Homebuying affordability is improving in several California cities as home prices soften, with income needed to afford a typical home declining in places like San Jose, Riverside, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Anaheim. Nationwide, the income required dropped slightly to $109,796. However, San Francisco bucks the trend, with income needed rising 6.2% to $453,205 due to strong demand from the AI boom. San Diego also saw a slight affordability decline. Despite improvements, many Americans still face a gap between earnings and homebuying costs.