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$78,000 income now required to buy a starter home, up from $43,000 in 2019, as supply deficit narrows from 2022 peak

7/20/2026

The income threshold to buy a starter home in the United States has reached $78,000, according to a Realtor.com report published July 20, 2026, up from $43,000 in 2019.

National starter home inventory remains roughly 300,000 units below 2019 levels. The shortage peaked in 2022 and has since begun to ease.

Income requirement and supply gap in focus Realtor.com's report places two figures at the center of the starter home picture. The income floor has climbed $35,000 since 2019.

The inventory shortfall sits at roughly 300,000 homes relative to that same baseline year.