Economists analyzed four cities' housing markets and reported median home price (in 325, 18 min; City B, 612, 38 min; City D, $740, 45 min. The researchers concluded that more expensive cities are also associated with longer commutes—a consistent pattern across the sample. The data most directly supporting this consistent association is ______
Which choice most logically completes the text using the data above?
- A
the difference between the highest and lowest prices.
- Bcheck_circle
the monotonic increase in both price and commute time from City A through City D.
- C
the highest price ($740) in City D.
- D
the lowest commute (18 min) in City A.
Explanation
A "consistent pattern" requires that both variables move together across all cases. Choice C captures the monotonic alignment of price and commute across all four cities, the strongest evidence for a consistent association.