The first thing most people ask themselves when thinking about buying a home is, Can I afford it? It’s a smart question to ask, but the problem is, depending on where they live, the answer to that question can range from Yes, easily to I’d have better luck playing pick-up sticks with my elbows.
On average, an American looking to buy a home needs to make a little over $52,000 a year to afford a median-priced home, including the principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, MarketWatch reports. That is with ideal conditions of having good to excellent credit, having a 20 percent down payment, and spending no more than 28 percent of income on principal and interest.
If you live in Cleveland or Cincinnati, you only need to make $32,523 and $33,967 respectively to afford a house. But if you find yourself in San Francisco, San Diego, or Los Angeles, things are going to be a little pricier. In these metros you will need a salary of $147,996, $103,165, and $95,040 respectively.
There are large variations within metro areas themselves, as well. For example, the amount you will need to make to own a home in Manhattan is going to be far higher than what you will need to make to purchase a home in Queens, but both of these numbers are considered in the New York metro area and are folded into the total.
