How much house can I afford on a $50,000 salary? (2024)

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MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money

How much house can I afford on a $50,000 salary? (2)

If you're in the market for a new home, the price of the home is an important consideration. After all, you don't want to enter into a mortgage only to find out that you can't comfortably afford your payments. So, how much house can you afford?

It's common to use your salary to get a rough determination of how much house you can afford. So, what if you earn $50,000 per year? What's a reasonable price to look for as you shop for your new home? Well, that answer depends on a few factors.

Find out the mortgage rates you may qualify for now.

How much house can I afford on a $50,000 salary?

There are two general rules of thumb to help you determine how much house you can afford based on your salary. Those rules include:

The 2.5 times your income rule

The rule of 2.5 times your income stipulates that you shouldn't purchase a house that costs more than two and a half times your annual income. So, if you have a $50,000 annual salary, you should be able to afford a $125,000 home.

Explore what your mortgage payment might be with today's rates.

The 28% of your income rule

The 28% of your income rule suggests that you shouldn't spend any more than 28% of your income on mortgage payments. If you earn $50,000 per year, you earn about $4,166.67 per month. At 28% of your income, your mortgage payment should be no more than $1,166.67 per month.

Considering a 20% down payment, a 6.89% mortgage rate and a 30-year term, that's about what you can expect to pay on a $185,900 home. If you only put 5% down and had a 6.89% mortgage rate and a 30-year term, you could likely afford a $159,300 home.

(TheBankratecalculator used to determine the monthly payments above accounts for private mortgage insurance (PMI), property taxes and basic homeowners insurance, which can vary based on numerous factors. Payments were based on values for the 32446 ZIP code.)

Other costs to consider when you purchase a home

There are other potential costs to consider when you purchase a home as well, including:

  • Homeowners association (HOA) fees: If you purchase a home in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, you can expect to pay HOA fees. These fees can easily cost hundreds of dollars per month.
  • Private mortgage insurance (PMI): If you purchase a home with less than 20% down, you may have to pay for PMI. If so, the cost could be hundreds of dollars per month.

How much home you can afford is unique to you

Both rules can help you get a general idea of how much home you can afford. However, rules of thumb are too general to be applied to every financial situation. After all, your budget is just as unique as the home you can comfortably afford to buy with it.

For example, say you earn $50,000 per year but you have significant credit card debtand other debt. In that case, you may not be able to comfortably afford a mortgage payment that's over $1,000 per month. On the other hand, if you earn $50,000 per year, your car is paid off and you don't have any other debts, you may be able to comfortably afford a more expensive home.

The mortgage provider also plays a role

You may be able to comfortably afford a $185,000 home, but if the mortgage company isn't willing to extend the loan amount necessary to purchase that home, you won't be able to buy it. Ultimately, the mortgage lender you use to buy the house will determine the maximum they're willing to allow you to borrow. Some factors that play a role in this decision include:

  • Your credit score: Lenders are typically more willing to lend large sums of money to those with competitive credit scores.
  • Your debt-to-income ratio: If you have a high debt-to-income ratio, you may not be approved for the mortgage amount you think you can afford to pay back.
  • Your assets: The more assets you have, the less risk you pose to mortgage companies. So, borrowers with more assets may be able to access higher loan amounts.
  • Type of loan: The loan type also plays a role. For example, conventional mortgages have higher borrowing limits thanFHA loans, which allows borrowers to access more money with a conventional loan.

The bottom line

The amount of home you can afford on a $50,000 salary, or any other salary for that matter, is unique to you. It depends on several factors, like your down payment, your credit score and your debt-to-income ratio, as well as other factors that might influence the loan values and rates available to you. Learn more about your mortgage loan options now.

Joshua Rodriguez

Joshua Rodriguez is a personal finance and investing writer with a passion for his craft. When he's not working, he enjoys time with his wife, two kids, two dogs and two ducks.

How much house can I afford on a $50,000 salary? (2024)

FAQs

How much house can I afford on a $50,000 salary? ›

The rule of 2.5 times your income stipulates that you shouldn't purchase a house that costs more than two and a half times your annual income. So, if you have a $50,000 annual salary, you should be able to afford a $125,000 home. Explore what your mortgage payment might be with today's rates.

How much house can I afford with a $50,000 salary? ›

You can generally afford a home for between $180,000 and $250,000 (perhaps nearly $300,000) on a $50K salary. But your specific home buying budget will depend on your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, and down payment size.

