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

About $344,942 gross per year to buy the typical $1,123,193 home in San Francisco, CA at today's 6.95% 30-year rate with 10% down — roughly $8,049/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 $344,942 needed for the typical home, an affordability gap of $211,162.

WhereCanIAfford › Metros › San Francisco, CA

Salary needed to buy a home in San Francisco, CA

$344,942/yr is the income needed to buy the typical $1,123,193 home in San Francisco, CA at today's 6.95% rate — about $8,049/mo. The local median household ($133,780) falls $211,162 short.

The math (shown)

1,123,193 price − 10% down (112,319) = 1,010,874 loan

30-yr fixed at 6.95% on 1,010,874 = 6,691/mo principal+interest

+ 1,357/mo est. taxes+insurance (1.45%/yr of value — national placeholder)

8,049/mo PITI ÷ 0.28 = 28,745/mo → 344,942/yr required

Verified 2026-09-21 against Zillow ZHVI 2026-08 (Zillow ZHVI (typical home value, smoothed, all-homes 33–67pct tier)) and the 6.95% FRED 30-yr rate (2026-09-17). 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 $344,942/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 (2026-08): $1,123,193.
Is the mortgage rate current?: Yes — 6.95% from FRED's weekly 30-year fixed average (2026-09-17).

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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