To comfortably afford a $600k mortgage, you'll likely need an annual income between $150,000 to $200,000, depending on your specific financial situation and the terms of your mortgage. Remember, just because you can qualify for a loan doesn't mean you should stretch your budget to the maximum.
While there's no one set income level that will automatically qualify you for a $700,000 mortgage, using the rule of thumb that your housing payment should be no more than a third of your gross monthly income, you'll likely need somewhere between $180,000 and $200,000 per year to qualify, depending on other factors ...
Following the 28/36 rule, a guideline many mortgage lenders use to gauge how much you can afford, you'd likely need to earn at least $90,000 per year to afford a $350,000 house without spreading yourself too thin. Keep in mind that figure does not include upfront payments, like your down payment and closing costs.
Monthly payments on a $750,000 mortgage
At a 7.00% fixed interest rate, your monthly mortgage payment on a 30-year mortgage might total $4,990 a month, while a 15-year might cost $6,741 a month.
What kind of salary do you need to buy a home in California? With a $100K salary and no monthly debts, you can afford a house up to $720K, assuming a 20% down payment, up to $640K with 10% down, and up to $600K with 5% down.
At a 7.00% fixed interest rate, your monthly mortgage payment on a 30-year $700,000 mortgage might total $4,657 a month, while a 15-year might cost $6,292 a month.
While there's no magic number, here's a general idea of what you'll need to afford a $350,000 home: Income: Aim for a combined gross annual income between $87,000 and $110,000. This is a starting point, and your actual needs may vary. Down Payment: A larger down payment means a smaller loan and lower monthly payments.
The Bottom Line. On a $70,000 salary using a 50% DTI, you could potentially afford a house worth between $200,000 to $250,000, depending on your specific financial situation.
The income needed for a $300K mortgage depends on several variables, including credit history, down payment, and existing debt. If you earn around $90,000 a year, you can likely afford the mortgage payment on a home loan this size, unless you have significant debt.
If you earn at least $240,000 to $300,000 a year, you may be able to afford an $800,000 mortgage, assuming you have no significant other debts. But the exact amount you can qualify to borrow — even if you're in that salary range or higher — will depend on several other variables, including your credit score.
According to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and no more than 36% on all debts. Housing costs can include: Your monthly mortgage payment. Homeowners Insurance. Private mortgage insurance.
Earning $700,000 a year would put your household in the top 1% nationwide — and well above the middle class — and in any state in the South or Midwest. But that still won't cut it in seven states. The Northeast dominates the rankings, with five of the 10 states with the highest 1% thresholds lying in this region.
To afford a $700,000 house, you typically need an annual income between $175,000 to $235,000, depending on your financial situation, down payment, credit score, and current market conditions. However, this is a general range, and your specific circumstances will determine the exact income required.
If you're raising a family of four in 2024, you'll need a six-figure income in 26 U.S. states. That's more than half of America where you'll need to earn $100,000 or more annually to budget for and comfortably raise a family.
Now, the down payment is typically somewhere between 5-20% of the total price of the house. So for this $600k house, you'd have to save somewhere from $30,000 to $120,000! Remember, the more you put down at the start, the less you have to pay each month.
When it comes to defining a “good” salary, there's no one magic number. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the average salary in the U.S. is $65,470, as of May 2023. Based on this data point, $70K a year is a good salary for a single person — one that puts you above the national average.
With a $65,000 annual salary, you could potentially afford a house priced between $195,000 to $260,000, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. However, this is a broad range, and your specific circumstances will determine where you fall within it.
How to calculate your debt-to-income ratio. Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) compares how much you owe each month to how much you earn. Specifically, it's the percentage of your gross monthly income (before taxes) that goes towards payments for rent, mortgage, credit cards, or other debt.
The median downpayment on a home is 13%, but if a buyer wants to avoid fees, including private mortgage insurance, they may have to put at least 20% down. If a buyer puts 20% down and takes out a $350K mortgage, they're likely putting down around $87,500.
Given all of these factors, most experts recommend having a minimum of 6-9 months' worth of living expenses after closing. Some advise having up to 20% of the home's value leftover in cash reserves, though this is not practical for every home buyer. Ultimately how much you need depends on your own financial situation.
In a heartland or southern city, earning $350,000 a year is considered rich. After $23,000 in 401(k) retirement contributions, you're left with $327,000 in gross income, or roughly $228,900 in after tax income using a 30% effective tax rate. In 2025, the maximum 401(k) employee contribution is $23,500 per person.
If we assume about about a third of your income is dedicated to housing costs, multiply that $57,600 figure by three to approximate the minimum income you'd need to earn to afford a $750K house: $172,800. (Note that this number does not factor in the upfront funds required for a down payment and closing costs.)
This is especially true with higher-priced homes: A 20 percent down payment on a $700,000 home means $140,000 that you won't have to pay back, with interest. Loan-to-value ratio: Your down payment will also determine your loan-to-value ratio, or LTV.
The bottom line
If you were to purchase a home at today's average rates with a $350,000 mortgage loan, you can expect the monthly payments (principal and interest only) to range from $1,756.92 to $2,337.16 (depending on the loan term you choose).