Lifestyle

9 US Cities You Can Buy A Home In If You Make Less Than $75,000 A Year

by Tim McGovern
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If you'd asked me a day ago how long it would be until I could afford my own house, I would have responded,

But, I just read up on some stats, and guys, it's actually pretty affordable to buy your own home now! I won't be dead by then!

According to the mortgage site HSH.com, mortgage rates are falling basically across the board, while list prices are increasing.

Hold on, let me crunch some of my own numbers...

 

OK, I'm not really that much of an adult to know what all these stats mean, but thanks to HSH.com, which did the heavy lifting for us all, we have a definitive list (rounded to the nearest $500) of what kind of salary you'd need to buy your own home.

Here are all the relevant numbers for some of the US' most affordable cities to buy homes in.

1. Houston, Texas

I mean, you should already want to live here seeing as how the Queen Bee hails from this city.

But other than that, Houston has a population of about two million people and a median home price of $217,400.

That means you can buy a home in H-town with a salary of just $52,500. That's only a monthly mortgage payment of $1,219.

For $1,219, you could also buy this property in Manhattan...

What a spacious pillow fort!

2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The homes are so affordable in the City of Brotherly Love, you'll want to scream "Yo Adrian" at the top of your lungs.

The median home price is Philly is $232,200, with a monthly payment of $1,247. The salary you'd need to set down your roots here? $53,500.

If this article is incomplete, it's because I packed my bindle and rode the rails to Philadelphia.

Plus, any place that Nicolas Cage has brought a stolen copy of the Declaration of Independence to is a city I need to call my home.

3. Dallas, Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas, and the same goes for its real estate deals, apparently.

Dallas (the city, not the 1978 or 2012 TV series) has a population of about 2.5 million, a median home price of $232,200 and a monthly mortgage of $1,277.

All you'd need to get yourself a house there is an annual income of $55,000. An obsession with JFK conspiracy theories? Optional.

4. Baltimore, Maryland

Want to relive your favorite dramatic moments from "The Wire?" I'm guessing probably not.

But if you're looking to resettle to the birthplace of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (AMERICA!!!), you'll be happy to hear you can do so for a monthly mortgage payment of $1,326 and an annual salary of $57,000.

Don't do it for me; do it for the land of the free and the home of the brave (and Michael Phelps).

5. Chicago, Illinois

As long as a cow doesn't knock over a lamp and cause a citywide fire, your future home in Chicago safely awaits!

Are you digging deep into your pockets and pulling up nothing but lint? Well, have no fear because these homes are super affordable.

With a median home price of $246,400, you can make a monthly mortgage payment of $1,457. So, get yourself a job that earns $62,500 a year, and you're set!

Just try not to have as many workplace related incidents as Derek Rose. Too soon?

6. Miami, Florida

Why party in the city where the heat is on when you can live in the city where the heat is on?

The median home price is $310,000. OK, stop hyperventilating because that breaks down to just $1,519 a month.

You don't even need to rake in as much as Scarface! You'd only need a salary of $65,000. Can you imagine saying, "Say hello to my little friend" when introducing your house to your buddies?

Oh, you'd have to call your house your "little friend," too. I hope that's not weird.

7. Sacramento, California

You can live like a king in Sacramento. With a population of 479,686, all you'd need to purchase your own digs is just $1,525 a month.

Wow, $1,525 is a small fortune... if you live in 1521! Sorry, Juan Ponce de León, but you can't afford to live here!

However, if you have an annual salary of $65,500, you can make this your home.

8. Portland, Oregon

If Portland keeps being so goddamn affordable, you can keep making it weird by living there!

With a population of about 609,000 (and those are just the characters Fred Armisen plays in "Portlandia"), the average cost of a house is $356,700.

Let me break that down for you real quick. That's only $1,648 a month and a salary of $70,500.

9. Denver, Colorado

Sure, Denver inspired my least favorite omelet, but if you're looking to live there, you can spend all the money you're saving on other omelets!

If you want to join the mile-high club with your home, all you need is a salary of $73,000.

Rumor has it John Elway greets every new resident. OK, fine I created that rumor. It's your move now, Elway.

Citations: Here's the salary you have to earn to buy a home in 19 major US cities (Business Insider), The salary you must earn to buy a home in 27 metros (HSH.com)