- A new analysis of almost 40 iconic homes featured in TV shows has identified just how much you would need to earn for you to be the proud owner of one of these properties
- At the top, to live like Succession’s Roman, you’d need to be bringing home an eye-watering $4.77million a year – even over the water, you’d still need to earn $307,000 to live like Tony Soprano
- Surprisingly, the study found that a charming house like Lorelai’s in Gilmore Girls may be more in budget than you think – with the average annual earnings required being $54,000 per year
A new study of iconic homes seen on some of America’s favorite TV shows has revealed how much your annual salary would need to be to live like an on-screen star.
How was this done?
The study by the real estate company The Robert Dekanski Team analyzed almost 40 of the most famous on-screen homes by estimating their value and how much an owner would need to earn to afford the property. The estimated values of the homes were obtained by searching Zillow.com to find out the average cost for a home of similar size, in the area where the house was ‘supposed to be’ located, had it existed outside of its fictional world.
Once the average house price was estimated, a 10% down payment was accounted for, and the average mortgage interest over a 30-year period was added (7.32% according to Bankrate in late February 2024). Finally, the total annual mortgage payment for each property was calculated to be 35% of the annual salary required to own the home, to identify how much you would need to earn to become its owner.
Most expensive to the most affordable
The study ranked the homes from those that would require an impressive seven-figure salary to own to those perhaps more within budget.
For salaries over $1 million – Succession to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Unless you’re the heir to a global media conglomerate like Roman Roy in Succession, his six-bed, 12-bath Chelsea, New York townhouse may seem out of reach at a cool $22.5 million price tag. However, the study found that if you’re fortunate enough to have a 10% downpayment and an annual salary ofaround$4.77million, the decadent home could be yours.
But if the West Coast is more your style, the Banks’ mansion in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would require an annual salary ofalmost$3.1million to be able to cover its substantial annual mortgage payments of nearly $1.1 million.
Similarly, the Bank’s mansion isn’t the only home bringing up the TV real estate value in California, but the Cohen’s house in Newport Beach from The OC would see its owners needing to bring home just underan estimated $4.1million annual salary to cover the average $19.3 million price tag of similar homes in the area, according to the study.
For salaries under $1 million a year – Only Murders in the Building to The Sopranos
In the study, 67% of the TV homes analyzed require their owners to have a yearly salary between $100,000 and $1 million – highlighting that your favorite on-screen characters may be more successful than you think.
Like Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl, somewhat known as the ‘less-fortunate boy from Brooklyn’ on the show, but the study found that the Humphrey’s loft would require Dan’s ex-rockstar dad to bring in an impressive annual salary of $398,000 at a minimum to own the Williamsburg apartment.
Other iconic TV characters’ apartments in New York include The Trio’s apartments in Only Murders in the Building, which the study found would require a minimum annual salary ofalmost$848,000 (based on apartment prices in the real building, The Belnord starting at $4 million) and Monica’s apartment in Friends requiring its occupants to earn a substantial income of just under $555,000per year.
However, the study found that you would need to go further afield to find bigger TV homes in this price range. According to the findings, to live like mob boss Tony Soprano, annual earnings of around$307,000 would be required to own a four-bed house in Caldwell, New Jersey, as seen in The Sopranos.
Similarly, a four-bed house in Los Angeles, California, like the Dunphy residence in Modern Family, would need its owners to earn $343,000 a yearto cover its annual mortgage payments of $120,000. Alternatively, to secure a Montana ranch like the Dutton House in Yellowstone, owners would need a salary of over $870,000 to maintain its annual costs, as found by the study.
For salaries under $250,000 a year – How to Get Away with Murder to New Girl
For homes requiring less than a $250,000 salary, the study found that a 5-bed home in Philadelphia, like Annalise Keating’s home from How to Get Away with Murder, would have an average annual mortgage of almost $75,000. This would require its owners to earn at least $213,000a year – which appears achievable for the successful defense attorney.
Even in New York City, to own an apartment like that belonging to Mike Ross and Rachel Zane in the slick legal drama Suits, your earnings wouldn’t need to be over a quarter-million dollars. The study estimated that an annual minimum salaryof around $143,000 could get you a one-bed, one-bath apartment in Manhattan – but the square footage may vary depending on area.
Alternatively, the four-bed downtown LA apartment seen in New Girl may provide inspiration. The average cost of similar-sized properties in the area is currently around $592,000, requiring an estimated average salary ofover $125,000for its owner to maintain the mortgage payments for such a home.
For salaries under $100,000 a year – Gilmore Girls to The Bear
Some notably familiar names were identified in the study as TV characters who reside in more affordable properties for the average viewer.
The charming two-bed, one-bath homes of Lorelai in Gilmore Girls and Jim and Pam in The Office were both identified to require a salary of under $55,000 to be able to afford their respective mortgage costs.
The former, found in a small town in Connecticut (Stars Hollow in the show), would require its owner to have an annual salaryof around $54,000, whereas Jim and Pam’s home in Scranton, Philadelphia, would need its owner to earn a minimum ofjust under$45,000annually, based on the average home value of almost $211,000.
However, if you prefer city life, the study found that a one-bed, one-bath apartment in Chicago, Illinois, like the one that young chef ‘Carmy’ lives in on The Bear, would have an estimated average value of around $208,000. Therefore, this would require its owner to have an annual income of $44,000 to cover costs after the down payment.
A spokesperson for The Robert Dekanski Team commented on the study:
“As viewers, we can often wish we had lives like our favorite TV characters, and this can lead us to wonder how exactly we can follow in their footsteps. The study provides a unique insight into the realities of whether this is possible – and it’s unsurprising a lot of our favored on-screen homes come with a hefty price tag.
“However, the results have also identified some homes which are perhaps more attainable than you may have originally thought and may even highlight areas in the country where you could afford your dream home, taking inspiration from the screen.”