I know there's a lot of strong opinions about this, so I'll list out a few different rules.

I'll start with estimates on the max amount a mortgage lender might approve.

Then I'll do the Dave Ramsey 25% of net take home rule

Then I'll do the 30% of gross income rule.

It varies state by state because of property taxes, homeowners insurance, and even income tax (if you're going off of net instead of gross)

Here it goes!

Part 1: The max a lender might approve

This assumes no other debts besides the mortgage. and a max debt to income ratio of 49.99%, a mortgage insurance factor of 0.0025 and a down payment of 5% (basically take this amount and times by .95 for the max loan amount)

I rounded up to the nearest thousand

StatePurchase price
AK$599,000
AL$586,000
AR$607,000
AZ$584,000
CA$595,000
CO$587,000
CT$546,000
DE$626,000
FL$531,000
GA$582,000
HI$619,000
IA$618,000
ID$515,000
IL$584,000
IN$547,000
KS$524,000
KY$565,000
LA$534,000
MA$586,000
MD$584,000
ME$575,000
MI$559,000
MN$558,000
MO$576,000
MS$574,000
MT$583,000
NC$500,000
ND$618,000
NE$565,000
NH$545,000
NJ$581,000
NM$583,000
NV$591,000
NY$563,000
OH$553,000
OK$546,000
OR$591,000
PA$560,000
RI$569,000
SC$593,000
SD$549,000
TN$599,000
TX$520,000
UT$617,000
VA$568,000
VT$590,000
WA$583,000
WI$613,000
WV$539,000
WY$607,000

Part 2: The Dave Ramsey 25% of net rule

This considers NET instead of GROSS income. Net is the take home after federal and state income taxes and social security.

StatePurchase price
AK$240,000
AL$215,000
AR$209,000
AZ$231,000
CA$222,000
CO$209,000
CT$206,000
DE$240,000
FL$185,000
GA$215,000
HI$227,000
IA$200,000
ID$232,000
IL$232,000
IN$191,000
KS$225,000
KY$175,000
LA$199,000
MA$167,000
MD$216,000
ME$217,000
MI$208,000
MN$199,000
MO$210,000
MS$203,000
MT$205,000
NC$218,000
ND$210,000
NE$150,000
NH$231,000
NJ$205,000
NM$218,000
NV$253,000
NY$213,000
OH$214,000
OK$184,000
OR$216,000
PA$219,000
RI$206,000
SC$210,000
SD$211,000
TN$234,000
TX$193,000
UT$235,000
VA$219,000
VT$214,000
WA$235,000
WI$205,000
WV$231,000
WY$247,000

Part 3: 30% of gross income rule

This is basically 19.99% less on the ratios than the max a lender would approve. It's closer to the middle between the Dave Ramsey rule, and the max lender approval rule

StatePurchase price
AK$347,000
AL$345,000
AR$335,000
AZ$353,000
CA$349,000
CO$335,000
CT$320,000
DE$371,000
FL$291,000
GA$339,000
HI$366,000
IA$317,000
ID$365,000
IL$300,000
IN$343,000
KS$294,000
KY$322,000
LA$390,000
MA$337,000
MD$343,000
ME$346,000
MI$325,000
MN$323,000
MO$333,000
MS$329,000
MT$336,000
NC$344,000
ND$325,000
NE$271,000
NH$334,000
NJ$322,000
NM$344,000
NV$366,000
NY$340,000
OH$326,000
OK$306,000
OR$350,000
PA$331,000
RI$330,000
SC$344,000
SD$315,000
TN$347,000
TX$294,000
UT$364,000
VA$346,000
VT$337,000
WA$343,000
WI$318,000
WV$363,000
WY$358,000

Part 4 all 3 side by side

Here's all 3 so you can compare them side by side

StateLender30%Gross25%Net
AK$599,000$347,000$240,000
AL$586,000$345,000$215,000
AR$607,000$335,000$209,000
AZ$584,000$353,000$231,000
CA$595,000$349,000$222,000
CO$587,000$335,000$209,000
CT$546,000$320,000$206,000
DE$626,000$371,000$240,000
FL$531,000$291,000$185,000
GA$582,000$339,000$215,000
HI$619,000$366,000$227,000
IA$618,000$317,000$200,000
ID$515,000$365,000$232,000
IL$584,000$300,000$191,000
IN$547,000$343,000$225,000
KS$524,000$294,000$175,000
KY$565,000$322,000$199,000
LA$534,000$290,000$167,000
MA$586,000$337,000$216,000
MD$584,000$343,000$217,000
ME$575,000$346,000$217,000
MI$559,000$325,000$208,000
MN$558,000$323,000$199,000
MO$576,000$333,000$210,000
MS$574,000$329,000$203,000
MT$583,000$336,000$205,000
NC$500,000$344,000$218,000
ND$618,000$325,000$210,000
NE$565,000$271,000$150,000
NH$545,000$334,000$231,000
NJ$581,000$322,000$205,000
NM$583,000$344,000$218,000
NV$591,000$366,000$253,000
NY$563,000$340,000$213,000
OH$553,000$326,000$214,000
OK$546,000$306,000$184,000
OR$591,000$350,000$216,000
PA$560,000$331,000$219,000
RI$569,000$330,000$206,000
SC$593,000$344,000$210,000
SD$549,000$315,000$211,000
TN$599,000$347,000$234,000
TX$520,000$294,000$193,000
UT$617,000$364,000$235,000
VA$568,000$346,000$219,000
VT$590,000$337,000$214,000
WA$583,000$343,000$235,000
WI$613,000$318,000$205,000
WV$539,000$363,000$231,000
WY$607,000$358,000$247,000

Part 5: compared to the state's median home value

This will give you an idea of the likelihood of being able to afford a house in each state with that $100,000 income. I'll just compare it to the 30% gross rule

I'm not doing this alphabetically, because I want to rank the states with the best chance of getting a decent home with a $100,000 salary

RankStateMedian30%Gross
1WV$259k$363k
2IA$231k$317k
3IN$259k$343k
4AR$256k$335k
5OH$249k$326k
6MI$250k$325k
7MS$256k$329k
8MO$264k$333k
9AL$283k$345k
10OK$246k$306k
11KY$271k$322k
12LA$254k$290k
13PA$301k$331k
14IL$286k$300k
15KS$281k$294k
16WI$318k$318k
17SD$326k$315k
18NE$289k$271k
19ND$350k$325k
20DE$397k$371k
21NM$371k$344k
22ME$376k$346k
23GA$375k$339k
24NC$381k$344k
25TN$390k$347k
26TX$340k$294k
27MN$371k$323k
28VT$388k$337k
29AK$401k$347k
30SC$404k$344k
31WY$450k$358k
32ID$475k$365k
33VA$458k$346k
34AZ$471k$353k
35NV$496k$366k
36FL$434k$291k
37CT$466k$320k
38MD$497k$343k
39RI$485k$330k
40NH$503k$334k
41OR$522k$350k
42MT$528k$336k
43NJ$527k$322k
44UT$589k$364k
45NY$577k$340k
46CO$640k$335k
47WA$659k$343k
48MA$750k$337k
49CA$867k$349k
50HI$976k$366k