For years we have been moving to the suburban areas for lower prices, and in return we get longer commutes. With gas prices what they are what is the actual cost of our suburban home? WorldChanging.org features an application developed by The Center for Neighborhood Technology. Their interactive map helps people visualize the real cost of an area. The CNT defines affordable as housing + transportation costs are less than (<) 45% of the median income of the area.

Those of us familiar with Cincinnati real estate know that some areas covered in the map have much higher home prices, and people who can afford them. Using median income for the region may not be the best metric.

If the numbers were based on median income by zip code I would feel more comfortable with the application. However, this certainly brings up a good point, with gas at $3.35 a gallon location, location, location takes on a whole new meaning.