A recent study of 25 major U.S. metropolitan areas found that the money someone needs to earn in order to buy a median-priced home in their market varies widely across the country. There is more than a $100,000 difference between the salary required to purchase an affordable home in the Cleveland area, for example, as compared to San Francisco. The data, from HSH Associates, looked at median home prices from the National Association of Realtors’ third-quarter data and the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to determine how much money someone would need to make in order to be able to afford the principal and interest payments on a home in their market. According to the results, a salary of less than $30,000 a year is enough to own a home in Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Atlanta, Tampa, and Orlando. Cities such as Houston, Dallas, and Chicago all require less than $50,000 a year in salary to afford a home. The most expensive metro was San Francisco, where $125,000 is needed. San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, and Boston rounded out the top five most expensive areas. More here.