7 California Cities Where You Need To Earn Six Figures To Afford a Typical Home

The state of California is known for its high cost of living and competitive housing market. As a result, those who want to beat out the competition to buy their dream homes need to come prepared with substantial down payments and six-figure salaries to prove they can afford it.

According to a 2025 Clever Real Estate study, seven California cities out of the nation’s 50 largest cities require homebuyers to earn $100,000 or more to afford a home. But even making $100,000 doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to buy in all of these cities. Tech hotspots such as San Francisco and San Jose require earnings of at least $415,000.

Do you earn enough to buy a home in these seven California cities?

• Median household income: $71,140
• Median home sales price (April 2025): $418,000
• Income needed with 20% down: $112,172
• Income gap to afford median home with 20% down: $41,032

• Median household income: $94,992
• Median home sales price (April 2025): $590,000
• Income needed with 20% down: $159,312
• Income gap to afford median home with 20% down: $64,320

• Median household income: $87,843
• Median home sales price (April 2025): $596,000
• Income needed with 20% down: $160,783
• Income gap to afford median home with 20% down: $72,940

• Median household income: $103,674
• Median home sales price (April 2025): $920,000
• Income needed with 20% down: $246,134
• Income gap to afford median home with 20% down: $142,460

• Median household income: $91,960
• Median home sales price (April 2025): $905,000
• Income needed with 20% down: $241,149
• Income gap to afford median home with 20% down: $149,189

• Median household income: $127,792
• Median home sales price (April 2025): $1,550,000
• Income needed with 20% down: $415,871
• Income gap to afford median home with 20% down: $288,079

• Median household income: $153,202
• Median home sales price (April 2025): $1,700,000
• Income needed with 20% down: $458,297
• Income gap to afford median home with 20% down: $305,095