The annual income required to purchase a typical California house has nearly doubled over the past five years.

To see how homebuying burdens have multiplied, my trusty spreadsheet compared the California Association of Realtors’ homebuying affordability report for the first quarter of 2025 with the final three months of 2019, just before the pandemic disrupted the economy.

These numbers tell us that to start 2025, a $218,000 income was necessary to income-qualify a successful California buyer, a standard that has grown 82% since the end of 2019. Remember, the Realtor yardstick assumes buyers spend 30% of their income based on a mortgage with a 20% down payment, with an additional 1.4% of the purchase price going toward property taxes and insurance.

Part of the house hunter’s challenge is that mortgage rates were 6.93% in early 2025, compared to 3.89% in late 2019. But do not forget pricing. California’s median selling price increased by 40% over five years to $846,830.

This translates to only 17% of California households having the means to buy this year, compared to 31% at year-end 2019.

Now, if you’re a bargain hunter looking at condos or townhomes, the financial stress is only modestly reduced. In early 2025, buyers needed an annual income of $172,400. That’s up 83% in five years, which gets you the $670,000 median-priced residence that has appreciated 40% since 2019.

Condo/townhome affordability is slightly better, but it remains low: 24% now, compared to 41% five years ago.

Geographically speaking, there’s a split, too.

Southern California is “cheaper” – the $213,600 required income has increased by 97% in five years. Those paychecks qualify someone for the $830,000 median residence, which is 51% pricier than in 2019. Affordability? 15% now, compared to 33% five years ago.

But in the Bay Area, you need $334,400 to buy – up 84% in five years. That gets you the $1.3 million median residence, up 41% since 2019. Affordability? 21% vs. 28% five years ago.

The typical American house hunter needs far less money to buy, but their burden is ballooning, too.

The $103,600 needed for a U.S. house purchase has increased by 92% in five years. It buys the $402,300 median residence, which is 46% pricier since 2019. Affordability? 37% vs. 57% five years ago.

Locally speaking

At the county level, here are the 10 largest jumps in incomes needed to buy a single-family house since 2019 …

Mono: $325,200 required in 2025’s first quarter, up 190% in five years. That buys the $1.26 million median-priced house, which has seen a price increase of 122% since 2019. Affordability? 5% to start 2025, compared to 26% five years ago.

Santa Barbara: $388,000 required, up 184% in five years, for the $1.51 million house that’s 117% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 9% vs. 23%.

Orange: $373,200 required, up 129% in five years, for a $1.45 million house that’s 75% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 12% vs. 26%.

Santa Clara: $520,000 required, up 112% in five years, for a $2 million house that’s 62% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 18% vs. 22%.

San Diego: $266,800 required, up 107% in five years, for a $1 million house that’s 58% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 12% vs. 29%.

San Bernardino: $128,800 required, up 106% in five years, for a $500,000 house that’s 57% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 28% vs. 51%.

San Luis Obispo: $246,000 required, up 103% in five years, for a $955,480 house that’s 55% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 11% vs. 29%.

Kern: $102,800 required, up 101% in five years, for a $400,000 house that’s 54% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 30% vs. 50%.

Riverside: $164,800 required, up 99% in five years, for a $640,000 house that’s 52% costlier since 2019. Affordability? 20% vs. 41%.

Tulare: $97,600 is required, up 98% in five years, for a $380,000 house that’s 52% more expensive since 2019. Affordability? 30% vs. 52%.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com