15 States Where $100K Still Isn't Enough To Buy a Starter Home
If your salary recently broke the six-figure boundary, you have plenty to celebrate. While no longer the elite milestone that it once was, $100,000 is a major achievement that most earners will never reach.
Even so, the on-ramp to the upper-middle class still isn’t enough to buy the typical home in almost one-third of the country.
Find Out: 20 ZIP Codes First-Time Homebuyers Can Afford
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Fidelity reports that, generally speaking, buyers can afford a home worth three to five times their annual salaries. Current Redfin data shows the median house in the U.S. sells for $398,771, which rules out all but the top tier of Fidelity’s recommended income-to-home-price spectrum for earners making $100,000 a year — and in 15 states, even that won’t cut it.
What Does $100K Buy in 2026?
Before calculating what a $100,000 salary can buy, it’s important to understand that income is just one part of the equation. For example, if you earn six figures but hold six-figure debt, you can’t afford anything, so the same paycheck can bring a wide range of affordable dollar amounts.
A 2026 Rocket Mortgage analysis concluded that someone earning $100,000 can comfortably afford to buy a home for between $300,000 and $450,000, depending on the buyer’s overall finances. For example, a $100,000 earner with the following profile can afford to spend $318,000:
720-plus credit score
5.99% interest rate
$1,250 in monthly debt
$20,000 cash to buy
45% debt-to-income ratio
$100K Isn’t Enough in Almost One-Third of America
Even the $100,000 earner with the most sterling overall financial profile and the highest possible purchasing power can’t afford the typical home in the following states, according to current Redfin data — and that’s the median property, not the more expensive average.
California
Median sale price: $782,221
Income to home price: 7.82x
Colorado
Median sale price: $563,000
Income to home price: 5.63x
Hawaii
Median sale price: $722,434
Income to home price: 7.22x
Idaho
Median sale price: $490,757
Income to home price: 4.91x
Massachusetts
Median sale price: $667,628
Income to home price: 6.68x
Montana
Median sale price: $513,177
Income to home price: 5.13x
Nevada
Median sale price: $473,319
Income to home price: 4.73x
New Hampshire
Median sale price: $533,106
Income to home price: 5.33x
New Jersey
Median sale price: $563,000
Income to home price: 5.63x
New York
Median sale price: $526,267
Income to home price: 5.26x
Oregon
Median sale price: $518,159
Income to home price: 5.18x
Rhode Island
Median sale price: $508,195
Income to home price: 5.08x
Utah
Median sale price: $528,124
Income to home price: 5.28x
Virginia
Median sale price: $453,389
Income to home price: 4.53x
Washington
Median sale price: $612,823
Income to home price: 6.13x
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This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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