There’s a growing gap here and nationwide between income levels and the median house price but, despite that, the region and state remain an affordable place to buy a house, say local housing professionals. A recent study by QuoteWizard, a division of the Lending Tree LLC mortgage company, found that in Kansas the median income increased by 24.17 percent since 2012, but that the median home price increased by 44.58 percent during that same time. That led to a difference between wage increases and housing costs of $109,966. Not good – but the good news is that it’s not as bad as other areas of the country. In Rhode Island, the difference in increase was 32.41 percent and in Massachusetts, the difference was $404,869 between income and costs.
Source: Parsons Sun

“Generations ago, the federal government recognized that without affordable access to electricity, Americans couldn’t fully participate in modern society and the modern economy. Broadband internet is the new electricity,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “It is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected,” Vilsack said last week during a group announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications, and Information Administration. The three groups have entered an interagency agreement to coordinate the distribution of broadband deployment federal funds. In accordance with the Broadband Interagency Coordination Act, agency leaders pledged that they will consult with each other and share information about the distribution of the FCC’s rural broadband programs; the USDA’s Rural Utilities Services grant/loan programs; and NTIA programs.
Source: Parsons Sun