Based on the median income in each state and the 28% rule, this is the maximum home price you can afford.
| # | State | Affordable Home ▼ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Maryland | $416,226 | $90,200 | 118 | A+ | |
| #2 | Massachusetts | $413,919 | $89,700 | 135 | A+ | |
| #3 | New Jersey | $404,690 | $87,700 | 121 | A+ | |
| #4 | California | $391,770 | $84,900 | 142 | A+ | |
| #5 | Hawaii | $391,770 | $84,900 | 190 | A+ | |
| #6 | Connecticut | $386,694 | $83,800 | 121 | A+ | |
| #7 | New Hampshire | $384,386 | $83,300 | 112 | A | |
| #8 | Washington | $378,849 | $82,100 | 115 | A | |
| #9 | Virginia | $371,927 | $80,600 | 103 | A | |
| #10 | Colorado | $370,081 | $80,200 | 105 | A | |
| #11 | Alaska | $359,007 | $77,800 | 127 | A | |
| #12 | Minnesota | $358,545 | $77,700 | 97 | A | |
| #13 | New York | $350,239 | $75,900 | 139 | B+ | |
| #14 | Utah | $348,855 | $75,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #15 | Illinois | $333,166 | $72,200 | 93 | B+ | |
| #16 | Oregon | $328,551 | $71,200 | 113 | B+ | |
| #17 | Rhode Island | $328,551 | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #18 | Delaware | $318,861 | $69,100 | 102 | B | |
| #19 | Pennsylvania | $311,939 | $67,600 | 94 | B | |
| #20 | Texas | $310,555 | $67,300 | 93 | B | |
| #21 | Nebraska | $306,863 | $66,500 | 91 | B | |
| #22 | Arizona | $302,710 | $65,600 | 103 | B | |
| #23 | Wyoming | $299,941 | $65,000 | 95 | B | |
| #24 | North Dakota | $299,018 | $64,800 | 93 | B | |
| #25 | Wisconsin | $299,018 | $64,800 | 93 | B | |
| #26 | Nevada | $296,250 | $64,200 | 104 | B | |
| #27 | Georgia | $292,558 | $63,400 | 93 | C | |
| #28 | Michigan | $292,558 | $63,400 | 89 | C | |
| #29 | Vermont | $292,558 | $63,400 | 110 | C | |
| #30 | Iowa | $291,635 | $63,200 | 90 | C | |
| #31 | Maine | $291,635 | $63,200 | 109 | C | |
| #32 | Florida | $291,174 | $63,100 | 103 | C | |
| #33 | Idaho | $287,482 | $62,300 | 97 | C | |
| #34 | Kansas | $286,559 | $62,100 | 89 | C | |
| #35 | South Dakota | $286,559 | $62,100 | 91 | C | |
| #36 | Missouri | $281,483 | $61,000 | 88 | C | |
| #37 | North Carolina | $281,483 | $61,000 | 95 | C | |
| #38 | Montana | $279,638 | $60,600 | 103 | C | |
| #39 | Tennessee | $275,485 | $59,700 | 91 | C | |
| #40 | Ohio | $273,639 | $59,300 | 89 | C | |
| #41 | Indiana | $270,409 | $58,600 | 90 | C | |
| #42 | Alabama | $259,334 | $56,200 | 87 | D | |
| #43 | South Carolina | $259,334 | $56,200 | 92 | D | |
| #44 | Oklahoma | $257,488 | $55,800 | 86 | D | |
| #45 | Kentucky | $256,565 | $55,600 | 87 | D | |
| #46 | New Mexico | $244,568 | $53,000 | 91 | D | |
| #47 | Louisiana | $241,337 | $52,300 | 91 | D | |
| #48 | Arkansas | $240,415 | $52,100 | 84 | D | |
| #49 | West Virginia | $221,495 | $48,000 | 84 | F | |
| #50 | Mississippi | $214,573 | $46,500 | 83 | F |
Based on our analysis of home buying power across all 50 states, Maryland ranks #1 with $416,226, while Mississippi ranks last at $214,573. The national average is $310,647.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: $201,653. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your home buying power. Use our home affordability calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
Maryland ranks #1 with $416,226. Massachusetts and New Jersey round out the top 3.
Mississippi ranks last (#50) with $214,573. West Virginia and Arkansas are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is $310,647. The median is $296,250.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.