10 States Where a Single Income Can Afford the Median Home
States where the full monthly housing cost (mortgage + property tax + insurance) on the median home stays under 28% of the state median household income. Sourced from the Census ACS 2024 1-year estimates for both median income and median home value. Reference 30-year fixed mortgage rate 7.40% (Freddie Mac PMMS, 15 October 2026).
Most affordable 10
Single-income-friendly states
| Rank | State | Median home | Monthly housing | Median income | Housing-to-income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $170,800 | $1,117 | $60,798 | 22.0% |
| 2 | Iowa | $227,300 | $1,486 | $75,501 | 23.6% |
| 3 | Mississippi | $186,500 | $1,220 | $59,127 | 24.8% |
| 4 | Kansas | $238,700 | $1,561 | $75,514 | 24.8% |
| 5 | Ohio | $239,800 | $1,568 | $72,212 | 26.1% |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $222,100 | $1,452 | $66,148 | 26.3% |
| 7 | Illinois | $280,700 | $1,836 | $83,211 | 26.5% |
| 8 | Indiana | $243,500 | $1,592 | $71,959 | 26.6% |
| 9 | North Dakota | $266,100 | $1,740 | $77,871 | 26.8% |
| 10 | Nebraska | $263,100 | $1,720 | $76,376 | 27.0% |
Calculation: 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.40% (Freddie Mac PMMS, 15 October 2026), property tax + insurance at 1.2%/year escrow. Sources: Census ACS 2024 1-year median household income (B19013) and median home value (B25077).
Hardest 5 for single income
Where one income can't reach the median home
| State | Median home | Monthly housing | Median income | Housing-to-income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $875,900 | $5,728 | $100,745 | 68.2% |
| California | $759,500 | $4,966 | $100,149 | 59.5% |
| Washington | $602,200 | $3,938 | $99,389 | 47.5% |
| Colorado | $574,600 | $3,757 | $97,113 | 46.4% |
| Oregon | $497,500 | $3,253 | $85,220 | 45.8% |
Frequently Asked
Single-income affordability, answered
What does 'single income can afford the median home' mean?
We define affordability as: monthly mortgage payment (on a 20% down 30-year fixed at 7.40%, the Freddie Mac PMMS rate for 15 October 2026) plus property tax and insurance escrow (estimated at 1.2% of home value annually) coming to no more than 28% of median household income. The 28% threshold is the standard lender debt-to-income ratio for housing. States where this passes for the median income are candidates for single-earner households.
Which states pass the 28% DTI test on a single median income?
15 states land at or below the 28% threshold on this model: West Virginia, Iowa, Mississippi, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan and Missouri. West Virginia is lowest at 22.0%. Median home values come from Census ACS 2024 1-year estimates and incomes from the same survey, so both sides of the ratio are the same year.
Which states are out of reach for a single median income?
Hawaii and California push the housing-to-income ratio above 50% (HI 68.2%, CA 59.5%), meaning a single earner at the state median income would spend more than half of gross income on the median home. Next come Washington, Colorado and Oregon, each between 40% and 50%. In these states, dual-earner households are effectively required to reach the median home, or the household lives in a cheaper part of the state.
Why is West Virginia the easiest?
A median home value of $170,800, the lowest in the country, against a median household income of $60,798 produces the lowest housing-to-income ratio in the US (Census ACS 2024 1-year). The trade-off is access: thinner high-paying job markets and rural healthcare access. Cheap is not automatically good.
How does this compare to the 30% rent benchmark?
HUD defines a household as cost-burdened when housing exceeds 30% of income, and severely cost-burdened above 50%. The 28% figure used here is the lender DTI threshold; HUD's 30% is the policy threshold. On this model, Hawaii and California cross the 50% line at the state median income.
What about dual-income households in the high-cost states?
With two median-income earners, California ($200,298 combined) puts the median home (mortgage + tax + insurance about $4,966 a month) at 29.8% of combined income. Still high, but reachable. This is why coastal-state housing markets are dominated by dual-earner households rather than single median earners.