How Much You Need To Earn To Comfortably Own a House in 100 Big Cities

The differences in annual salary needed to afford a house across the U.S. are vast — even when you hone in on just the 100 largest housing markets.

In the most expensive housing market on that list, you need to make about $343,000 a year to comfortably own a home, according to recently released GOBankingRates estimates. In the least expensive housing market, an annual salary of just $14,000 may suffice.

In the most expensive housing market, a 20% down payment on a home will run you nearly $329,000. In the least expensive housing market, you could theoretically buy five entire homes for that much.

GOBankingRates has included these two housing markets and all points in between in a new ranking of the 100 largest markets in the U.S. We’ve ranked them from least to most affordable, based on how large of a salary you need in each market.

To calculate salary needed for each market, GBR determined average home values based 2024 home values, then factored in a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with an interest rate of 6.82% and a 20% down payment. GBR also assumed housing costs wouldn’t exceed 30% of gross income (though this is aspirational for many homebuyers and homeowners these days). A full methodology is included at the end of the story.

Here’s the list, complete with average home value, 20% down payment, monthly and annual mortgage cost and minimum salary needed for each market.

• Average home value: $1,775,731
• Monthly mortgage: $10,515
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $420,591

• Average home value: $1,531,440
• Monthly mortgage: $9,068
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $362,730

• Average home value: $1,371,361
• Monthly mortgage: $8,120
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $362,730

• Average home value: $1,310,629
• Monthly mortgage: $7,761
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $310,429

• Average home value: $1,130,316
• Monthly mortgage: $6,693
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $267,721

• Average home value: $1,010,958
• Monthly mortgage: $5,986
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $239,451

• Average home value: $948,016
• Monthly mortgage: $5,614
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $224,543

• Average home value: $931,122
• Monthly mortgage: $5,514
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $220,541

• Average home value: $896,830
• Monthly mortgage: $5,310
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $212,419

• Average home value: $889,954
• Monthly mortgage: $5,270
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $210,790

• Average home value: $884,731
• Monthly mortgage: $5,239
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $209,553

• Average home value: $809,232
• Monthly mortgage: $4,792
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $191,671

• Average home value: $798,955
• Monthly mortgage: $4,731
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $189,237

• Average home value: $797,509
• Monthly mortgage: $4,722
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $188,894

• Average home value: $715,782
• Monthly mortgage: $4,238
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $169,537

• Average home value: $702,444
• Monthly mortgage: $4,159
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $166,378

• Average home value: $656,379
• Monthly mortgage: $3,887
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $155,467

• Average home value: $649,678
• Monthly mortgage: $3,847
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $153,880

• Average home value: $645,547
• Monthly mortgage: $3,823
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $152,901

• Average home value: $584,914
• Monthly mortgage: $3,464
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $138,540

• Average home value: $580,673
• Monthly mortgage: $3,438
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $137,536

• Average home value: $575,559
• Monthly mortgage: $3,408
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $136,324

• Average home value: $560,267
• Monthly mortgage: $3,318
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $132,702

• Average home value: $547,990
• Monthly mortgage: $3,245
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $129,794

• Average home value: $539,972
• Monthly mortgage: $3,197
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $127,895

• Average home value: $536,575
• Monthly mortgage: $3,177
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $127,091

• Average home value: $514,645
• Monthly mortgage: $3,047
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $121,896

• Average home value: $504,045
• Monthly mortgage: $2,985
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $119,386

• Average home value: $503,134
• Monthly mortgage: $2,979
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $119,170

• Average home value: $496,588
• Monthly mortgage: $2,940
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $117,620

• Average home value: $487,355
• Monthly mortgage: $2,886
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $115,433

• Average home value: $486,104
• Monthly mortgage: $2,878
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $115,136

• Average home value: $482,911
• Monthly mortgage: $2,860
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $114,380

• Average home value: $481,168
• Monthly mortgage: $2,849
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $113,967

• Average home value: $456,595
• Monthly mortgage: $2,704
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $108,147

• Average home value: $448,071
• Monthly mortgage: $2,653
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $106,128

• Average home value: $447,900
• Monthly mortgage: $2,652
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $106,088

• Average home value: $446,347
• Monthly mortgage: $2,643
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $105,720

• Average home value: $445,310
• Monthly mortgage: $2,637
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $105,474

• Average home value: $443,320
• Monthly mortgage: $2,625
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $105,003

• Average home value: $437,828
• Monthly mortgage: $2,593
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $103,702

• Average home value: $435,855
• Monthly mortgage: $2,581
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $103,235

• Average home value: $423,306
• Monthly mortgage: $2,507
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $100,262

• Average home value: $415,568
• Monthly mortgage: $2,461
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $98,430

• Average home value: $405,721
• Monthly mortgage: $2,402
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $96,097

• Average home value: $401,878
• Monthly mortgage: $2,380
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $95,187

• Average home value: $400,451
• Monthly mortgage: $2,371
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $94,849

