How much should you earn to buy a house in the US in June 2026?
Access to housing in the US depends on income, house prices and the city where you live, with strong differences between markets by June 2026
Owning your own home in the United States continues to be complicated for millions of families, even for those who earn more money today than they did a few years ago. Although salaries have increased during 2026, home prices and mortgage rates continue to leave many buyers out of the market.
Currently, a household needs annual income close to $116,780 dollars to be able to buy an average home in the United States, according to a recent report by the real estate firm Redfin. Although the figure represents a slight decrease from the peak of $122,000 recorded in 2025, it is still well above the national median family income.
Government data shows that the median income of American households reached $88,000 in April. However, that amount is still insufficient to buy a home in much of the country.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) notes that the average price of a home is currently around $418,000.
According to Redfin, an average family would have to allocate about 40% of their income to pay a mortgage for an average home. Financial specialists recommend that the expense not exceed 30% of the annual salary, in addition to considering an initial payment close to 15%.
“Buying a home in the United States remains unaffordable,” Nancy Vanden Houten, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told CBS News. “We anticipate that this situation will continue for the next decade.”
The problem is even greater in cities with high real estate demand. San Francisco continues to be the most expensive market to buy a home in the country. In March, the average sales price in San Francisco reached $1.7 million.
According to Redfin, a person would need to earn around $444,000 a year to be able to purchase a home in that California city. The rise of artificial intelligence and technological growth in Silicon Valley have increased pressure on housing supply. Meanwhile, in San José, another key city for the technology industry, the income needed to buy a home is around $426,000 annually.
Even so, there are cities where the national average income is still enough to buy a property. Detroit appears among the most accessible. According to Redfin, a household needs to earn approximately $56,219 annually to buy a home in that city, a figure lower than the local median income.
Other cities where $88,000 annually is still enough to buy a home include Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Warren, Michigan.
Oxford Economics said housing has become slightly more affordable in recent months as wages are growing faster than home prices and mortgage rates have shown some declines.
Despite this, the perception of many people continues to be negative. A CBS News poll found that more than eight in ten Americans believe it is more difficult to buy a home today than it was for previous generations.
“More than twice as many Americans live in the 10 states with the highest housing price-to-income ratios, compared to the 10 states with the lowest price-to-income ratios, where home buying is more affordable,” Vanden Houten said.