Salaries increased in nearly every state, but still not enough to afford the typical home.
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Incomes have increased in nearly every state, but buying a home hasn’t gotten any easier.
The national median income is still $31,136 short of affording the median-priced home.
Realtor.com data shows that the additional income needed to buy a home ranges from $2,287 to $98,469.
Nearly every state in the US experienced a bump in household income last year, yet it’s still not enough to afford the typical home .
States like Rhode Island and Virginia saw fairly large increases in income from 2024 to 2025 — 9.02% and 7.85%, respectively — but an additional five figures is needed to afford a median-priced home in each state, according to data from the US Census and Realtor.com.
Realtor.com senior economist Hannah Jones said that even though households are bringing in more money, an increase in mortgage rates since last year isn’t helping.
“Mortgage rates are more than one percentage point higher than a year ago, which cuts into buyer budgets and offsets the affordability gains from softening home prices and rising incomes,” Jones said. “Nationally, the median household income is not enough to afford the median-priced home in any state.”
The national median household income was $84,780 in 2025 — a roughly 3.8% increase from the previous year. However, with the national median listing price at $419,250 in September 2026, that’s $31,136 short of the recommended income to buy, assuming a mortgage rate of 7.32% and a 10% down payment, according to Realtor.
Realtor calculated the additional amount needed above the median income to afford the typical home in each state, and found that some require a couple thousand dollars, while others require nearly six figures.
See how much more money you need to afford an average home in each state. States in ascending order of the additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home.
Iowa
Iowa.
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Median household income: $76,483
2024-2025 change in income: 1.30%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $2,287
Illinois
Illinois.
Jeremy Poland/Getty Images
Median household income: $86,676
2024-2025 change in income: 4.16%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $3,168
Ohio
Cleveland.
Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images
Median household income: $74,804
2024-2025 change in income: 3.59%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $3,718
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania.
sdominick/Getty Images
Median household income: $81,473
2024-2025 change in income: 5.07%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $3,961
Kansas
Topeka, Kansas.
Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images
Median household income: $77,824
2024-2025 change in income: 3.06%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $4,015
Michigan
Michigan.
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Median household income: $75,832
2024-2025 change in income: 4.76%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $7,086
Missouri
Missouri.
Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images
Median household income: $75,485
2024-2025 change in income: 5.44%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $7,460
Indiana
Indiana.
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Median household income: $74,516
2024-2025 change in income: 3.55%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $8,153
Louisiana
Louisiana.
Jeremy Poland/Getty Images
Median household income: $65,139
2024-2025 change in income: 6.81%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $9,512
Maryland
Maryland.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $107,700
2024-2025 change in income: 4.66%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $9,806
West Virginia
West Virginia.
Wirestock/Getty Images
Median household income: $61,340
2024-2025 change in income: 0.89%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $10,545
Nebraska
Nebraska.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $81,614
2024-2025 change in income: 6.86%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $11,008
Minnesota
Minnesota.
RudyBalasko/Getty Images
Median household income: $92,297
2024-2025 change in income: 5.95%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $12,739
Oklahoma
Oklahoma.
RudyBalasko/Getty Images
Median household income: $68,441
2024-2025 change in income: 3.47%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $13,576
Texas
Texas.
Jeremy Poland/Getty Images
Median household income: $82,625
2024-2025 change in income: 3.64%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $15,738
Kentucky
Kentucky.
Posnov/Getty Images
Median household income: $66,447
2024-2025 change in income: 2.98%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $18,648
North Dakota
North Dakota.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $81,545
2024-2025 change in income: 4.72%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $20,948
Mississippi
Mississippi.
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Median household income: $59,346
2024-2025 change in income: 0.37%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $21,457
Alabama
Alabama.
Kruck20/Getty Images
Median household income: $67,663
2024-2025 change in income: 1.51%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $22,194
Arkansas
Arkansas.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $65,588
2024-2025 change in income: 5.61%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $22,539
South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota.
