How much do you have to make to afford a $1 million home? (2024)

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MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money

By Joshua Rodriguez

Edited By Angelica Leicht

/ CBS News

How much do you have to make to afford a $1 million home? (2)

If you're in the market for a new home, it's important to put consideration into your budget. After all, home prices can vary wildly depending on a range of factors. And, if you buy a home that costs more than you can afford, you could be setting the stage for a long-lasting financial hardship — one that could end in foreclosure.

But what if you find the home of your dreams with a price tag of $1 million? How much money would you have to make to be able to comfortably afford it? That depends. There are rules of thumb you can follow to determine the answer, but your unique financial situation may also have an impact.

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How much do you have to make to afford a $1 million home?

If you search the internet for rules of thumb surrounding how much house you can afford, you'll likely come across several, butthe 28% rule and the 2.5 times your income ruleare most prevalent. Here's how they work:

  • The 28% rule: The 28% rule suggests that your mortgage payments shouldn't be more than 28% of your annual income.
  • The 2.5 times your income rule: This rule states that you should be able to comfortably afford a home that costs 2.5 times your annual income.

"Figure a 20% down model, the mortgage would be for $800,000," says Mark Charnet, founder and CEO of American Prosperity Group in Sparta, NJ. "A 30-year loan at 8% would be a monthly payment of $5,870. To that, add the property taxes of, let's assume $20,000 annually and insurance of $9,000 annually. This would add $1,666 and $750 for a monthly payment of $2,416 for a grand total of $8,286 per month: Principal, plus interest, plus taxes, plus insurance."

Here's how much you'll need to make to afford a $1 million home based on each of these rules (assuming a 7% mortgage rate, a 30-year loan term, $20,000 in annual property taxes and $9,000 in annual insurance premiums — variables that generally differ from one mortgage to the next).

How much do you have to make based on the 28% rule?

If you put 20% down on your $1 million home, you would need an $800,000 mortgage for the remainder of what you owe on the purchase. In this case, your mortgage payment would be $7,739 per month, inclusive of estimated property taxes and homeowners insurance costs. That amounts to about $92,868 per year in mortgage payments.

With 0% down, you can expect to pay $9,070 per month inclusive of estimated property taxes and homeowners insurance costs. With less than 20% down, you should also expect to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI), which would cost about $1,250 per month. That works out to a total of $10,320 per month, or $123,840 in annual mortgage payments.

Based on these figures, you would need to earn $331,671.43 annually to afford a $1 million home with a 20% down payment if you follow the 28% rule. Or, you would need to earn about $442,285.71 annually to afford the same home with no down payment based on this rule.

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How much do you have to make based on the 2.5 times your income rule?

To determine how much money you need to earn annually to afford a one million dollar home based on the 2.5 times your income rule, you simply need to divide $1 million by 2.5. So, this rule suggests you need to earn $400,000 annually to afford a $1 million home.

Other considerations to note

Ultimately, rules of thumb are meant to be broken — and whether or not you can afford a $1 million home depends on your unique circ*mstances.

First, down payments, interest rates, property taxes and insurance are all variables that may change from one mortgage to another. Moreover, Charnet notes out that $20,715 in monthly income would be enough to afford this home if there were "no other debts to consider."

As you determine whether or not you can afford a mortgage, it's important to consider your unique mix of rates, premiums and taxes as well as how a new monthly payment fits into your current financial plan.

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The bottom line

There's no single rule of thumb to determine whether or not you can afford a million-dollar home. The 28% rule and the 2.5 times your income rule are great places to start, but it's also important to think about your debts and other unique financial needs when determining how much house you can afford to buy.

Joshua Rodriguez

Joshua Rodriguez is a personal finance and investing writer with a passion for his craft. When he's not working, he enjoys time with his wife, two kids and two dogs.

How much do you have to make to afford a $1 million home? (2024)

FAQs

How much do you have to make to afford a $1 million home? ›

A 36% DTI is a more reasonable and realistic level. If you keep all the other factors the same, your gross annual income would need to be around $210,000 to buy a $1 million home. Or, if you want to stay within the recommended 26% ratio, you'd have to earn about $290,000 or more.

What salary do you need to afford a million dollar home? ›

To determine how much money you need to earn annually to afford a one million dollar home based on the 2.5 times your income rule, you simply need to divide $1 million by 2.5. So, this rule suggests you need to earn $400,000 annually to afford a $1 million home.

