What Kind of House Can You Buy With $750k?

With $750,000, you can move well above the recent median home price in markets such as Phoenix, Austin and Nashville, and get close to the midpoint in coastal cities like San Diego.

$750,000 still remains well below the median in Boston.

But compared with a $500,000 budget, the extra $250,000 can move you into an entirely different part of the local housing market.

Key Takeaways

1. $750,000 is a substantial move-up budget in many major markets. It’s about 60% above Phoenix’s recent median sold price, 39% above Austin’s and 28% above Nashville’s.
2. The jump from $500,000 to $750,000 can change more than the size of the house. In Austin and Nashville, it moves you from below the recent median to comfortably above it.
3. In expensive coastal markets, $750,000 can still be a below-median budget. It sits slightly below San Diego’s recent midpoint and more than 30% below Boston’s.

Where Does a $750k Budget Fit Into Today’s Housing Market?

At $750,000, you’re above the recent midpoint in a large number of major U.S. markets.

But the same budget still represents very different levels of buying power depending on the city.

How a $750,000 Budget Compares Across Markets

Market	August 2026 median sold price	$750k vs. median	Active listings	Average days on market
Columbus, OH	$270,000	178% above	3,935	44
Phoenix, AZ	$469,000	60% above	6,039	71
Austin, TX	$539,000	39% above	6,606	88
Nashville, TN	$588,230	28% above	4,630	56
San Diego, CA	$795,000	6% below	3,530	61
Boston, MA	$1,110,000	32% below	1,396	78

The interesting part isn’t simply that Columbus is cheaper than Boston.

It’s what happens in the markets between those extremes. At $750,000, Phoenix, Austin and Nashville all shift into clearly above-median territory, while San Diego remains just below the midpoint.

What Changes When You Go From $500k to $750k?

An extra $250,000 doesn’t have the same effect everywhere.

In a market where $500,000 already puts you well above the median, the additional money is primarily buying upgrades within the market.

In another city, it can move you from below the typical recent sale price to substantially above it.

How $500k and $750k Compare in the Same Markets

Market	Recent median sold price	$500k position	$750k position
Columbus, OH	$270,000	85% above median	178% above median
Phoenix, AZ	$469,000	7% above median	60% above median
Austin, TX	$539,000	7% below median	39% above median
Nashville, TN	$588,230	15% below median	28% above median
San Diego, CA	$795,000	37% below median	6% below median
Boston, MA	$1,110,000	55% below median	32% below median

Austin and Nashville are the clearest examples.

At $500,000, you’re below the recent midpoint in both markets. At $750,000, you’re well above it.

That’s a much bigger change than simply adding another bedroom.

What Does the Extra $250k Buy in Austin?

Austin homes sold for a median $539,000 in August 2026.

A $500,000 buyer sits about 7% below that figure. At $750,000, you’re about 39% above it.

That changes the nature of the search.

At $500,000, you may be making more compromises to remain close to the citywide midpoint. Raising the ceiling to $750,000 gives you more room to prioritize the features that separate one property from another, such as:

• Location within the metro
• More living space
• Additional bedrooms or bathrooms
• Newer construction
• Lot size
• Condition and renovation level

The market data doesn’t tell us exactly which combination $750,000 buys. It tells us that you’re shopping from a much stronger position relative to Austin’s broader market.

What Changes in Nashville?

Nashville shows almost the same transition.

The August 2026 median sold price was $588,230.

A $500,000 ceiling is about 15% below that figure. A $750,000 budget is about 28% above it.

At $500,000, you’re primarily looking below where the typical recent transaction occurred.

At $750,000, you’re shopping above the midpoint.

That’s the kind of change that can expand the neighborhoods, conditions and property types available to you rather than merely increasing square footage.

In Phoenix, $500k Is Already Mainstream

Phoenix is different.

The Phoenix median sold price was $469,000 in August.

That means a $500,000 buyer is already slightly above the recent citywide median.

At $750,000, the budget rises to roughly 60% above it.

So the additional $250,000 isn’t primarily about gaining access to the mainstream Phoenix market. You already had that at $500,000.

Instead, it’s more likely to increase your ability to select among the higher-priced parts of the market and prioritize features rather than simply clearing the entry point.

Does $750k Reach the Middle of the San Diego Market?

Almost.

San Diego homes sold for a median $795,000 in August 2026.

At $500,000, you’re roughly 37% below that midpoint.

At $750,000, you’re only about 6% below it.

That makes the $500,000-to-$750,000 jump especially meaningful in San Diego. You’re moving from well below the broader city market to just shy of its recent median.

You’re still not guaranteed a detached single-family home or any particular neighborhood. San Diego’s housing stock includes condos, townhomes and detached homes at very different price levels.

But you’re now shopping much closer to where the typical recent transaction occurred.

Even $750k Is Still a Below-Median Budget in Boston

Boston illustrates the other end of the spectrum.

The Boston median sold price was $1.11 million in August 2026.

