Less than half of U.S. cities are affordable for people who earn a median income

``Being priced out of buying a home in the country's major cities means more multi-family buildings in big cities and more people moving into second-tier cities and rural areas, says Stuart Gabriel, director of UCLA's Richard S. Ziman Center for Real Estate. "The consequences are large," he says, "and they're not just about affordability. It affects economic growth and economic viability of our major metropolitan areas."''