How much salary do I need to buy a house in San Francisco, CA?

About $350,770 gross per year to buy the typical $1,120,379 home in San Francisco, CA at today's 7.18% 30-year rate with 10% down — roughly $8,185/month (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) under the 28% rule.

Can the typical resident afford a home in San Francisco, CA?

No — the local median household income ($133,780) falls short of the $350,770 needed for the typical home, an affordability gap of $216,990.

WhereCanIAfford › Metros › San Francisco, CA

Salary needed to buy a home in San Francisco, CA

$350,770/yr is the income needed to buy the typical $1,120,379 home in San Francisco, CA at today's 7.18% rate — about $8,185/mo. The local median household ($133,780) falls $216,990 short.

The math (shown)

1,120,379 price − 10% down (112,038) = 1,008,341 loan

30-yr fixed at 7.18% on 1,008,341 = 6,831/mo principal+interest

+ 1,354/mo est. taxes+insurance (1.45%/yr of value — national placeholder)

8,185/mo PITI ÷ 0.28 = 29,231/mo → 350,770/yr required

Verified 2026-11-06 against Zillow ZHVI 2026-09 (Zillow ZHVI (typical home value, smoothed, all-homes 33–67pct tier)) and the 7.18% FRED 30-yr rate (2026-11-05). Local median income: $133,780 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year, median household income (table B19013)).

Can I afford San Francisco, CA on my salary?

Your salary:

Rent vs own here

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FAQ

How much do I need to make to live in San Francisco, CA?: To buy the typical home, about $350,770/yr. Renting needs less; this page sizes the buy.
What home value is this based on?: Zillow's ZHVI typical-home-value for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro (2026-09): $1,120,379.
Is the mortgage rate current?: Yes — 7.18% from FRED's weekly 30-year fixed average (2026-11-05).

Glossary

ZHVI: Zillow Home Value Index — the typical home value for a region (35th–65th percentile, smoothed, seasonally adjusted).
Front-end DTI: Housing payment as a share of gross income; lenders commonly cap it near 28%.
PITI: Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance — the full monthly housing cost.

For San Francisco, CA: FIRE number → · take-home vs another city → · is there a better town for you? →

Dreaming bigger or smaller? Phoenix, AZ · Riverside, CA · Detroit, MI

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