Income Needed to Buy a House in Every State

What it takes to buy the typical home in each state at the latest weekly mortgage rate, if the house payment is to stay at 28% of income before taxes.

Income needed for the typical U.S. home

$118,923

A year, before taxes, to buy a $360,600 home with 10% down at 7.4%. That is 1.46 times the U.S. median household income of $81,604.

By state it runs from $55,077 in West Virginia to $261,871 in Hawaii.

What the numbers show

The typical U.S. home takes $118,923 a year with 10% down: a payment of $2,775 a month on a $360,600 home. The median household earns $81,604, enough under the same rule for a home of about $242,100.
Hawaii needs the most, $261,871, 4.75 times as much as West Virginia, which needs the least ($55,077). California ($239,571) and the District of Columbia ($228,342) come after Hawaii. These amounts are before taxes: the Hawaii paycheck calculator shows what they leave after them.
Only in West Virginia does the median household earn enough to buy the typical home there with 10% down under the 28% rule. With 20% down, 10 states do: North Dakota, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia.
The widest gaps are in Hawaii, where the income needed is 2.6 times the median household income, California (2.39 times) and the District of Columbia (2.08 times).
Property taxes weigh most in New Jersey and Illinois, about 19% of the monthly payment ($780 and $450 a month). In Hawaii they are 3%.
A rate one point lower (6.4%) cuts the U.S. figure by 7.8%, to $109,622. Putting 20% down instead of 10% cuts it by 13.9%, to $102,427, but takes $36,060 more in cash.

To work out your own number, with your income, debts, savings and rate, use the How Much House Can I Afford calculator.

Every state

Sort by

Income neededGap to medianState name

Income needed with 10% down, ranked from highest (1) to lowest (51)
State	Income needed	Typical home
1. Hawaii	$261,871	$875,900
2. California	$239,571	$759,500
3. District of Columbia	$228,342	$733,400
4. Massachusetts	$199,761	$607,400
5. Washington	$191,678	$602,200
6. Colorado	$181,003	$574,600
7. New Jersey	$178,855	$496,000
8. Utah	$168,107	$545,200
9. Oregon	$158,698	$497,500
10. New Hampshire	$158,141	$458,800
11. New York	$155,361	$449,800
12. Rhode Island	$152,903	$455,700
13. Maryland	$143,331	$436,300
14. Connecticut	$141,922	$396,900
15. Nevada	$140,192	$455,500
16. Idaho	$137,505	$446,400
17. Montana	$136,656	$425,400
18. Florida	$132,351	$396,900
19. Arizona	$131,429	$426,000
20. Virginia	$129,144	$403,500
21. Alaska	$125,800	$376,500
22. Vermont	$121,410	$352,800
23. Minnesota	$117,215	$344,600
24. Delaware	$115,034	$371,600
25. Georgia	$112,035	$343,300
26. Texas	$111,563	$313,200
27. Maine	$111,456	$341,900
28. Wyoming	$108,792	$339,500
29. North Carolina	$106,584	$333,000
30. Tennessee	$104,485	$332,600
31. Illinois	$103,758	$280,700
32. Wisconsin	$100,868	$294,700
33. South Dakota	$98,924	$289,600
34. Nebraska	$95,703	$263,100
35. South Carolina	$94,574	$299,500
36. Pennsylvania	$94,005	$277,600
37. New Mexico	$89,877	$279,900
38. North Dakota	$89,806	$266,100
39. Michigan	$86,930	$254,200
40. Kansas	$85,380	$238,700
41. Missouri	$85,319	$254,400
42. Ohio	$82,671	$239,800
43. Iowa	$80,203	$227,300
44. Indiana	$80,007	$243,500
45. Oklahoma	$77,070	$222,100
46. Louisiana	$76,363	$223,200
47. Alabama	$74,948	$233,300
48. Kentucky	$74,742	$226,000
49. Arkansas	$70,733	$215,600
50. Mississippi	$63,594	$186,500
51. West Virginia	$55,077	$170,800
United States	$118,923	$360,600

