Home Affordability · $75,000 Income · 2024 Data
A household earning $75,000 — roughly the US median — can comfortably afford a median-priced home in 11 states. In 18 states, the median home costs more than 5× that income, putting ownership out of reach without a second earner or significant outside wealth. The other 22 states fall in the middle, where small differences in property tax, insurance, and interest rates decide the outcome.
The standard affordability rule is a price-to-income (P/I) ratio at or below 3×. The national median home price is $303,300, which is 4.04× a $75,000 income. This page ranks every state by that ratio so you can see, at a glance, which markets are within reach.
Comfortable · P/I ≤ 3×
In these states, the median home costs less than three times a $75,000 household income — the textbook definition of an affordable purchase. Most are in the Midwest, Plains, and Deep South, where slow price appreciation has kept markets accessible even as coastal prices doubled.
Unreachable · P/I > 5×
In these states the median home costs more than 5× a $75,000 income. A buyer at this income level needs either a second earner, substantial inherited wealth, or a different state. Coastal supply constraints, in-migration, and high local incomes have lifted prices above what the median household can carry.
The 3× price-to-income rule originated with mid-century mortgage underwriting and remains the cleanest single test of housing affordability. At 3× income with a 20% down payment, a household carries a mortgage payment roughly equal to 25–28% of gross income — below the 30% threshold that defines cost burden in federal housing statistics.
The 30% rent burden threshold is the parallel test for renters. Both rules ignore property tax, insurance, and HOA fees, which can shift the math in high-tax states (New Jersey, Illinois, New Hampshire) and high-insurance states (Florida, Louisiana). For a property-tax-adjusted view, see states with the highest renter cost burden — the same affordability question, applied to renters.
All 50 States — Ranked
A state-level median averages out enormous county-to-county variation. Texas appears affordable in this ranking, but Travis County (Austin) is not. California is unreachable on average, but Imperial and Kern counties are. The cleanest way to evaluate a market is to look at the county you would actually move to — not the state.
Use the interactive map to see price-to-income ratios at county and census tract level for every state.
Common questions
What states can I afford a home in on $75,000 a year?
Comfortably (P/I ≤ 3×): West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Iowa, Alabama, Ohio, Louisiana, Kansas, Indiana. With a strong down payment (P/I 3–4×): 14 more states.
How much house can $75,000 income buy?
At the 3× P/I rule, $75,000 income supports a $225,000 home. Up to $300,000 (4×) is manageable with 20% down. Above $375,000 (5×) is generally unaffordable on this income alone.
What is the most affordable state on $75K?
West Virginia — median home price $162,600, just 2.17× a $75K income.
Which states are out of reach on $75K?
Hawaii, District of Columbia, California, Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Maryland, Idaho, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Arizona, Virginia, Montana. Hawaii leads at 11.19× income.