How much house can you afford on a $85,000 salary?

Baseline assumptions

Take-home pay (estimated)

$5,525/mo — an illustrative 78% of gross, not a tax calculation

Other debt payments

$450/mo

Living expenses

$2,750/mo — childcare $1,200, healthcare $200, groceries $700, transport $450, other $200

Down payment

$30,000

Loan

30-year fixed at 6.89% (740-759 credit; static rate as of 2026-09-10)

Property tax & insurance

Texas rates, as a default reference point

Every assumption is editable — the full calculator opens pre-filled with these exact numbers.

A lender would likely approve up to $295,954 on this income — but this household's own budget, once real expenses are counted, can only sustain $249,462. That $46,492 gap is exactly the kind of overreach this calculator exists to flag before it becomes a monthly deficit.