Recently, a Zillow study discovered that a median-income American can household can now afford to purchase a new home for $331,483. Not only is that in and of itself good news, it also highlights another positive — that the median-income households have had a $30,302 increase in buying power since this time last year. That’s because, in early 2025, the same households could only afford a new home for $301,181.
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While the American housing market has been rocky throughout the 2020s, this increase in median-income buying power hints that the second half of the decade might be far more stable. Now that median-income homes can comfortably pay a 20% down payment on a $331,483 home, coupled with the fact that mortgage rates are dropping, the market appears to finally be stabilizing.
To give a sense of the housing market’s increased affordability, GOBankingRates has culled 30 major cities from Zillow’s study. From New York City to Las Vegas, here’s how much more median-income households can afford.
Los Angeles
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $421,030
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $379,754
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.9%
Phoenix
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $403,247
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $363,929
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.8%
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San Diego
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $477,571
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $431,066
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.8%
Las Vegas
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $354,612
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $319,946
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.8
San Francisco
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $581,564
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $525,449
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.7%
Seattle
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $474,197
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $428,713
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.6%
Charlotte, North Carolina
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $368,639
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $333,655
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.5%
Boston
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $488,388
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $441,998
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.5%
Cincinnati
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $337,330
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $305,421
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.5%
Washington, D.C.
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $519,441
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $470,560
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.4%
Riverside, California
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $383,591
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $347,348
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.4%
Portland, Oregon
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $409,554
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $371,095
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.4%
Sacramento, California
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $414,910
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: 375,909
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.4%
Denver
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $456,008
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $413,858
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.2%
Baltimore
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $397,748
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $360,892
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.2%
New York
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $381,237
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $346,450
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.0%
St. Louis
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $323,200
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $293,885
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.0%
Detroit
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $295,016
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $268,220
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 10.0%
Philadelphia
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $346,797
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $315,469
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.9%
Miami
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $300,704
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $276,987
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.9%
Minneapolis
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $376,963
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $343,188
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.8%
Atlanta
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $362,571
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $330,769
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.6%
Pittsburgh
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $290,949
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $265,388
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.6%
Austin, Texas
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $400,113
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $365,254
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.5%
San Antonio
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $306,965
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $280,783
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.3%
Orlando, Florida
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $317,511
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $290,729
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.2%
Chicago
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $299,770
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $274,738
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 9.1%
Dallas
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $347,681
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $319,291
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 8.9%
Houston
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $298,282
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $274,173
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 8.8%
Tampa, Florida
- Affordable home price for median income in 2026: $300,751
- Affordable home price for median income in 2025: $276,525
- Increase (%) in number of affordable homes: 8.8%
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here’s How Much More House You Can Afford in 30 Major Cities This Year
