By Ziya Y. · 23 Years Banking · BLS + Zillow May 2026
What salary do you actually need to buy a home in your city? Not what a calculator says — what a lender would approve. We ran the real underwriting math across 22 major US cities.
| City | Median Home | Median Income | Income Needed | Gap | % Affordable | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $1,250,000 | $115,000 | $278,000 | +$163,000 | 6% | CRISIS |
| Los Angeles, CA | $890,000 | $71,000 | $206,000 | +$135,000 | 8% | CRISIS |
| New York, NY | $800,000 | $70,000 | $193,000 | +$123,000 | 7% | CRISIS |
| Seattle, WA | $780,000 | $92,000 | $187,000 | +$95,000 | 14% | CRISIS |
| Miami, FL | $680,000 | $68,000 | $181,000 | +$113,000 | 11% | CRISIS |
| Boston, MA | $720,000 | $85,000 | $178,000 | +$93,000 | 15% | CRISIS |
| Austin, TX | $580,000 | $72,000 | $148,000 | +$76,000 | 18% | CRISIS |
| Denver, CO | $560,000 | $75,000 | $121,000 | +$46,000 | 28% | STRESSED |
| Dallas, TX | $380,000 | $65,000 | $108,000 | +$43,000 | 32% | STRESSED |
| Nashville, TN | $480,000 | $68,000 | $103,000 | +$35,000 | 30% | STRESSED |
| Chicago, IL | $340,000 | $65,000 | $97,000 | +$32,000 | 38% | STRESSED |
| Atlanta, GA | $420,000 | $68,000 | $97,000 | +$29,000 | 35% | STRESSED |
| Houston, TX | $320,000 | $61,000 | $93,000 | +$32,000 | 42% | STRESSED |
| Phoenix, AZ | $420,000 | $65,000 | $92,000 | +$27,000 | 38% | STRESSED |
| Charlotte, NC | $390,000 | $67,000 | $90,000 | +$23,000 | 40% | STRESSED |
| San Antonio, TX | $280,000 | $55,000 | $85,000 | +$30,000 | 48% | MODERATE |
| Columbus, OH | $280,000 | $58,000 | $82,000 | +$24,000 | 52% | MODERATE |
| Rochester, MN | $280,000 | $70,000 | $72,000 | +$2,000 | 72% | AFFORDABLE |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $230,000 | $57,000 | $69,000 | +$12,000 | 61% | MODERATE |
| Kansas City, MO | $265,000 | $58,000 | $68,000 | +$10,000 | 57% | MODERATE |
| Indianapolis, IN | $260,000 | $55,000 | $64,000 | +$9,000 | 58% | MODERATE |
| Memphis, TN | $210,000 | $47,000 | $53,000 | +$6,000 | 62% | MODERATE |
San Francisco ($278K needed): You need 2.4x the median income to buy the median home. A teacher, nurse, or firefighter has no realistic path to ownership.
Austin ($148K needed): High property taxes (1.95%) make this more expensive than the home price suggests. Even tech workers earning $120K fall short.
Rochester, MN (72% affordable): The best large-city market in America. Mayo Clinic workers earning $92K can afford 72% of local homes. This is what housing balance looks like.
The pattern: Coastal cities are 2-4x over what median incomes can support. Midwest and secondary markets remain relatively accessible.
These numbers show market reality. Zai shows your personal situation.
🏦 Ask Zai About Your City → 🏢 Employer Index →"Income needed" = annual salary required to keep PITI at ≤36% DTI (back-end). PITI calculated at 6.7% rate, 30-year fixed, 20% down, + local property tax + insurance estimate. "% affordable" = share of local inventory where PITI ≤ 36% of median household income. Median home prices: Zillow ZHVI May 2026. Income data: BLS OEWS 2024 + Census ACS. Last updated: May 28, 2026.
We currently cover 22 cities. Vote for the next one.
Not financial advice. Educational data analysis. Consult a licensed MLO for your specific situation. [email protected]