Shopping for a home can be one of the most exciting and daunting life milestones. Before you shop for homes, it’s important to understand which mortgage rates are best and how much of a monthly payment you can afford. Both are based on how much income you make.
Visiting a lender to get prequalified for a home loan is one of the first things you should do to learn the amount you might be eligible to borrow and the amount you owe each month. Depending on the state, that salary amount varies quite widely.
Advertisement: High Yield Savings Offers
Powered by Money.com - Yahoo may earn commission from the links above. Find Out: 20 Best Cities Where You Can Buy a House for Under $100K
Read More: Warren Buffett: 10 Things Poor People Waste Money On
For example, you only need to earn about $60,500 in Arkansas to buy an average home, whereas you’d have to earn almost $176,000 to afford one in Hawaii.
For you to own a home, and live comfortably, some financial experts recommend your housing costs — primarily your mortgage payments — shouldn’t consume more than 30% of your monthly income. With this rule of thumb in mind, GOBankingRates looked at home prices and mortgage rates in every state and estimated the minimum salary needed to afford the average home.
Keep reading to find out what the cost of housing looks like in your home state.
Jacqueline Nix / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $201,212
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,058.61
Annual mortgage payments: $12,703
Read Next: 4 Best International Cities To Buy a House in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Experts Explore More: 5 Cities Where Homes Will Be a Total Steal in 2 Years
Roman Sorokin / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $357,035
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,065.86
Annual mortgage payments: $24,790
Try This: 5 Worst Florida Cities To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Agents
LordRunar / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $420,605
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,304.00
Annual mortgage payments: $27,648
Malachi Jacobs / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $176,107
Monthly mortgage payment: $963.21
Annual mortgage payments: $11,559
benedek / iStock.com 2023 average home value: $748,161
Monthly mortgage payment: $4,148.16
Annual mortgage payments: $49,778
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $552,779
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,977.35
Annual mortgage payments: $35,728
Check Out: I’m an Economist: Here’s My Prediction for the Housing Market If Trump Wins the Election
benedek / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $379,101
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,427.31
Annual mortgage payments: $29,128
aimintang / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $355,120
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,927.53
Annual mortgage payments: $23,130
Story Continues
DIRDPKC / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $398,861
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,271.31
Annual mortgage payments: $27,256
graphiknation / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $307,375
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,750.34
Annual mortgage payments: $21,004
Read Next: 6 Best Florida Suburbs To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Agents
anouchka / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $971,526
Monthly mortgage payment: $5,046.57
Annual mortgage payments: $60,559
Sam Strickler / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $438,088
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,418.02
Annual mortgage payments: $29,016
EJ_Rodriquez / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $239,065
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,588.47
Annual mortgage payments: $19,062
Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $221,357
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,247.60
Annual mortgage payments: $14,971
Learn More: 7 Worst States To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Agents
pabradyphoto / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $201,546
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,246.79
Annual mortgage payments: $14,961
Tyler Mabie / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $208,883
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,260.85
Annual mortgage payments: $15,130
JT Crawford / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $188,438
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,058.92
Annual mortgage payments: $12,707
Nagel Photography / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $182,124
Monthly mortgage payment: $980.95
Annual mortgage payments: $11,771
For You: 8 Places Where Houses Are Suddenly Major Bargains
f11photo / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $347,071
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,074.73
Annual mortgage payments: $24,897
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $395,518
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,295.12
Annual mortgage payments: $27,541
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $576,102
Monthly mortgage payment: $3,391.02
Annual mortgage payments: $40,692
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $212,868
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,295.55
Annual mortgage payments: $15,547
Be Aware: 6 Best Cities To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Agents
Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $320,005
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,872.93
Annual mortgage payments: $22,475
culbertson / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $160,346
Monthly mortgage payment: $878.35
Annual mortgage payments: $10,540
STLJB / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $226,968
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,307.60