All columns: payment, taxes, insurance, 20% down

Monthly payment with 10% down: principal and interest, property tax, insurance and PMI
State	Monthly payment	Property tax a year	Insurance a year	Median household income	Needed ÷ median	Income needed, 20% down
1. Hawaii	$6,110	$2,385	$1,500	$100,745	2.6×	$221,803
2. California	$5,590	$5,369	$1,500	$100,149	2.39×	$204,828
3. District of Columbia	$5,328	$4,594	$1,200	$109,707	2.08×	$194,793
4. Massachusetts	$4,661	$6,080	$1,700	$104,828	1.91×	$171,975
5. Washington	$4,472	$4,729	$1,200	$99,389	1.93×	$164,130
6. Colorado	$4,223	$2,828	$2,300	$97,113	1.86×	$154,718
7. New Jersey	$4,173	$9,358	$1,400	$104,294	1.71×	$156,166
8. Utah	$3,922	$2,648	$1,200	$96,658	1.74×	$143,167
9. Oregon	$3,703	$3,895	$1,100	$85,220	1.86×	$135,940
10. New Hampshire	$3,690	$6,707	$1,200	$99,782	1.58×	$137,153
11. New York	$3,625	$6,542	$1,300	$85,820	1.81×	$134,784
12. Rhode Island	$3,568	$4,886	$1,800	$83,504	1.83×	$132,057
13. Maryland	$3,344	$4,144	$1,400	$102,905	1.39×	$123,372
14. Connecticut	$3,312	$6,573	$1,700	$96,049	1.48×	$123,766
15. Nevada	$3,271	$2,143	$1,000	$81,134	1.73×	$119,355
16. Idaho	$3,208	$1,912	$1,200	$81,166	1.69×	$117,084
17. Montana	$3,189	$2,939	$1,600	$75,340	1.81×	$117,196
18. Florida	$3,088	$2,993	$2,600	$77,735	1.7×	$114,195
19. Arizona	$3,067	$1,828	$1,200	$81,486	1.61×	$111,942
20. Virginia	$3,013	$2,872	$1,300	$92,090	1.4×	$110,686
21. Alaska	$2,935	$3,976	$1,400	$95,665	1.32×	$108,577
22. Vermont	$2,833	$5,026	$1,000	$82,730	1.47×	$105,272
23. Minnesota	$2,735	$3,501	$2,000	$87,117	1.35×	$101,451
24. Delaware	$2,684	$1,750	$1,000	$87,534	1.31×	$98,035
25. Georgia	$2,614	$2,554	$1,600	$79,991	1.4×	$96,331
26. Texas	$2,603	$4,108	$2,300	$79,721	1.4×	$97,236
27. Maine	$2,601	$3,103	$1,000	$76,442	1.46×	$95,817
28. Wyoming	$2,538	$1,947	$1,600	$75,532	1.44×	$93,261
29. North Carolina	$2,487	$2,044	$1,400	$73,958	1.44×	$91,350
30. Tennessee	$2,438	$1,488	$1,400	$71,997	1.45×	$89,270
31. Illinois	$2,421	$5,399	$1,400	$83,211	1.25×	$90,918
32. Wisconsin	$2,354	$3,680	$1,200	$77,488	1.3×	$87,387
33. South Dakota	$2,308	$2,940	$1,800	$76,881	1.29×	$85,677
34. Nebraska	$2,233	$3,739	$2,200	$76,376	1.25×	$83,667
35. South Carolina	$2,207	$1,337	$1,400	$72,350	1.31×	$80,873
36. Pennsylvania	$2,193	$3,214	$1,100	$77,545	1.21×	$81,306
37. New Mexico	$2,097	$1,776	$1,200	$67,816	1.33×	$77,074
38. North Dakota	$2,095	$2,550	$1,500	$77,871	1.15×	$77,634
39. Michigan	$2,028	$2,988	$1,200	$72,389	1.2×	$75,301
40. Kansas	$1,992	$2,983	$2,000	$75,514	1.13×	$74,461
41. Missouri	$1,991	$2,021	$1,700	$71,589	1.19×	$73,681
42. Ohio	$1,929	$2,937	$1,200	$72,212	1.14×	$71,701
43. Iowa	$1,871	$2,937	$1,500	$75,501	1.06×	$69,805
44. Indiana	$1,867	$1,798	$1,300	$71,959	1.11×	$68,868
45. Oklahoma	$1,798	$1,672	$2,300	$66,148	1.17×	$66,910
46. Louisiana	$1,782	$1,187	$2,500	$60,986	1.25×	$66,153
47. Alabama	$1,749	$890	$1,600	$66,659	1.12×	$64,276
48. Kentucky	$1,744	$1,611	$1,400	$64,526	1.16×	$64,404
49. Arkansas	$1,650	$1,113	$1,600	$62,106	1.14×	$60,870
50. Mississippi	$1,484	$1,221	$1,800	$59,127	1.08×	$55,062
51. West Virginia	$1,285	$881	$1,000	$60,798	0.91×	$47,264
United States	$2,775	$3,211	$1,500	$81,604	1.46×	$102,427

