A home buyer is guaranteed and has to earn $ 142,448 to keep up with monthly payments of $ 3,323 for a median - priced house . Pittsburgh ranked the most affordable metro area requiring a salary of under $ 100 . New York heights , which has the highest mortgage rate at $ 4.22 per cent , was the fourth most unaffordable metro area homebuyers to earn $ 100 . Mortgage web site HSH.com estimated how much salary a person must bring in to pay the principal , interest , taxes and insurance payments .
A home buyer is San Francisco has to earn $ 142,448 to keep up with monthly payments of $ 3,323 for a median-priced house . Pittsburgh ranked the most affordable metro area requiring a salary of under $ 32,000 . New York City , which has the highest mortgage rate at $ 4.22 per cent , was the fourth most unaffordable metro requiring homebuyers to earn $ 87,535 . Mortgage tracking site HSH.com estimated how much salary a person must bring in to afford the principal , interest , taxes and insurance payments .