These days, it seems like the cool, hip thing to do if you’re a soul-searching young person is hit the road on an all-American road trip in order to discover the place you’re supposed to live. But before you go planting your roots in any old U.S. city, perhaps you should consider what it takes to actually afford those roots. After all, roots can get pretty expensive.
To help us calculate if we can afford expensive roots, finder.com released new data that approximates what salary would be required to buy a home AND live comfortably in 78 major U.S. cities. The calculations factor in several key elements, including: median house prices, average 30-year interest rates based on a 20 percent deposit, mortgage repayments including mortgage interest, average non-mortgage debt in the city, and average non-housing expenditure in the state. We’re curious because the data doesn’t mention family size, nor does it define “live comfortable” in specific terms but the number will, at the very least, gently disappoint your dreams of making it in the big city.
If it doesn’t work out, at least there’s this outrageous collection of things you can buy instead of a home in your favorite state.
1. San Francisco, California
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB2lsvQQn61/?taken-by=sfrealestate
Median home price: $1,134,100
Necessary salary: $162,887
Are you the CEO and co-founder of a farm that grows money? No? Well, then you probably can’t afford to buy real estate in San Francisco, which is, without contest, the most expensive city on this list.
2. San Jose, California
Median home price: $831,700
Necessary salary: $119,455
We’d guess that San Jose isn’t the first stop on that soul-searching road trip we mentioned earlier. But in case it is, consider that a deposit on a home here could buy you an entire island in Mexico, where you soul would probably be way happier, and richer.
3. Washington, D.C.
Median home price: $511,700
Necessary salary: $83,374
The only people who can afford homes in Washington, D.C. are politicians, crooks, and morgue workers who sue DC hospitals after being attacked by rats on the job. Please don’t click that link if you are easily repulsed.
4. Los Angeles, California
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH8tjffjI5l/
Median home price: $580,000
Necessary salary: $83,304
You can either buy a home in LA and enjoy ruthless traffic, the Kardashians, and snakes during sushi. OR, you can simply visit Los Angeles and use your money to ride the 1,000-foot glass skyslide 23,200 times. The ball’s in your court.
5. New York, New York
Median home price: $592,800
Necessary salary: $80,307
The cost of living in New York is INSANE. Do you know who makes $80,000 in Manhattan? A pair of psychics apparently. Do you think a pair of psychics is living comfortably in Manhattan? Us either.
6. Boston, Massachusetts
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH91djUAFN9/
Median home price: $491,400
Necessary salary: $79,155
The East India Company lost about 10 pounds (or $128,053) worth of tea on the night of the Boston Tea Party. In other words, it would take four Boston Tea Parties to buy a house in Boston.
7. Seattle, Washington
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH2YgEThhLq/
Median home price: $580,000
Necessary salary: $78,160
If you worked at Starbucks as a barista full time and were able to save every single cent you earned AND were somehow exempt from paying taxes, it would take 6.5 years to make enough money for a deposit on a home in Seattle, which would be hard to stay optimistic about with it raining all the time.
8. San Diego, California
Median home price: $539,100
Necessary salary: $77,429
Instead of a house in San Diego, you should buy a membership to the San Diego Zoo for $111. Then instead of a home you’d have access to these baby cheetah cubs whenever you want. That’s just smart money management, thanks to your friends at Uproxx!
9. Worcester, Massachusetts
Median home price: $198,100
Necessary salary: $65,735
Now things are finally looking manageable. But ‘Where is Worcester?’ you ask. About 40 miles west of Boston and it’s where Valentine’s Day (insert Boston accent) cards were invented. So doubtlessly an exhilarating place to live.
10. Denver, Colorado
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIAKbiYDrEt/
Median home price: $342,300
Necessary salary: $65,297
You’d probably have to grow and sell a buttload of weed if you wanted to earn a real salary in Colorado. Plus considering electrical bills and energy consumption, the overhead for production is pretty high. SEE WHAT WE DID THERE?