Can I buy a house with a 55k salary? ›

Home affordability by monthly debt payments

At a salary of $55,000 per year, adding a $500-per-month auto payment would reduce your maximum home price to just $145,000 instead of $220,000. Lenders can approve you to use up to about half your gross monthly income toward debt payments.

What car can I afford with a 50k salary? ›

If you make a $50,000 gross salary, after taxes (depending on where you live) your monthly take-home pay is roughly $3,230. Based on the 10% rule, you could afford, at most, a $323 monthly car payment. If you take out a 60 month (5 year) auto loan at 8% interest, you can afford a $17,000 car.

How much house can I afford if I make $45000 a year? ›

On a salary of $45,000 per year, you can afford a house priced at around $120,000 with a monthly payment of $1,050 for a conventional home loan — that is, if you have no debt and can make a down payment. This number assumes a 6% interest rate.

Can I buy a 200K house with a 50K salary? ›

Assuming you have enough in savings to cover the down payment, closing costs and cost of regular upkeep, yes, you probably could afford a $200K home on a $50K annual salary. Using our example above, the monthly mortgage payment on a $200K home, including taxes and insurance, would be about $1,300.

Can I afford a 300K house on a 60k salary? ›

An individual earning $60,000 a year may buy a home worth ranging from $180,000 to over $300,000. That's because your wage isn't the only factor that affects your house purchase budget. Your credit score, existing debts, mortgage rates, and a variety of other considerations must all be taken into account.

How much house can I afford if I make $36,000 a year? ›

On a salary of $36,000 per year, you can afford a house priced around $100,000-$110,000 with a monthly payment of just over $1,000. This assumes you have no other debts you're paying off, but also that you haven't been able to save much for a down payment.

What is a good credit score to buy a house? ›

It's recommended you have a credit score of 620 or higher when you apply for a conventional loan. If your score is below 620, lenders either won't be able to approve your loan or may be required to offer you a higher interest rate, which can result in higher monthly mortgage payments.

Is making 50k a year good? ›

The median personal income in the U.S. is quite different, about $31,099. So if you're asking, “Is $50,000 a year a good salary?” in comparison to other Americans, the answer is yes.

How much should I spend on a car if I make 55000? ›

According to our research, you shouldn't spend more than 10% to 15% of your net monthly income on car payments. Your total vehicle costs, including loan payments and insurance, should total no more than 20%.

What credit score is needed for a 50k car loan? ›

To buy a $50,000 car and get favorable auto loan options, it's best to have a credit score in the prime or super prime categories. Prime borrowers are those with a credit score within the 661-780 range, while super-prime borrowers fall within the 781-850 range.

What car can I afford on a $60000 salary? ›

How much should I spend on a car if I make $60,000? If your gross salary is $60,000, your take-home monthly pay is probably around $3,750, assuming about 25% of your pay goes toward taxes and other expenses. Based on the 10-15% calculation, you should spend no more than $562.50 on a monthly car payment.

How expensive of a house can I buy making 40k a year? ›

How much house can I afford on 40K a year?
Annual Salary$40,000
Home Purchase Budget (25% monthly income on mortgage payments)$103,800
Home Purchase Budget (28% monthly income)$109,500
Home Purchase Budget (36% monthly income)$141,100
Home Purchase Budget (40% of monthly income)$156,900
4 more rows
May 10, 2023

Can someone who makes 40k a year afford a house? ›

How much house can I afford with 40,000 a year? With a $40,000 annual salary, you should be able to afford a home that is between $100,000 and $160,000. The final amount that a bank is willing to offer will depend on your financial history and current credit score.

Can you buy a house with 40k salary? ›

For homebuyers with a $40,000 annual income (a $3,333 monthly income), traditional guidelines of a 36% debt-to-income ratio give a maximum house payment of $1,200 ($3,333 * . 36). Each example has the same amount for taxes ($2,500), insurance ($1,000), and APR (6%) for a 30-year loan term.

Can you live off 50k a year? ›

What Can I Afford With $50,000 a Year? The answer depends on where you live. For the top 30 most populated cities in the U.S., you need between $20K and $35K a year to cover basic expenses, including food, medical costs, housing, transportation, taxes, and other expenses.

What income do you need for a 400k mortgage? ›

What income is required for a 400k mortgage? To afford a $400,000 house, borrowers need $55,600 in cash to put 10 percent down. With a 30-year mortgage, your monthly income should be at least $8200 and your monthly payments on existing debt should not exceed $981. (This is an estimated example.)

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