Salary Needed to Buy a Home in Every State (2026)
Based on our analysis of home buying affordability across all 50 states, West Virginia ranks #1 with $33,590/yr, while Hawaii ranks last at $180,952/yr. The national average is $76,932/yr. States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay. The gap between the best and worst state is significant: $147,362/yr. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your home buying affordability. Use our home affordability calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.