Residents in Texas have an easier time realizing the American Dream. This includes having the opportunity to rent or buy a place to call their own. A combination of low taxes and minimal regulations encourage the economic efficiency that keeps housing costs low but salaries high. As a consequence, the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M observes that the state’s housing market is historically among the most affordable in the nation. It scored an average affordability index value of about 20% higher than the nation as a whole from 1999 to 2014. More recently, in second quarter 2015, the Real Estate Center calculated that the state’s median income was 1.71 times higher than the income required to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home.