• Average home value: $393,360
• Monthly mortgage: $2,329
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $93,169

• Average home value: $391,550
• Monthly mortgage: $2,319
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $92,741

• Average home value: $388,207
• Monthly mortgage: $2,299
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $91,949

• Average home value: $388,082
• Monthly mortgage: $2,298
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $91,919

• Average home value: $387,414
• Monthly mortgage: $2,294
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $91,761

• Average home value: $382,093
• Monthly mortgage: $2,263
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $90,501

• Average home value: $363,705
• Monthly mortgage: $2,154
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $86,145

• Average home value: $353,592
• Monthly mortgage: $2,094
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $83,750

• Average home value: $353,396
• Monthly mortgage: $2,093
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $83,704

• Average home value: $347,560
• Monthly mortgage: $2,058
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $82,322

• Average home value: $334,798
• Monthly mortgage: $1,982
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $79,299

• Average home value: $334,205
• Monthly mortgage: $1,979
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $79,158

• Average home value: $332,417
• Monthly mortgage: $1,968
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $78,735

• Average home value: $319,020
• Monthly mortgage: $1,889
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $75,562

• Average home value: $314,887
• Monthly mortgage: $1,865
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $74,583

• Average home value: $307,074
• Monthly mortgage: $1,818
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $72,732

• Average home value: $306,239
• Monthly mortgage: $1,813
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $72,534

• Average home value: $298,643
• Monthly mortgage: $1,768
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $70,735

• Average home value: $298,463
• Monthly mortgage: $1,767
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $70,693

• Average home value: $294,481
• Monthly mortgage: $1,744
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $69,749

• Average home value: $285,696
• Monthly mortgage: $1,692
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $67,669

• Average home value: $276,674
• Monthly mortgage: $1,638
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $65,532

• Average home value: $275,074
• Monthly mortgage: $1,629
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $65,153

• Average home value: $271,087
• Monthly mortgage: $1,605
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $64,208

• Average home value: $263,542
• Monthly mortgage: $1,561
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $62,421

• Average home value: $256,450
• Monthly mortgage: $1,519
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $60,742

• Average home value: $256,448
• Monthly mortgage: $1,519
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $60,741

• Average home value: $252,301
• Monthly mortgage: $1,494
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $59,759

• Average home value: $246,093
• Monthly mortgage: $1,457
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $58,289

• Average home value: $239,005
• Monthly mortgage: $1,415
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $56,610

• Average home value: $234,766
• Monthly mortgage: $1,390
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $55,606

• Average home value: $232,966
• Monthly mortgage: $1,379
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $55,179

• Average home value: $227,302
• Monthly mortgage: $1,346
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $53,838

• Average home value: $227,162
• Monthly mortgage: $1,345
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $53,805

• Average home value: $226,215
• Monthly mortgage: $1,340
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $53,580

• Average home value: $225,291
• Monthly mortgage: $1,334
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $53,361

• Average home value: $224,175
• Monthly mortgage: $1,327
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $53,097

• Average home value: $224,073
• Monthly mortgage: $1,327
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $53,073

• Average home value: $223,070
• Monthly mortgage: $1,321
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $52,835

• Average home value: $215,901
• Monthly mortgage: $1,278
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $51,137

• Average home value: $215,484
• Monthly mortgage: $1,276
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $51,039

• Average home value: $213,608
• Monthly mortgage: $1,265
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $50,594

• Average home value: $203,852
• Monthly mortgage: $1,207
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $48,283

• Average home value: $201,788
• Monthly mortgage: $1,195
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $47,795

• Average home value: $200,258
• Monthly mortgage: $1,186
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $47,432

• Average home value: $199,072
• Monthly mortgage: $1,179
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $47,151

• Average home value: $193,747
• Monthly mortgage: $1,1147
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $45,890

• Average home value: $180,996
• Monthly mortgage: $1,072
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $42,870

• Average home value: $171,995
• Monthly mortgage: $1,018
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $40,738

• Average home value: $141,330
• Monthly mortgage: $837
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $33,475

• Average home value: $118,013
• Monthly mortgage: $699
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $27,952

• Average home value: $106,037
• Monthly mortgage: $628
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $25,115

• Average home value: $72,216
• Monthly mortgage: $428
• Minimum salary to comfortably afford home: $17,105

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates first isolated the 100 biggest housing markets according to Zillow’s December 2024 data. GOBankingRates then found the average home value for each of the 100 qualified cities. GOBankingRates then found the average monthly mortgage by using the following assumptions: a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with 20% down payment with a rate of 6.89%, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data for Feb. 6, 2025. No P&I, HOA fees or property tax were included. With the monthly mortgage rate found, GOBankingRates was able to determine the minimum salary needed to comfortably afford a home by assuming housing costs could not exceed 30% of gross income. The cities were sorted to show the highest income needed to buy an average single-family home first. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Feb. 12, 2025.