Mortgage got you broke? Pembroke Pines is a top house-poor city in US, study says
If your wallet looks especially thin after the first of the month, you’re not alone. A new study shows that Pembroke Pines is one of the top cities in America with the biggest paycheck-to-mortgage disparities.
The South Broward city ranked No. 6 on the Journal of Consumer Research’s list of most “house-poor” cities in America, deeming its residents as some of the “most cost-burdened homeowners in the nation.”
JCR, which studies consumer behavior and released its findings on Oct. 9, defines the phenomenon as when a disproportionate amount of your income goes toward paying housing costs, making it difficult to cover other expenses.
It can leave you with a “’broke’ feeling [that] lingers all month long,” the academic journal says.
To compile its list, the study analyzed 2024 U.S. Census data and relied on the 28/36 rule, a popular home affordability metric that suggests your total monthly housing costs shouldn’t exceed 28% of your monthly income and your debts — including the mortgage — should stay within 36% of the same.
Pembroke Pines homeowners have a 32% cost burden, meaning they spend roughly that amount of their monthly income on paying for their home. The average monthly household income in the city is $8,598, according to the study, with the average monthly housing costs with a mortgage being $2,751.
Additional data such as yearly changes in cost burden, home values and property taxes was also collected, but did not factor into the list and was instead used to explain broader trends in the study. For a city to rank, it had to have a population of at least 175,000, making Pembroke Pines, at roughly 179,000, the least-populous city on the list.
The city’s “house-poor” status has solidified more in recent years, JCR adds, following an 11% rise in housing costs and 2% dip in average household incomes from 2023-2024 that the journal says “left the typical Pembroke Pines homeowner 13% more house-poor.”
What caused the spike? JCR says increasing home insurance rates, which have been worsened by natural disasters that drive the cost up for repairs and rebuilding.
Pembroke Pines also ranked alongside two other “house-poor” South Florida cities, Hialeah and Miami.
Hialeah ranked No. 1 with a cost burden percentage of 36.9%, placing the average monthly household income at $5,949 and the monthly housing costs with a mortgage at $2,193.
Miami ranked No. 5 with a cost burden percentage of 32.3%, meaning the median monthly household income was $8,957 and monthly housing costs were $2,893 for homeowners.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 2:51 PM.
