How much house can you afford by salary (2026)
The table assumes the lender-standard 28/36 rule (housing capped at 28% of gross monthly income, total debt at 36%), a 6.5% interest rate on a 30-year loan, a 20% down payment, 1.1% property tax, $1,800/year home insurance, and no other monthly debt. "Monthly cost" is the full payment — principal, interest, taxes and insurance.
| Annual salary | Max home price | 20% down payment | Loan amount | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $131,000 | $26,000 | $105,000 | $933/mo |
| $50,000 | $170,000 | $34,000 | $136,000 | $1,167/mo |
| $60,000 | $209,000 | $42,000 | $167,000 | $1,400/mo |
| $75,000 | $268,000 | $54,000 | $214,000 | $1,750/mo |
| $80,000 | $287,000 | $57,000 | $230,000 | $1,867/mo |
| $100,000 | $366,000 | $73,000 | $293,000 | $2,333/mo |
| $120,000 | $444,000 | $89,000 | $355,000 | $2,800/mo |
| $125,000 | $463,000 | $93,000 | $370,000 | $2,917/mo |
| $150,000 | $561,000 | $112,000 | $449,000 | $3,500/mo |
| $175,000 | $658,000 | $132,000 | $526,000 | $4,083/mo |
| $200,000 | $756,000 | $151,000 | $605,000 | $4,667/mo |
| $250,000 | $951,000 | $190,000 | $761,000 | $5,833/mo |
Figures are rounded to the nearest $1,000 and are illustrative estimates, not loan offers. Your actual approval depends on credit, the rate you're quoted, taxes in your area and your full debt picture.
Find your exact number
Plug in your real salary, down payment, rate and monthly debts to see the home price you'd actually qualify for.
What salary do you need for a specific home price?
Flipping the table around — here's the rough income required to afford a given home, under the same 20%-down, 6.5%, no-other-debt assumptions:
| Home price | Salary needed |
|---|---|
| $300,000 | ~$83,000/yr |
| $400,000 | ~$109,000/yr |
| $500,000 | ~$134,000/yr |
Why a little debt doesn't change your budget
This surprises people: a $250 or $500 monthly car payment often doesn't lower the home price you qualify for at all. That's because the 28/36 rule has two limits, and the 28% housing limit usually binds first. On a $100,000 salary, 28% of gross monthly income is about $2,333, while 36% (the total-debt limit) is about $3,000 — a $667 cushion. Debt payments fit inside that cushion until they exceed it:
| Other monthly debt | Max home price |
|---|---|
| $0 | $366,000 |
| $250 | $366,000 |
| $500 | $366,000 |
| $750 | $352,000 |
| $1,000 | $310,000 |
Once your debt payments cross that ~$667 line, every extra dollar of monthly debt comes straight out of your housing budget — which is why paying down a car loan or credit card before applying can meaningfully raise how much house you can afford.
What changes your number the most
The table holds the rate and down payment fixed, but in real life three levers move your answer:
- Interest rate. A point higher or lower swings your affordable price by tens of thousands of dollars, because it changes the monthly cost of every borrowed dollar.
- Down payment. More cash down means a smaller loan for the same home — and crossing 20% down removes PMI, freeing up room in your monthly budget.
- Existing debt. As shown above, debt only bites once it eats into the 36% limit, but when it does, the effect is steep.