A $500,000 budget is roughly 55% below that figure.

Moving to $750,000 narrows the gap, but you’re still about 32% below the citywide median.

That doesn’t mean $750,000 can’t buy a Boston property. It means you’re still searching within the lower-priced portion of the broader market.

Property type may therefore play a much larger role than it would in Phoenix, Austin or Columbus.

Movoto’s guide to different types of homes can help you compare detached houses, condos, townhomes and other options when your target price doesn’t line up neatly with the local median.

What About a Lower-Cost Market Like Columbus?

Columbus demonstrates diminishing returns in a different sense.

The Columbus median sold price was $270,000 in August 2026.

Even $500,000 is already about 85% above the recent median.

At $750,000, you’re nearly 178% above it.

So if your goal is simply to buy a conventional home in the Columbus market, you don’t need $750,000 to gain access to mainstream inventory.

The higher budget is about moving further into the upper portion of the market.

That’s very different from San Diego, where moving from $500,000 to $750,000 brings you dramatically closer to the midpoint itself.

What Is the Monthly Cost of a $750k Home?

The additional buying power comes with a significant payment increase.

With 10% down on a $750,000 home, you’d put down $75,000 and finance about $675,000.

Estimated Monthly Payment on a $750,000 Home

Payment component	Estimated monthly cost
Principal and interest	$4,360
Property taxes	$688
Homeowners insurance	$219
Estimated PMI	$281
Estimated total	$5,548

Under the same assumptions, a $500,000 home with 10% down would cost about $3,698 per month.

So moving from $500,000 to $750,000 adds roughly $1,850 to the estimated monthly housing payment.

That puts the market comparison into perspective. In Austin or Nashville, the larger budget moves you from below the recent median to well above it, but you’re paying substantially more each month for that additional buying power.

An income-needed calculator can help you compare the income implications of different purchase prices and down payments.

How Much Income Do You Need for a $750k Home?

The answer depends on your mortgage rate, down payment, debts and property costs.

Movoto’s existing guide to the income needed for a $750,000 home covers the qualification side of this price point.

If you’re starting with your earnings instead, see how much house you may be able to afford on $150,000 a year.

The two questions are related but different. One tells you what a $750,000 budget buys in the market. The other tells you whether that budget fits your finances.

Where Can You Browse Homes Around $750k?

Market medians show where the budget sits. Current inventory shows the actual options.

You can browse current homes in:

• Columbus
• Phoenix
• Austin
• Nashville
• San Diego
• Boston

Those live searches are the better place to answer questions about exact bedroom counts, square footage and current property types because inventory can change daily.

How Does $750k Compare With $600k or $1 Million?

At $750,000, you’re already well above the recent midpoint in Austin and Nashville and nearly at the midpoint in San Diego.

A $600,000 budget sits closer to the middle in Austin and Nashville while remaining much further below San Diego.

Moving to a $1 million budget changes the high-cost-market comparison again. It would move you above the recent San Diego median while still leaving you below Boston’s.

If you’re still deciding what purchase ceiling fits your finances, Movoto’s home affordability guide and calculator can help you work backward from your income, debts and down payment.

Bottom Line

A $750,000 home budget can represent a genuine move into a different part of the market.

In Phoenix, it’s about 60% above the recent median. In Austin, it’s 39% above. In Nashville, it’s 28% above.

The contrast with a $500,000 budget is especially important in Austin and Nashville, where that extra $250,000 moves you from below the recent midpoint to clearly above it.

In San Diego, the same increase moves you from 37% below the median to only 6% below. In Boston, even $750,000 remains well below the broader market midpoint.

So what separates a $750,000 home from a $500,000 home isn’t consistent nationwide. In one metro, the additional money primarily buys upgrades. In another, it changes which part of the market you can realistically shop in at all.

FAQ

What kind of house can you buy for $750,000?

It depends heavily on location. A $750,000 budget sits well above recent median sale prices in Phoenix, Austin and Nashville, close to the median in San Diego and well below the midpoint in Boston.

Where does $750,000 go the furthest?

Among the markets compared here, Columbus provides the greatest relative buying power. Its August 2026 median sold price was $270,000, putting a $750,000 budget nearly 178% above the recent midpoint.

Is $750,000 enough to buy a house in San Diego?

Yes, but it sits just below the broader market midpoint. San Diego’s August 2026 median sold price was $795,000, making a $750,000 budget about 6% lower.

Is $750,000 enough to buy a house in Austin?

It puts you comfortably above the recent citywide midpoint. Austin’s August median sold price was $539,000, so $750,000 is roughly 39% higher.

How much more does a $750k home cost per month than a $500k home?

Using the same 10% down payment and planning assumptions, the estimated monthly housing cost rises from about $3,698 on a $500,000 home to about $5,548 on a $750,000 home, a difference of roughly $1,850 per month.

The post What Kind of House Can You Buy With $750k? appeared first on Movoto Blog.