are a couple of reports that will take you to some 2000 US Census
reports that might help answer your question.

http://www.boston.com/census/longform/mass/housing/housing.htm
Debunking housing myth 
Relative costs here moderate, not high, compared to other cities, Census finds
First-time home buyers suffering sticker shock might be skeptical, but
new Census 2000 data released this week call into question the widely
held assumption that Massachusetts residents have to dig deeper to pay
for housing than people in other parts of the country.
    -By Scott Bernard Nelson and Bill Dedman, Boston Globe, 06/06/02 

The following information about housing in Massachusetts, New England
and the United States comes from the Census. Rankings done by the
Boston Globe:

***** There are seven different reports comparing housing and income.
Some of these might meet your needs.


http://www.curp.neu.edu/sitearchive/column.asp?id=1853
Housing Crisis?: The Devil's in the Details
By Maggie Adams and Barry Bluestone

Many who read the Boston Globe recently were surprised to learn that
Greater Boston's much-touted housing crisis is apparently a "myth." A
Globe analysis of newly released 2000 Census data reveals that,
relative to household income, housing costs rose only modestly in and
around Boston during the 1990s compared with other cities and metro
regions. Greater Boston ranked just 84th out of 377 metropolitan areas
in terms of the proportion of households spending at least 35 percent
of their gross income on homeownership. Boston itself ranked just 41st
out of 100 cities when it comes to renters paying at least 35 percent
of their income for housing. After two years of studies and news
stories detailing skyrocketing local housing prices and rents, the new
data seem to suggest that all the concern about a housing crisis may
have been overblown.

***** This is an article that interprets the above reports.

Here are a couple of reports that will take you to some 2000 US Census
reports that might help answer your question.

http://www.boston.com/census/longform/mass/housing/housing.htm
Debunking housing myth 
Relative costs here moderate, not high, compared to other cities, Census finds
First-time home buyers suffering sticker shock might be skeptical, but
new Census 2000 data released this week call into question the widely
held assumption that Massachusetts residents have to dig deeper to pay
for housing than people in other parts of the country.
    -By Scott Bernard Nelson and Bill Dedman, Boston Globe, 06/06/02 

The following information about housing in Massachusetts, New England
and the United States comes from the Census. Rankings done by the
Boston Globe:

***** There are seven different reports comparing housing and income.
Some of these might meet your needs.


http://www.curp.neu.edu/sitearchive/column.asp?id=1853
Housing Crisis?: The Devil's in the Details
By Maggie Adams and Barry Bluestone

Many who read the Boston Globe recently were surprised to learn that
Greater Boston's much-touted housing crisis is apparently a "myth." A
Globe analysis of newly released 2000 Census data reveals that,
relative to household income, housing costs rose only modestly in and
around Boston during the 1990s compared with other cities and metro
regions. Greater Boston ranked just 84th out of 377 metropolitan areas
in terms of the proportion of households spending at least 35 percent
of their gross income on homeownership. Boston itself ranked just 41st
out of 100 cities when it comes to renters paying at least 35 percent
of their income for housing. After two years of studies and news
stories detailing skyrocketing local housing prices and rents, the new
data seem to suggest that all the concern about a housing crisis may
have been overblown.

***** This is an article that interprets the above reports.

Good enough czh-ga.
Thanks for your help. If you resubmit as an answer I'll submit
payment. Thanks again.