What your paycheck buys · Updated every Friday

What a paycheck buys in Georgia this week

Out of reach · #26 of 50 on affordability · rate for the week of October 22, 2026

A median Georgia household earning $82,100 a year can afford a home of about $259,000 at this week’s 7.32% average 30-year rate. The median Georgia listing is $389,750, which would take 42.1% of that household’s gross income, against the usual 28% ceiling.

$259,000

Affordable home price

+$1,708 vs. last week · −$22,898 vs. a year ago

$390,000

Median list price (September 2026)

−$4,700 vs. a year earlier

Affordability index (100 = within reach)

U.S. 66 · Georgia 72 a year ago

42.1%

Share of income the median listing takes

$2,881/mo incl. taxes & insurance · U.S. 42.5%

$82,000

Median household income (2025)

U.S. $87,000

#26

Rank of 50 (1 = most affordable)

See the full ranking

Compared with a year ago

A year ago, with the 30-year rate at 6.19%, a median list price of $394,450 and median income of $81,180 (2024 figure), the same household could afford about $282,000 and the median listing took 39.2% of income. Affordability in Georgia has worsened since then.

Nearby in the ranking

#24 Maine: can afford $300,000, median listing $450,000
#25 Alabama: can afford $216,000, median listing $325,000
#27 Delaware: can afford $315,000, median listing $485,000
#28 North Carolina: can afford $253,000, median listing $400,000

Run your own numbers →

How this is calculated: 28% of gross monthly income for housing, 10% down, a 30-year fixed loan at Freddie Mac’s weekly average, and 1.45% of the price a year for taxes and insurance. Full method, caveats, and sources on the main index page. An educational gauge, not a mortgage quote.