Annual mortgage payments: $15,691
DianeBentleyRaymond / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $427,218
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,375.82
Annual mortgage payments: $28,510
For You: Mortgage Rates Are Dropping: 20 Housing Markets With the Most Affordable Home Prices
MidwestWilderness / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $242,560
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,522.75
Annual mortgage payments: $18,273
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $429,767
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,336.28
Annual mortgage payments: $28,035
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $442,930
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,909.82
Annual mortgage payments: $34,918
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $460,761
Monthly mortgage payment: $3,122.95
Annual mortgage payments: $37,475
Try This: 3 Places To Travel That Are Like Hawaii but Way Cheaper
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $280,010
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,536.17
Annual mortgage payments: $18,434
2023 average home value: $396,058
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,410.47
Annual mortgage payments: $28,926
Kruck20 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $309,902
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,741.49
Annual mortgage payments: $20,898
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $245,226
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,404.61
Annual mortgage payments: $16,855
Trending Now: Barbara Corcoran: Here’s Why I Never Fly First Class
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $206,508
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,291.26
Annual mortgage payments: $15,495
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2023 average home value: $189,085
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,072.01
Annual mortgage payments: $12,864
will_snyder_ / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $491,744
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,812.52
Annual mortgage payments: $33,750
Ultima_Gaina / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $243,386
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,503.60
Annual mortgage payments: $18,043
Explore More: 7 Vacation Destinations To Avoid on a Retirement Budget
©Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $421,742
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,584.36
Annual mortgage payments: $31,012
traveler1116 / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $272,103
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,470.12
Annual mortgage payments: $17,641
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images 2023 average home value: $283,596
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,678.74
Annual mortgage payments: $20,145
ehrlif / iStock.com 2023 average home value: $287,793
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,583.67
Annual mortgage payments: $19,004
Learn More: 10 Best US Vacation Destinations for Retirees on a Budget
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2023 average home value: $296,285
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,872.37
Annual mortgage payments: $22,468
ferrantraite / iStock.com 2023 average home value: $515,621
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,798.69
Annual mortgage payments: $33,584
vermontalm / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $327,908
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,115.93
Annual mortgage payments: $25,391
mTaira / Shutterstock.com 2023 average home value: $363,186
Monthly mortgage payment: $2,056.05
Annual mortgage payments: $24,673
Find Out: Dave Ramsey: 7 Vacation Splurges That Are a Waste of Money
benedek / iStock.com 2023 average home value: $577,876
Monthly mortgage payment: $3,276.26
Annual mortgage payments: $39,315
zrfphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $145,893
Monthly mortgage payment: $787.02
Annual mortgage payments: $9,444
DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com 2023 average home value: $262,566
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,652.71
Annual mortgage payments: $19,833
Paola Giannoni / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2023 average home value: $322,509
Monthly mortgage payment: $1,742.46
Annual mortgage payments: $20,910
Jami Farkas and Laura Beck contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first surveyed monthly living expenses in all 50 states. The cost-of-living comparison included the following factors: (1) yearly mortgage by assuming 20% down payment, 30-year fixed loan, current interest rate as sourced from St. Louis Federal Reserve (6.27%) for every state and multiplying that by 12 (1 year), sourced from Zillow’s home value index and determined using CNET Mortgage Calculator formula; (2) annual necessities cost (grocery, utilities, healthcare, and transportation) by taking the 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer expenditure survey and factored out by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s cost of living index for all of 2022. Necessity costs were totaled using the annual dollar cost of necessities in each state. This dollar amount for necessities was then doubled to find the (3) actual annual income needed to live comfortably in the state, assuming a person is following the 50-30-20 budgeting guideline, which requires an income double the cost of necessities. The amount of money specified for savings is equal to 20% of the total income needed, and the amount specified for discretionary spending is equal to 30% of the total income needed. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 10, 2024.
More From GOBankingRates
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : This Is the Salary You Need To Afford the Average Home in Your State