Advertiser Disclosure
GOBankingRates works with many financial advertisers to showcase their products and services to our audiences. These brands compensate us to advertise their products in ads across our site. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site. We are not a comparison-tool and these offers do not represent all available deposit, investment, loan or credit products.
16 Cities Where You Need To Earn Over $200K To Afford a Median-Priced Home



Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 YearsHelping You Live Richer
Reviewed by Experts
Trusted by Millions of Readers
You now need a household income of $123,304 to afford a median-priced home in the U.S., assuming a 5% down payment, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors. However, in some cities, you now need to earn at least $200,000 to comfortably afford a median-priced single-family home.
Here’s a look at 16 metro areas where you can only buy a home if you’re earning $200K annually.
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $556,049
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $526,784
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $468,252
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $397,428
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $376,511
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $334,676
3. Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $339,736
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $321,855
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $286,093
4. Salinas, California
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $315,750
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $299,132
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $265,895
5. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $291,256
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $275,927
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $245,269
6. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $289,763
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $274,513
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $244,011
7. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $280,963
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $266,176
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $236,601
8. Boulder, Colorado
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $269,844
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $255,642
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $227,237
9. San Diego-Carlsbad, California
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $265,895
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $280,381
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $249,228
10. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $239,855
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $227,231
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $201,983
11. Barnstable Town, Massachusetts
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $234,390
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $222,054
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $197,381
12. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts-New Hampshire
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $223,875
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $212,092
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $188,526
13. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $216,632
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $205,230
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $182,427
14. New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $209,452
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $198,428
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $176,380
15. New York-Jersey City-White Plains, New York-New Jersey
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $209,420
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $198,398
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $176,354
16. Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Income needed to afford a home with a 5% down payment: $200,048
- Income needed to afford a home with a 10% down payment: $189,519
- Income needed to afford a home with a 20% down payment: $168,462
Data is sourced from the National Association of Realtors and is accurate as of Feb. 8, 2024.
Share This Article:
You May Also Like



I Asked ChatGPT How Much It Costs To Build a House in 2025 -- Here's What It Said
October 03, 2025
4 min Read


Dave Ramsey Says Real Estate Can Be a Great Investment but Don't Expect It To Be Passive Income
October 03, 2025
4 min Read

If NYC's 400,000 Millionaires Left Tomorrow, How Much Would Rent Drop?
September 29, 2025
4 min Read


20 Cities Where Home Prices Are Expected To Crash in the Next 12 Months
September 16, 2025
4 min Read





Retirees Should Avoid Renting in These 4 California Cities With the Most Competition
September 26, 2025
4 min Read

Make your money work for you
Get the latest news on investing, money, and more with our free newsletter.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks!
You're now subscribed to our newsletter.
Check your inbox for more details.



Sending you timely financial stories that you can bank on.
Sign up for our daily newsletter for the latest financial news and trending topics.
For our full Privacy Policy, click here.
Looks like you're using an adblocker
Please disable your adblocker to enjoy the optimal web experience and access the quality content you appreciate from GOBankingRates.
- AdBlock / uBlock / Brave
- Click the ad blocker extension icon to the right of the address bar
- Disable on this site
- Refresh the page
- Firefox / Edge / DuckDuckGo
- Click on the icon to the left of the address bar
- Disable Tracking Protection
- Refresh the page
- Ghostery
- Click the blue ghost icon to the right of the address bar
- Disable Ad-Blocking, Anti-Tracking, and Never-Consent
- Refresh the page