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California Housing Affordability Tracker (January 2024) January 24, 2024
Over the last few years, we have seen a rapid increase in California housing costs, led by the dramatic increase in the costs of purchasing a home. Monthly costs for a newly purchased home are about $2,500 higher than they were just a few years ago. Annual income needed to qualify for a typical home is over $220,000—roughly 2.5 times higher than median household income (about $85,000). Further, the annual income needed to qualify for a more affordable "bottom-tier" home is 60 percent higher than the median income.