What it takes to afford a starter home in the Bay Area

San Jose is the most expensive city to buy a starter home, according to data from Redfin.

The median starter home in the South Bay city is just under $1 million, with a monthly mortgage payment of about $7,500. That means people need a combined income of nearly $300,000 to pay for it.

In San Francisco, people need to make $285,000 a year to pay for a starter home. In Oakland, people need about $200,000 to afford one.

The analysis assumes people pay no more than 30% of their income for housing and make a 3.5% down payment.