The Wall Street Journal online has an cool housing stress map (link below) that shows the relative distress of cities and towns across the US. It takes into account the percent of mortgaged homeowners spending 30% or more of household income on owner costs, the percentage of the population not working and the percentage of the population without health-insurance coverage. Rhode Island’s level is 81, just under the mean of 87.5, which is virtually the same as Massachusetts and the other New England states.
The data was collected in 2009, so it’s a little out of date. Still, in the face the daily news broadcasts about our abysmal unemployment rate, it’s encouraging to know that our stress levels are about average. Perhaps, as a result, we will recover a little more easily and a little faster than other areas. I’m ready. Bring it on…
