Is Your Salary Enough in Los Angeles, CA?
Population 3,857,897 · Median income $80,366
Los Angeles's median household income of $80,366 runs about 8% above the US figure, putting most relocation math close to national norms. Buying is the harder threshold: a typical home at $880,000 requires roughly $219,875 per year under the standard 4×-income rule — about 174% above the local median income. A working comfort threshold for the city — 1.2× the local median — lands near $95,000.
Median Household Income
$80,366
Median Rent
$1,879/mo
Need $75,000/yr (30% rule)
Median Home Value
$879,500
Need $219,875/yr (4x rule)
Salary Breakdown for Los Angeles
| Annual Salary | vs Local Median | Max Rent | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 50% | $1,000/mo | Difficult |
| $55,000 | 68% | $1,375/mo | Tight |
| $70,000 | 87% | $1,750/mo | Tight |
| $85,000 | 106% | $2,125/mo | Average |
| $100,000 | 124% | $2,500/mo | Comfortable |
| $125,000 | 156% | $3,125/mo | Very Comfortable |
| $150,000 | 187% | $3,750/mo | Very Comfortable |
| $200,000 | 249% | $5,000/mo | Very Comfortable |
Home Buying in Los Angeles
Conservative (3x income)
$293,167/yr
Standard (4x income)
$219,875/yr
Aggressive (5x income)
$175,900/yr
Key Facts for Los Angeles
- Comfortable salary:
- $95,000+/yr
- Median rent:
- $1,879/mo
- Median home value:
- $879,500
- Median income:
- $80,366/yr