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Median household income: $80,506
2024-2025 change in income: 4.72%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $23,176
Alaska
Alaska.
Sophia Zayas/Getty Images
Median household income: $95,220
2024-2025 change in income: -0.47%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $25,051
South Carolina
South Carolina.
Alex Potemkin/Getty Images
Median household income: $73,672
2024-2025 change in income: 1.83%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $25,847
Georgia
Georgia.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $81,847
2024-2025 change in income: 2.32%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $25,913
Virginia
Virginia.
Sean Pavone/Getty Images
Median household income: $99,322
2024-2025 change in income: 7.85%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $26,742
Wisconsin
The Milwaukee skyline sits behind the view of the Milwaukee River
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Median household income: $80,213
2024-2025 change in income: 3.52%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $27,588
Florida
Florida.
Dmitry Vinogradov/Getty Images
Median household income: $80,846
2024-2025 change in income: 4.00%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $32,499
North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kruck20/Getty Images
Median household income: $77,638
2024-2025 change in income: 4.98%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $32,956
District of Columbia
District of Columbia.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $109,505
2024-2025 change in income: -0.18%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $36,341
New Mexico
New Mexico.
GummyBone/Getty Images
Median household income: $70,342
2024-2025 change in income: 3.72%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $40,107
Delaware
Delaware.
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Median household income: $92,520
2024-2025 change in income: 5.70%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $41,574
Maine
Maine.
peeterv/Getty Images
Median household income: $81,760
2024-2025 change in income: 6.96%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $42,658
Tennessee
Tennessee.
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Median household income: $75,875
2024-2025 change in income: 5.39%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $42,861
Arizona
Arizona.
Beata Whitehead/Getty Images
Median household income: $82,940
2024-2025 change in income: 1.78%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $44,215
Connecticut
Connecticut.
f11photo/Getty Images
Median household income: $100,056
2024-2025 change in income: 4.17%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $44,407
New Jersey
New Jersey.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $107,797
2024-2025 change in income: 3.36%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $46,896
Nevada
Nevada.
Nisian Hughes/Getty Images
Median household income: $85,198
2024-2025 change in income: 5.01%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $47,515
Vermont
Vermont.
halbergman/Getty Images
Median household income: $86,018
2024-2025 change in income: 3.97%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $52,072
Colorado
Colorado.
Jon Paciaroni/Getty Images
Median household income: $99,729
2024-2025 change in income: 2.69%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $56,208
New Hampshire
New Hampshire.
Sean Pavone/Getty Images
Median household income: $106,759
2024-2025 change in income: 6.99%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $56,367
Wyoming
Casper, Wyoming.
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Median household income: $80,894
2024-2025 change in income: 7.10%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $56,381
Utah
Utah.
Dee Liu/Getty Images
Median household income: $99,311
2024-2025 change in income: 2.74%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $60,774
Oregon
Portland, Oregon.
Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Median household income: $86,953
2024-2025 change in income: 2.03%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $65,113
Rhode Island
Rhode Island.
Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images
Median household income: $91,039
2024-2025 change in income: 9.02%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $66,529
Washington
Washington.
Luis Hernandez / 500px/Getty Images
Median household income: $101,946
2024-2025 change in income: 2.57%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $74,859
New York
New York.
LD/Getty Images
Median household income: $89,210
2024-2025 change in income: 3.95%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $78,063
Idaho
Boise, Idaho.
Darwin Fan/Getty Images
Median household income: $84,234
2024-2025 change in income: 3.78%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $79,721
Massachusetts
Massachusetts.
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Median household income: $106,539
2024-2025 change in income: 1.63%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $90,940
Hawaii
Hawaii.
aaaaimages/Getty Images
Median household income: $105,013
2024-2025 change in income: 4.24%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $97,498
California
California.
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Median household income: $102,159
2024-2025 change in income: 2.01%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $98,292
Montana
Montana.
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Median household income: $77,099
2024-2025 change in income: 2.33%
Additional household income needed to afford the median-priced home: $98,469
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