Mean differences between Cepheid photometry and distance-ladder fit versus the local background measured by artificial stars (in units of the Cepheid magnitudes), binned in equal numbers of Cepheids. Red is for Cepheids in SN Ia hosts and green for Cepheids in the anchor NGC 4258, with vertical lines indicating the mean background of each set. An underestimate of Cepheid backgrounds in SN Ia hosts at a level of 0.2 mag for the mean Cepheid background or an overestimate of Cepheid backgrounds in NGC 4258 by 0.2 mag for the mean Cepheid (indicated), or half that level for both simultaneously, would be required to solve the tension, but these possibilities are inconsistent with the data, which are consistent with no overestimates or underestimates for either set. Furthermore, it is hard to imagine how an overestimate or underestimate would not similarly affect (and therefore cancel) Cepheids in both NGC 4258 and SN Ia hosts.