[folkrav]

Not American, so my knowledge on the matter is limited. Is it that expensive even outside SF and LA areas?

Also, AFAIK, these two areas (and surroundings) are very, very stressed in terms of traffic, and more housing means more people, and more cars. Can those cities deal with more traffic?

[dragonwriter]

> more housing means more people, and more cars.

More housing in SF requires design that supports fewer cars. That's not as true in LA, perhaps, but it would still be the best way to do it.

[rayiner]

Remember the US is a federal system so costs vary greatly depending on state/municipality. California regulatory costs result in high prices even though the state is less dense than many others like Ohio with far cheaper housing. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/house-costs-500000-build-sell....

[noxToken]

Very expensive. When you leave a lot of major metro areas, housing costs way less. There are 3+ BR homes on ½ acre of land (approx half an American football field or half a soccer pitch) in the South roughly 15 minutes from downtown areas for $125k - $175k USD. The cost of living in areas like SF and NYC are very high compared to the rest of the country. Housing is a major part of that cost of living hike.