How Much House Does $400K Buy You in Western States?

There is a grand disparity in housing markets across the Western United States. In Hawaii, for example, $400,000 will get you a paltry 590 square feet, while that amount will buy more than 2,000 square feet in Montana.

GOBankingRates recently determined how much house you can get in each state for various amounts. Just three Western states had housing cost-of-living indexes below the U.S. average.

See how much house you could get for $400,000 in the West, from most square footage to least.

• Square feet for $400,000: 2,111
• Price per square foot: $190
• Housing cost-of-living index: 84.6

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,982
• Price per square foot: $202
• Housing cost-of-living index: 90.1

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,802
• Price per square foot: $222
• Housing cost-of-living index: 99.1

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,672
• Price per square foot: $239
• Housing cost-of-living index: 106.8

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,660
• Price per square foot: $241
• Housing cost-of-living index: 107.6

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,516
• Price per square foot: $264
• Housing cost-of-living index: 117.8

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,409
• Price per square foot: $284
• Housing cost-of-living index: 126.7

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,356
• Price per square foot: $295
• Housing cost-of-living index: 131.7

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,377
• Price per square foot: $291
• Housing cost-of-living index: 129.7

• Square feet for $400,000: 1,313
• Price per square foot: $305
• Housing cost-of-living index: 136

• Square feet for $400,000: 854
• Price per square foot: $468
• Housing cost-of-living index: 209.1

• Square feet for $400,000: 590
• Price per square foot: $678
• Housing cost-of-living index: 302.6

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each state to find out how much house $300,000 can afford. First, GOBankingRates found the median listing price per square foot in the U.S., as sourced from the Federal Reserve of St. Louis for November 2024. Next, GOBankingRates found the housing cost index for each state, as sourced from the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center for Quarter 3 of 2024. Using this data, the price per square foot for each state was calculated, and using $300,000, $400,000, and $500,000 savings as a starting point, the total affordable square foot could calculated for each state. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Jan. 3, 2025.