Americans Need to Earn 70.1% More Today Than Six Years Ago to Afford the Median-priced Home

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• Americans now need to earn $114,000 to afford the median-priced home
• Pending home sales fall for the fourth straight month YoY, down 3.2%
• Active listings rise 30.6% YoY, surpassing April 2020 levels
• Price reductions hit 18.0% of listings

A U.S. household now needs to earn $114,000 annually to afford a median-priced home. That’s up 70.1% from $67,000 just six years ago according to the Realtor.com^® April Housing Trends Report. While it’s clear that buying a home has become significantly more expensive, there are optimistic signs that today’s market is slowly shifting in buyers’ favor. Inventory is climbing, more sellers are adjusting their prices, and buyers are beginning to gain a bit more leverage in the market.

“Even with today’s affordability hurdles, meaningful changes in the market could give buyers a better shot at finding a home,” said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com^®. “The number of homes for sale is rising in many markets, giving shoppers more choices than they’ve had in years. Sellers are becoming more flexible on pricing, underscored by the price reductions we’re seeing, and while higher mortgage rates are certainly weighing on demand, the silver lining is that the market is starting to rebalance. This could create opportunities for buyers who are prepared.”

April 2025 Housing Metrics – National 

A $114,000 Homeownership Threshold
Since 2019, the income required to afford the median-priced home has risen $47,000 to $114,00. This figure assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage, a 20% down payment, and no more than 30% of gross monthly income spent on housing. The widening gap is fueled by a combination of rapid home price appreciation and elevated mortgage rates but in some markets, the bar is even higher.

Markets with the Highest Required Incomes to Afford a Home

Five California markets showed up in the list above. The state, along with many others represented here, are among the lowest scorers in a recent Realtor.com^® analysis, which assigned a grade (A+ through F) to each state based on home affordability. And, it’s clear that California has a lot of homework to do – pun intended.

January Set the Tone and April Followed: Pending Home Sales Continue to Drop
From October to December last year, pending home sales were relatively stronger on a year-over-year basis. But since January, the momentum has shifted, and in April, pending home sales declined 3.2% compared with a year ago, marking the fourth consecutive month of annual declines. A renewed rise in mortgage rates, now back to levels seen in early 2024, is likely a key factor behind the slowdown. As borrowing costs climbed again in late April, some buyers who had been waiting for more favorable conditions are hitting pause, injecting new uncertainty into the market as it moves into the typically busy summer season.

Shifts in Pending Home Sales YoY

Where’s the Silver Lining? 
In light of affordability concerns and more choice for buyers, data suggest that some sellers are meeting buyers in the middle. This month, 18.0% of listings saw price reductions. Additionally, active listings were up 30.6% year-over-year, surpassing April 2020 levels, a notable pandemic-era benchmark.

The West (+41.7%) and South (+33.3%) led the way in active listings growth, while certain markets, including San Diego (+70.1%), San Jose (+67.6%), and Washington, D.C. (+69.3%) saw the biggest local gains.  Despite this, nationwide inventory still sits 16.3% below 2017–2019 norms, meaning buyers have more options but the market hasn’t fully recovered.

The full April 2025 monthly housing trends report with additional findings can be found here.

SOURCE Realtor.com

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