Download the data (CSV)

How we calculated it

For each state, and for the U.S. as a whole:

Typical home: the median value of owner-occupied homes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) for 2024. Owners estimate the value themselves; it is not a sale price.
Property tax: the median real estate tax owners paid in 2024 (ACS). Divided by the median value it gives an approximate effective rate, from 0.27% to 1.92%; it is a ratio of two medians, not any county's official rate.
Homeowners insurance: the median yearly premium reported by owners with a mortgage, computed from the ACS 2024 microdata (weighted, owners who report a premium). The amounts are what owners report, rounded to the hundred in most cases, and include flood insurance where they have it.
Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of October 15, 2026: 7.4%.
Loan: conventional, 30 years, fixed. With 10% down we add private mortgage insurance at an assumed 0.5% of the loan a year (actual PMI depends on credit score and down payment); with 20% down there is none.
Income needed: the monthly payment (principal and interest, property tax, insurance, PMI) divided by 28%, times 12. We assume no other debts and no HOA dues; closing costs are not included.

The payment comes from the same code as our mortgage calculator, and the income from the same code as the affordability calculator, so the study and the calculators always agree. Example for the U.S.: a $360,600 home with $36,060 down leaves a loan of $324,540. At 7.4% for 30 years that is $2,247.05 a month in principal and interest, plus $267.58 property tax ($3,211 a year), $125.00 insurance ($1,500 a year) and $135.23 PMI: $2,774.86. Divided by 28% and times 12, that is $118,923 a year.

Assumption	Value
Down payment	10% (with PMI) and 20% (no PMI)
Loan	Conventional, 30-year fixed
Mortgage rate	7.4%, Freddie Mac, week of October 15, 2026
PMI with 10% down	0.5% of the loan a year (assumption)
House payment	28% of gross income (28/36 rule of thumb)
Other debts, HOA, closing costs	None included

Limits

Home values and incomes are from 2024; the mortgage rate is from October 15, 2026. Prices and incomes have moved since. The Census Bureau plans to release the ACS figures for 2025 on October 29, 2026.
Every input is a survey estimate with a margin of error. The state medians of home value carry 90% margins of 0.4% to 3.5% of the value; the source files in the dataset list every margin.
The 28% share is a rule of thumb. Lenders allow more: Fannie Mae up to 50% for all debts together, FHA 31% to 40% for housing, depending on compensating factors. With a higher share the income needed falls in proportion.
The median home in a state is not the home a first-time buyer looks at, and the median household is not every household.

Sources

Data retrieved on October 22, 2026; calculated on October 22, 2026.

Use the data

You may share and adapt the data with credit to Calculator Institute and a link to this page (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0). The CSV file has one row per state with the rank, home value, property tax, insurance, payment, income needed with 10% and 20% down, and the median household income.

Cite as: Calculator Institute (2026). Income Needed to Buy a Typical Home in Every U.S. State, 2026 (v1). https://calculatorinstitute.com/income-needed-to-buy-a-house-by-state

Questions people ask

How much income do you need to buy a house in the U.S.?

About $118,923 a year for the typical U.S. home, valued at $360,600, with 10% down at 7.4% and the payment kept at 28% of income. With 20% down it is $102,427.

How much do you need to make to buy a house in California?

About $239,571 a year for the typical California home, valued at $759,500, with 10% down at 7.4%: a payment of $5,590 a month, kept at 28% of income. With 20% down it is $204,828. The median household in California earns $100,149.

How much do you need to make to buy a house in Texas?

About $111,563 a year for the typical Texas home, valued at $313,200, with 10% down at 7.4%: a payment of $2,603 a month, kept at 28% of income. With 20% down it is $97,236. The median household in Texas earns $79,721.

How much do you need to make to buy a house in Florida?

About $132,351 a year for the typical Florida home, valued at $396,900, with 10% down at 7.4%: a payment of $3,088 a month, kept at 28% of income. With 20% down it is $114,195. The median household in Florida earns $77,735.

Which state needs the lowest income to buy a house?

West Virginia: about $55,077 a year for a home valued at $170,800, with 10% down. Mississippi ($63,594) and Arkansas ($70,733) come next.