Mortgage Rates Hit 7.4%—How Much More House Can $100,000 Buy at Yesterday’s Rates?Mortgage Rates Hit 7.4%—How Much More House Can $100,000 Buy at Yesterday’s Rates?

With 30-year mortgage rates reaching 7.4%, a household earning $100,000 may qualify for significantly less home than it could a year ago. Higher borrowing costs can add hundreds of dollars to monthly payments, even when the purchase price stays the same. Hryshchyshen Serhii/Shutterstock

Earning $100,000 a year used to sound like a comfortable ticket into homeownership, but today’s mortgage market is making even six-figure earners reconsider what they can afford. With mortgage rates reaching 7.4%, buyers are discovering that their salaries don’t stretch nearly as far as they did just a year ago.

According to Freddie Mac’s 2026 mortgage survey, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate stood at 7.40%, compared with 6.27% during the same period in 2025. That’s a significant increase in borrowing costs for families already struggling with expensive homes, property taxes, and insurance premiums. So, how much house can a household earning $100,000 actually afford at today’s rates, and what would that same paycheck have purchased when borrowing was cheaper? The difference may surprise you.