San Francisco, CA
California dominates top 10 priciest U.S. cities for homeowners — here’s what you need to earn
- California dominates US housing costs, with 9 of 10 priciest metros; San Jose leads at $11,690/month.
- San Francisco and Los Angeles also rank high, requiring annual incomes of $358,090 and $301,221 respectively.
- Despite a slight decline in income requirements since 2025, affordability remains a distant dream for many.
From Silicon Valley to San Diego, the Golden State boasts nine of the 10 most expensive metropolitan areas in the US for homeowners, a new report revealed.
San Jose landed in the top spot, followed by San Francisco at No. 2 and Los Angeles at No. 5.
An analysis from ConsumerAffairs examined monthly home payments across 200 of the nation’s largest metro areas to determine the income needed to afford a home in each location.
In San Jose, that monthly cost came out to a staggering $11,690 — making it by far the the most expensive US metro for homeowners for the second year in a row.
Buyers now need to earn an eye-popping $501,012 in annual income to afford a typical property.
That figure dwarfs the city’s actual median household income of $164,801, exceeding it by a massive 204%, according to the report. It also far surpasses the national median household income of $81,604.
With a median home price of more than $1.55 million, ownership in the Silicon Valley city remains out of reach for most residents.
Nearby San Francisco ranked the second most expensive, with monthly housing costs at $8,355 and buyers needing to earn $358,090 annually to afford a home there, the analysis found.
In Los Angeles, monthly costs averaged $7,029, with buyers needing to earn $301,221.
The 10 most expensive metro areas in the US and their average monthly costs:
- 1. San Jose: $11,690
- 2. San Francisco: $8,355
- 3. Santa Cruz: $354,973
- 4. Santa Maria: $305,535
- 5. Los Angeles: $301,221
- 6. San Diego: $293,618
- 7. San Luis Obispo: $280,591
- 8. Oxnard: $276,805
- 9. Salinas: $262,403
- 10. Honolulu, Hawaii: $255,280
The only metro outside California to crack the top 10 was Honolulu.
The divide across the country is stark.
The gap between the income needed to buy a home in San Jose compared to Huntington, West Virginia, the most affordable metro in the analysis, stood at a staggering $447,362.
Despite the sky-high costs, there is a slight silver lining: Income requirements in each of the top 10 cities in the ranking declined more than the average national drop of 3.2% since 2025.
Still, affordability remains a distant dream for many Americans.
The last time a typical US household could comfortably follow the 28% rule — spending no more than 28% of income on housing — was in 2015, when incomes exceeded required levels by just 0.4%.
Today, buyers need 48% more income than the median household earns nationwide.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
San Francisco, CA
This Week: S.F. management, Board Meeting, Pride Bike – Streetsblog San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Alcatraz City Cruises ferry slams into SF’s Pier 31, shattering passenger windows
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A ferry carrying passengers collided with Pier 31 while docking Sunday evening, breaking multiple windows and leaving some riders shaken.
Video of the incident shows the vessel striking the pier, with several passengers saying the impact knocked people off their feet and turned a scenic trip into a frightening experience.
“He’s like, ‘Mom, I thought this was going to be the best day, but this is just the worst day ever,’” said Olivia RiosAcuña, describing her young son’s reaction. She said she booked the City Cruises tour because of her son’s love of boats. The family spent much of the day on the deck before heading downstairs as the ferry prepared to dock.
“Next thing I know, I just heard a really loud noise and the whole boat shook,” she said.
MORE: Several injured after boats collide during Contra Costa Co. high school fishing competition
RiosAcuña said the vessel struck the pier multiple times, shattering windows and causing panic among passengers. One woman tumbled down a staircase during the incident, she said.
“I was terrified. I was like, what on earth is going on? And then I was like, okay, who on earth is driving this boat?” she said.
Genesis Alcocer, another passenger, said she did not immediately realize the extent of the damage but feared the worst.
“For me, I was like, oh my god, we’re gonna sink. I’m not the best swimmer,” Alcocer said.
MORE: Rescue teams search for 27 missing after a passenger boat sinks in eastern Indonesia
She said crew members did not initially communicate what was happening.
“The people that worked there were not making a big deal about it, but you could tell in their face that they were panicking,” she said.
Daniel Aburto, who was also on board, questioned the crew’s experience.
“Is it your first day? That was my thought. Like, this is your first day. There’s no way, there’s no way,” he said.
MORE: Possible boat explosion in Miami sends several to the hospital: Fire officials
Passengers said they were kept on board for about 20 minutes before being directed to exit the ferry. RiosAcuña said she was surprised by the tone of a staff member as they disembarked.
“This guy’s like, ‘Have a great day. You guys sure had an exciting entry,’ or something like that,” she said. “I was like, exciting? More like traumatic. My kid’s still crying.”
RiosAcuña, Alcocer and Aburto said they do not plan to take another City Cruises trip anytime soon.
No injuries were reported.
Alcatraz City Cruises provided a statement to ABC7:
On Sunday evening, an Alcatraz City Cruises vessel was involved in a docking incident upon return to Pier 31. There are no currently reported injuries, and an investigation of the incident will be conducted to determine it cause. Any impacts to service will be provided as additional information becomes available.
Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
San Francisco, CA
SF 19th Avenue repavement project complete, all lanes now open: Caltrans
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — All lanes on San Francisco’s 19th Avenue have fully reopened ahead of schedule following the completion of a final, multi-round road repair project.
Northbound lanes reopened at 2:30 a.m. and southbound lanes at 6 a.m. on Monday, concluding work between Sloat Boulevard and Holloway Avenue.
The upgrades, which improved traffic flow after severe, temporary congestion, are expected to last for 20 years.
Caltrans repaves northbound 19th Ave. in San Francisco; locals, business owners brace for delays
Caltrans’s repavement project of 19th Avenue included repairing potholes and repairing unsound pavement. It was part of a third and final round of scheduled roadwork on the busy corridor.
This weekend’s closure affected 19th Avenue between Sloat Boulevard and Holloway Avenue, and crews worked on the northbound lanes during the day and then the southbound lanes at night.
One lane stayed open for public transit, emergency responders and local traffic.
Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
-
New Mexico24 seconds agoDrier and warmer weather returns to New Mexico Wednesday
-
North Carolina6 minutes agoDrought relief turns hazardous: Overwhelming rain triggers flash flooding in western NC
-
North Dakota12 minutes agoNorth Dakota State Patrol reports 9 crashes, 10 DUI arrests over holiday weekend
-
Ohio18 minutes ago
Ohio first responders reveal they were abused by Richard Strauss, former OSU doctor
-
Oklahoma24 minutes agoRuby Meylan Claims Another Postseason Honor for Oklahoma State
-
Oregon30 minutes agoSalem works to preserve memory of centuries-old Oregon white oak
-
Pennsylvania36 minutes agoBody found inside burning van in Berks County on Tuesday, officials say
-
Rhode Island42 minutes agoRhode Island stadium takes unique approach in targeting women’s sports events