California holds 9 of the 10 priciest US homeowner metros, with San Jose leading at $11,690 monthly housing costs for typical buyers today.
San Jose buyers need ~$501K annual income for a typical home, far above the metro’s ~$165K median household income and national ~$82K median income.
San Francisco ranked No. 2 at $8,355 monthly costs and ~$358K required income; LA ranked No. 5 at $7,029 and ~$301K required.
The gap between San Jose and the least expensive metro reached ~$447K, reinforcing why income planning matters before touring homes in these markets.
Nationally, buyers need ~50% more income than the median household earns, making payment-to-income checks essential before setting a target price in current markets.