The Income Needed to Buy a Home in Major U.S. Cities in 2026

from Consumer Affairs, April 29, 2026 (excerpts)

…For the second year in a row, nine of the 10 most income-restrictive cities are in California, with the only exception being Honolulu, Hawaii. For affordable options, buyers should look to the Midwest and South….

Cities that require the highest income to afford a home

Of the 10 cities with the highest income requirements, nine are in California, and No. 1 on the list is the leader by far: To put 10% down on a typical home and keep your monthly mortgage payment at or below 28% of your income, you need to make $501,012 per year — nearly $143,000 more than in San Francisco, which is No. 2. (For comparison, the gap between Nos. 2 and 10 is about $103,000.)

Honolulu joining California cities in the top 10 isn’t shocking, since both Hawaii and California have been battling housing crises for years. Not all hope is lost, though. In each city in the top 10, the income needed to afford a home has decreased by an amount greater than the national rate (3.2%) since 2025.

The 10 cities in the U.S. that require the highest income to afford a home are as follows:

San Jose, California: $501,012
San Francisco, California: $358,090
Santa Cruz, California: $354,973
Santa Maria, California: $305,535
Los Angeles, California: $301,221
San Diego, California: $293,618
San Luis Obispo, California: $280,591
Oxnard, California: $276,805
Salinas, California: $262,403
Honolulu, Hawaii: $255,280

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PBN: Honolulu home affordability improves but ranks 10th worst - Pacific Business News