How Much House Can I Afford on a $50K Salary?

Earning $50K a year means your gross monthly income is $4,167. Under the 28/36 rule, your total housing payment — including principal, interest, property taxes, and insurance — should stay below $1,167 per month. With your current monthly debts of $300, the 36% back-end ratio further caps your total debt payments at $1,500 per month. This gives you a maximum home purchase price of approximately $154K with 10% down at 6.5%.

At $50K, you qualify for both FHA and conventional loans. An FHA loan on a $154K home requires just $5,387 down (3.5%), while a conventional loan with 3% down needs $4,618. The trade-off: FHA has a lower down payment but charges mortgage insurance for the life of the loan, while conventional PMI drops off once you hit 20% equity. On your budget, that 20% equity threshold is $30,783 — reaching it through payments alone takes about 7 years.

With a budget under $200K, focus on the most affordable markets: Mississippi ($175K median), West Virginia ($155K), and Arkansas ($195K) all have state medians within your range. Within pricier states, look at smaller cities and towns — you can often find homes 30-40% below the state median in rural and exurban areas. Consider manufactured homes, which average 40-50% less than traditional construction and have improved dramatically in quality.

Your next step: get pre-approved. A pre-approval letter based on your $50K income tells sellers you're serious and confirms your $154K budget with a real lender. It also locks in a rate for 60-90 days, protecting you from rate increases while you shop. Before applying, check your credit report (free at annualcreditreport.com), save at least $15,392 for your 10% down payment plus $3,078–$6,157 for closing costs, and gather your last 2 years of tax returns and W-2s.