Housing Affordability & Rent Planning
On a $70,000 salary, your safe rent is about $1,400 a month. Your safe home price is about $280,000. The exact number depends on your debt, your city, and your taxes. Use the tools below to find your real number.
Quick start: Start with your take-home pay. Then size rent with the 30% rule. Or size a mortgage with the 28/36 rule. Compare rent vs buy based on how long you will stay. Add state tax and city costs before you sign.
About this page
Renewing a lease? Touring open houses? Moving from California to Texas? Housing choices should start with the money you can pay each month. Not a friend's rent. Not your offer letter salary. These pages group all our US housing tools and guides in one place. Go from "what can I pay?" to "should I rent or buy here?" without jumping around.
We use the rules landlords and lenders actually use. For rent: 30% of gross pay and 40× monthly rent. For a mortgage: the 28/36 DTI rule. Then we check those limits against your take-home pay and any card debt. The same salary feels very different in Austin vs New York. So city and state guides sit right next to the main tools.
⚡ Quick housing check
What can your salary support — rent or buy?
Type your salary. Pick rent or buy. We'll show the cap you should aim for. Then route you to the right tool.
Step 1 — Run the numbers
Housing tools
Pick the tool that matches your next decision—lease, mortgage, or rent vs buy.
Rent affordability
Estimate realistic monthly rent using income rules and take-home reality—not landlord marketing.
Explore guide →House affordability
Translate income into a price range with lender-style DTI limits and payment examples.
Explore guide →Moving cost calculator
Estimate mover fees, deposits, and monthly cost changes before you relocate.
Plan your move →Rent vs buy
Model break-even years, carrying costs, and stay horizons with your real inputs.
Open calculator →💸 Real numbers
What you can afford on three salaries
Same rules. Different paychecks. Here is your real housing cap at three common US salaries.
| Gross salary | Safe rent (30%) | Mortgage cap (28%) | Home price you can buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| $45,000 | $1,125/mo | $1,050/mo | ~$180,000 |
| $70,000 | $1,750/mo | $1,630/mo | ~$280,000 |
| $100,000 | $2,500/mo | $2,330/mo | ~$400,000 |
| $150,000 | $3,750/mo | $3,500/mo | ~$600,000 |
Home price assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.5% rate, and a 30-year loan. Add taxes and insurance to the monthly bill.
Step 2 — Read the basics
Core housing guides
Plain-English walkthroughs for the questions worth answering before you sign.
How much rent can I afford?
30% / 40× rules, utilities, and landlord income tests—size a lease before you apply.
Read guide →How much house can I afford?
28/36 guardrails, down payment, rate shocks, and payment you can sleep on.
Read guide →Rent vs buy in California
Coastal prices, state tax, insurance, and Prop 13 context for CA markets.
Read guide →When buying beats renting
Break-even timelines, stay length, and when flexibility still wins.
Read guide →Compare by location
Housing costs by state & city
Compare cities before you relocate or negotiate a lease.
Rent vs buy California
Tax, insurance, and coastal price context.
StatesCalifornia vs Texas
Income tax vs housing dollars in each state.
CitiesNYC vs Austin
Big-city rent density vs Sun Belt growth.
IncomeBest states for take-home pay
Where paychecks stretch after withholding.
CaliforniaHouse affordability in CA
High-cost market guardrails and examples.
CitiesSeattle vs Denver
Puget Sound vs Front Range housing pressure.
Plan your whole monthly budget
Housing budget guides
Useful when you want the full monthly picture—not just one payment line.
Comfortable salary calculator
Estimate income by location, household size, and lifestyle tier.
Living alone budget
Solo lease vs roommate split on real take-home pay.
Average monthly expenses
Bill buckets, tables, and where housing usually lands.
50/30/20 budget rule
When rent breaks the needs / wants / savings split.
Rent or own?
Renting vs buying
Renting gives you flexibility and easy move costs. But no equity. Buying builds equity. But adds repairs, taxes, insurance, and rate risk. The right call depends on three things: how long you will stay, your local price-to-rent ratio, and whether you already carry high-APR debt.
Try the rent vs buy calculator with your real rent quote and target home price. Then read the guides below for California-specific costs or a clear "when buying wins" framework.
Useful rules of thumb
Understanding housing affordability
Tap any topic to expand it—worth a read before you commit.
What % of income should go to rent?
The common rule is 30% of gross pay. Some experts prefer the same math on take-home. Landlords may use a gross multiple — like 40× monthly rent. Pick one rule. Then add utilities, renters insurance, and parking to your housing total. See our rent affordability guide.
How lenders check affordability
Most lenders use the 28/36 rule. Housing under 28% of your gross pay. All debt under 36%. Student loans, car loans, and card minimums all count. Use how much house you can afford before you tour homes above your real range.
Hidden costs of owning
The mortgage is just the start. Add property tax, insurance, HOA, and a repair fund. Then the big-ticket items — roof, HVAC, water heater. Renters trade all of that for rent hikes and less control. Both sides have costs you do not see on the listing.
Why taxes matter for housing
State tax shapes your take-home pay. Property tax shapes your monthly housing bill. The same salary buys different homes in Texas vs California. See our California vs Texas comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, tied to the tools and guides on this page.
How much rent is too much?
If your rent crowds out debt payoff, savings, or basics, it is too much. Even if the landlord approves you. Use our rent guide with your real take-home pay and utility costs.
Is renting cheaper than buying?
Sometimes. Short stays, high prices, or high rates often favor renting. Longer stays often favor buying. Run your city in the rent vs buy calculator. Then read when buying beats renting.
What salary do you need to buy a home?
It depends on the home price, your debt, and your state tax. Start with how much house you can afford. Then check take-home on the income calculator.
Can I buy a house with credit card debt?
Yes, but big card balances raise your DTI and stress your cash flow. Pay down the highest-rate debt first. That often raises both your approval and your monthly margin. See the debt calculator and typical debt benchmarks.
What percent of income should go to housing?
Renters often hear 30% of gross pay. Buyers often hear 28/36 DTI. Your safest cap is the payment you can pay after tax, debt minimums, and savings. This matters most in high-cost cities where insurance and utilities spike.