The American dream now comes with a ZIP code: Here's where starter homes are still within reach

For many would-be homeowners, the financial hurdle to buying a starter home has grown dramatically over the past seven years. The income needed to afford a typical starter home has jumped more than 80% since 2019, according to a new Realtor.com report . Americans now need an annual household income of about $78,000 to afford a typical starter home, up from roughly $43,000 in 2019—an increase that has far outpaced wage growth and left many first-time buyers struggling to break into the housing ma