How much house can I afford at 42 on $300k income? (single)
Ben, 42, in San Francisco, CA
exampleSingle, no kids · $300k/yr household income
They're renting in San Francisco and ready to buy their first place, without becoming house-poor.
42, single, $300k/yr, with $216k in liquid savings for a down payment (plus $648k in retirement, which is harder to use for one: penalties, taxes, or a loan). Most people overestimate how much house that buys. Here's the modeled number, and what changes it.
The setup
Age
42
Household income
$300,000/yr
Household
Single earner
Liquid savings
$216,000
Retirement savings
$648,000
Down payment
35%
Mortgage
6.5%, 30-yr fixed
Investing return
7%/yr
Wait 2 years and your $1,200,000 target becomes reachable
$1,405,000
Max home in 2028, $375,000 more than today's $1,030,000
Max Home Now
$1,030,000
Max in 2yr
$1,405,000
Target Price
$1,200,000
Liquid Assets
$216,000
Your max home today is $1,030,000. By waiting 2 years, your max grows to $1,405,000, an additional $375,000 in buying power from savings and income growth.
| Scenario | Buy Year | Price | Down % | Monthly PITI | Cash Left | Retire NW | Retirement Feasible | Max Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now | 2026 | Keep renting | — | — | — | $14,619,650 ($7.4M in today's dollars) | Secure | $1,030,000 |
| 2yr | 2028 | $1,200,000 | 35% | $6,553 | $189,519 | $12,801,826 ($6.5M in today's dollars) | Secure | $1,405,000 |
| 5yr | 2031 | $1,200,000 | 35% | $6,536 | $729,853 | $13,463,771 ($6.8M in today's dollars) | Secure | $1,535,000 |
| 10yr | 2036 | $1,200,000 | 35% | $6,544 | $1,956,397 | $14,070,772 ($7.1M in today's dollars) | Secure | $1,780,000 |
Home ownership involves emotional and lifestyle factors beyond financial returns, community, stability, and personal fulfillment matter too. Max home prices reflect lender approval limits; your comfort level may be different.
Your real number depends on your savings, debts, and city. The averages above are a starting point. Model your exact situation and get your verdict.
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Get my verdict →Frequently asked
How much house can a single household earning $300k at 42 afford?
Wait 2 years and your $1,200,000 target becomes reachable
Max home in 2028, $375,000 more than today's $1,030,000
$1,405,000, modeled with Rightmont's projection engine for this exact scenario.
How was this calculated?
Rightmont runs your numbers through a year-by-year projection engine (taxes, compounding, Social Security, and your real cashflow) to model the outcome. Model your own version free in under a minute.
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For educational purposes only, not financial advice.