A family with two toddlers in daycare weighs buying their first home on a combined middle income
Priya (32) & Jake (33), Columbus OH
exampleMarried, two kids ages 1 and 3 · $115k/yr household income
They're renting and weighing whether to buy their first home while both kids are still in full-time daycare
Priya & Jake are renting and weighing whether to buy their first home while both kids are still in full-time daycare The real question: Can we afford to buy a house while paying for two kids in daycare on $115k combined income?
There’s a gap to close-$961k
Projected net worth at retirement (2057)
Retirement year
2057
Safe withdrawal / yr
$0
Spending need / yr
$87k
First shortfall
2044
Modeled year by year, the plan runs short before the finish line. That doesn’t mean the goal is off the table. It means one or two levers (savings rate, timing, or the size of the purchase) need to move, and seeing exactly where and when is the value.
Your situation is more like this than a rule of thumb
Model your real household — kids, a home, a big expense — free in under a minute.
Get my verdict →An illustrative example household. The numbers are modeled by Rightmont’s engine from these inputs; your real answer depends on your full picture. Educational only, not financial advice.