The Salary a Single Person Needs To Afford a Home in Each State
If you’re single, affording a home these days requires a six-figure salary in multiple U.S. states.
That’s according to a new MoneyLion analysis of data from Zillow. In 11 states, singles will have a tough time owning a home and getting by on less than $100,000 a year. Coming up with a 20% down payment as opposed to 10% certainly helps, but only so much. You can blame rising home prices and interest rates still averaging more than 6%, despite ticking down recently.
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There are less expensive options, of course. The states with the least expensive housing require minimum salaries more in the $35,000 to $40,000 range. With average home values by state ranging from $185,000 to just under $1 million, the differences remain stark.
Key Findings
Out of all 50 states, singles need the highest salaries in Hawaii to afford a home. With a 10% down payment, you would need to make about $210,000 a year to get by. With a 20% down payment, roughly $200,000 would do it.
Singles can get by with the lowest salaries needed for homeownership in West Virginia. In the Mountain State, singles can get by with a 10% down payment and a salary of about $39,000. A 20% down payment gets that down to less than $35,000.
Hawaii has the highest home value with a whopping $956,542. California comes in second at $778,888.
West Virginia has the lowest home value, coming in at $168,181. Mississippi is second lowest at $185,617.
In Hawaii, coming up with a 20% down payment as opposed to 10% means needing $12,300 less in salary each year – the largest difference in the nation.
Here is a look at each state.
Alabama
January home value: $226,595
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $46,629
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $52,458
Alaska
January home value: $392,090
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $80,685
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $90,770
Arizona
January home value: $426,486
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $87,763
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $98,733
Arkansas
January home value: $215,124
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $44,268
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $49,802
California
January home value: $778,888
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $160,280
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $180,315
Colorado
January home value: $542,482
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $111,632
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $125,586
Connecticut
January home value: $449,376
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $92,473
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $104,032
Delaware
January home value: $396,252
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $81,541
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $91,734
Florida
January home value: $390,223
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $80,300
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $90,338
Georgia
January home value: $328,779
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $67,656
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $76,114
Hawaii
January home value: $956,542
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $196,838
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $221,443
Idaho
January home value: $462,248
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $95,122
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $107,012
Illinois
January home value: $282,832
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $58,201
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $65,477
Indiana
January home value: $247,210
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $50,871
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $57,230
Iowa
January home value: $229,167
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $47,158
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $53,053
Kansas
January home value: $236,709
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $48,710
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $54,779
Kentucky
January home value: $224,644
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $46,227
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $52,006
Louisiana
January home value: $208,026
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $42,808
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $90,724
Maine
January home value: $391,892
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $80,644
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $90,724
Maryland
January home value: $435,954
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $89,711
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $100,925
Massachusetts
January home value: $660,288
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $135,875
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $152,859
Michigan
January home value: $247,286
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $50,887
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $57,247
Minnesota
January home value: $342,425
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $70,464
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $79,272
Mississippi
January home value: $185,617
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $38,196
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $42,971
Missouri
January home value: $256,284
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $52,738
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $59,331
Montana
January home value: $451,564
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $92,923
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $104,538
Nebraska
January home value: $268,014
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $55,152
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $62,046
Nevada
January home value: $457,372
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $94,118
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $105,883
New Hampshire
January home value: $509,835
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $104,914
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $118,028
New Jersey
January home value: $577,483
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $118,835
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $133,689
New Mexico
January home value: $309,149
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $63,617
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $71,569
New York
January home value: $473,671
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $97,472
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $109,656
North Carolina
January home value: $330,474
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $68,005
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $76,506
North Dakota
January home value: $279,837
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $57,585
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $64,783
Ohio
January home value: $237,149
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $48,801
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $54,901
Oklahoma
January home value: $215,458
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $44,337
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $49,879
Oregon
January home value: $495,416
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $101,947
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $114,690
Pennsylvania
January home value: $276,853
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $56,971
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $64,092
Rhode Island
January home value: $497,023
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $102,278
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $115,062
South Carolina
January home value: $300,513
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $61,840
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $69,570
South Dakota
January home value: $308,565
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $63,497
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $71,434
Tennessee
January home value: $325,430
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $66,967
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $75,338
Texas
January home value: $296,234
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $60,959
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $68,579
Utah
January home value: $537,712
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $110,651
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $124,482
Vermont
January home value: $385,364
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $79,300
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $89,213
Virginia
January home value: $408,404
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $84,042
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $94,547
Washington
January home value: $600,235
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $123,517
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $138,956
West Virginia
January home value: $168,181
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $34,608
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $38,934
Wisconsin
January home value: $321,914
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $66,244
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $74,524
Wyoming
January home value: $351,366
Salary needed with 20% down payment: $72,304
Salary needed with 10% down payment: $81,342
Methodology: For this piece, MoneyLion sourced each state’s average 2026 home value using Zillow’s January 2026 data. MoneyLion then estimated the average monthly mortgage based on a 30‑year fixed‑rate loan with a 20% down payment at a 6.01% rate from Freddie Mac as of February 19, 2026, excluding P&I, HOA fees and property taxes. Using that mortgage figure, MoneyLion determined the minimum salary needed to comfortably afford a home by assuming housing costs cannot exceed 28% of gross income. All data reflects the most recent information available as of Feb. 23, 2026.
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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