How much is a $1 million mortgage payment per month? ›

Here's what a monthly mortgage payment would look like on a $1 million home assuming the same caveats as above: 15-year mortgage at 5.53%: $6,549.41 per month. 30-year mortgage at 6.16%: $4,879.01 per month.

How much income do you need for a 1.5 million dollar house? ›

However, you will need to budget well and have a lot of money saved up for the down payment. A large enough down payment can significantly reduce the ongoing costs and make a $300,000 salary enough for a 1.5 million-dollar home.

Can I buy a million dollar home with 100k salary? ›

And, here is the answer to the question: You need anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 in income to buy a $1 million dollar home right now. The reason there is so much variance is because there are so many factors that impact qualification, including: Size of down payment. Property tax rates.

How much house can I afford if I make $70,000 a year? ›

With a $70,000 annual salary and using a 50% DTI, your home buying budget could potentially afford a house priced between $180,000 to $280,000, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. This range is higher than what you might qualify for with more traditional DTI limits.

What home can I afford with a 200K salary? ›

With a $200,000 annual salary, you could potentially afford a house priced between $600,000 to $1,000,000 or even more, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. However, this is a broad range, and your specific circ*mstances will determine where you fall within it.

How are people affording million dollar homes? ›

However, for a [million-dollar home], they are often going to do two loans. They're going to do a conventional loan, and then do an equity loan so that they can afford it.” She adds, “If the loan amount goes over a million, like over a million four, then they would have to get a jumbo loan.”

How hard is it to get a million dollar mortgage? ›

Assuming you're getting a mortgage, your income will only be one of the factors that lenders consider. If you have excellent credit, lots of savings, and don't have any other debts, you might be able to buy a $1 million home if your gross (pre-tax) annual household income is around $150,000 or higher.

How much is a down payment on a $1 million house? ›

If you're in the market for a $1 million home, you're likely wondering how much you need to save for the down payment. Financial advisors often recommend a 20% down payment. Therefore, to purchase a home worth a million dollars, you'd generally need a hefty $200,000 for the down payment.

How to afford a 900k house? ›

Experts often advise that you spend no more than approximately one-third of your income on housing costs. That means you can triple $64,800 to get a clearer picture of what the annual income requirements would be in order to comfortably afford a $900,000 home: approximately $194,400, at a bare minimum.

How much do you have to make a year to afford a $1,000,000 house in Canada? ›

Income Needed for $1 Million Mortgage in Canada
Price of Home$1 Million$1.2 Million
Average Income Required$225,000$268,000
Income Range$200,000 - $250,000$240,000 - $295,000
Mar 13, 2024

How much house can I afford if I make $90000 a year? ›

On a $90,000 salary, you could potentially afford a house worth between $280,000 to $320,000, depending on your specific financial situation. This range assumes you have a good credit score and manageable existing debts.

How much house can I afford if I make $36,000 a year? ›

On a salary of $36,000 per year, you can afford a house priced around $100,000-$110,000 with a monthly payment of just over $1,000. This assumes you have no other debts you're paying off, but also that you haven't been able to save much for a down payment.

How much income to afford a 1 million dollar house? ›

Income to afford a $1M house

This rule of thumb recommends that you spend no more than 28 percent of your total income on your monthly housing costs, and no more than 36 percent on monthly debt payments overall. Let's see how the 28/36 rule checks out using the annual income determined above of $218,016 per year.

Can a family of four live on 100k a year? ›

Based on this outline, Hawaii is by far the most expensive state for a family of four, but there are 12 states where a household would need to earn over $100,000 to get by: Hawaii: $182,900. Massachusetts: $142,341. California: $130,239.

How much house can I afford with a 250k salary? ›

With a $250,000 annual salary, you could potentially afford a house priced between $750,000 to $1,500,000 or more, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. For homes priced above $766,550 (the 2024 conforming loan limit), you'll need to consider a jumbo loan.

How do people afford million dollar homes? ›

As Madan noted, when purchasing a high-value property, a jumbo loan may be necessary. These loans exceed the limits set by government-sponsored entities, making them suitable for million-dollar homes. Jumbo loans often require a strong credit score, a low debt-to-income ratio, and, typically, a higher down payment.

How much home can I afford with a 100k salary? ›

Potential home price: Around $300,000

With this combination, you could potentially afford a home priced around $300,000. Let's see what your monthly obligations might look like: Monthly payment: ~$2,300 (including estimated taxes and insurance)

What salary do you need to afford a $2 million dollar home? ›

To be able to afford a $2 million house, you'll need to earn over $450,000 a year. You'll also need to have enough money to cover the down payment and closing costs for the home.

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