A quiet Arizona neighborhood street at sunset, mountains in the distance

Income needed to buy
a house in Arizona

A bank would want to see a household income of about $103,400 a year for the typical Arizona home, worth $416,700 in September 2026. Here is the figure for every area, and what to do when the bank says no.

Area by area

$103,400

household income a bank would want for the typical Arizona home

$67,100

Sierra Vista & Cochise County, the lowest of the places listed here

$205,300

Scottsdale, the highest

24 of 26

places where that income is above what the typical household there earns

Each row: the typical home value, the income a bank would want, then what the typical household here earns.

AreaTypical homeIncome neededHouseholds earn

Typical home: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026. Income needed: the monthly cost of that home, a loan with a standard down payment at Freddie Mac's latest weekly average 30-year rate plus property tax and insurance, taking no more than 3 of every 10 dollars earned; the same figure each market report shows. Households earn: Census Bureau median household income (city figures are approximate, built from their ZIP codes). Every figure here is the market's, not a quote.

What the bank looks at

Income is one of four things. Here is each, with how often it was the first reason an Arizona bank gave for a no in 2025.

01
The income it can count
The debt-to-income ratio was the first reason on 4,413 of Arizona's 11,691 home-purchase denials in 2025, the most of any reason. The bank counts income its own way, such as a business owner's profit after deductions.
02
Your credit
Credit history came first on 1,908. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide sets no minimum score for loans its automated system approves, and 620 for a manually underwritten fixed-rate loan or 640 for an adjustable one.
03
The house
The property itself came first on 1,565: the appraisal or the home's condition did not satisfy the lender.
04
Cash to close
Insufficient cash came first on 605. Another 21,023 Arizona applications were withdrawn before the bank decided, and they are in no denial count.

Denials: our count of the 2025 federal HMDA loan-level file, Arizona home-purchase applications, first-listed reason, read on October 19, 2026. Credit scores: Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.1-01, dated April 22, 2026, read in full on October 27, 2026.

Down payment help

Arizona's statewide program sits on top of a bank loan. It does not replace one.

Home Plus, statewide

You do not apply to the program yourself: an approved lender arranges the help together with a new first mortgage, and you must qualify for that mortgage. Your income for that mortgage must be no more than $155,386 a year, the same in every county, as of April 6, 2026.

One buyer must finish a homebuyer education course before closing. The help is forgiven after 60 months, and must be repaid if you sell or refinance before then. The amount is set by the program and your lender.

Arizona Industrial Development Authority, Home Plus program page, read in full at homeplusaz.com on October 27, 2026.

When the bank says no

A seller can carry the loan instead. In Maricopa County, the one county whose records we hold, 589 home purchases from September 2025 to August 2026 were paid for with a new loan from the seller. The numbers by area are on owner financing in Arizona, and how we sell homes this way, with the deed in your name at closing, is on the owner-financed homes page.

Who is behind this

Arizona Home Report is veteran and first responder owned and operated by HERO Real Estate Investors (HERO REI). Our founder, Bryce Henderson, is a real estate investor, veteran and paramedic. We buy homes in Arizona and sell them with owner financing, and every figure on these pages names where it comes from.

Questions, answered

How much do you need to make to buy a house in Arizona?

About $103,400 a year in household income for the typical Arizona home, valued at $416,700 in September 2026, if the monthly cost of the home is to take no more than 3 of every 10 dollars earned. It runs from $67,100 in Sierra Vista & Cochise County to $205,300 in Scottsdale.

How much do you need to make to buy a house in Phoenix?

About $100,300 a year for the typical Phoenix home, valued at $404,100, on the same basis. The typical Phoenix household earns about $81,200.

What credit score do I need to buy a house?

It depends on the loan. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide sets no minimum score for loans its automated system (Desktop Underwriter) approves, and 620 for a manually underwritten fixed-rate loan or 640 for an adjustable one. Your lender can tell you which applies to you.

Does down payment help need a bank loan?

Yes, for Arizona's statewide Home Plus program. You get it through an approved lender together with a new first mortgage, your income for that mortgage must be no more than $155,386 (as of April 6, 2026), one buyer takes a homebuyer education course before closing, and the help must be repaid if you sell or refinance within the first 60 months.

Can I buy a house without a bank loan?

Yes. A seller can carry the loan. In Maricopa County, 589 home purchases from September 2025 to August 2026 were paid for with a new loan from the seller. We sell homes this way, and we look at whether you can carry the payment, not only your score.

Income needed to buya house in Arizona