Home buyers in metro Phoenix would need an annual salary of $43,938 to be able to buy a median-priced home, according to figures from HSH.com

That fourth-quarter calculation is based on buying a $221,000 home, the Phoenix median price, with a 20 percent downpayment and a interest rate of 4.03 percent. The monthly payment would be $1,025. 

The fourth-quarter interest rate in Phoenix was up 0.6 percent from the third quarter. Phoenix’s median price jumped 10.3 percent from a year earlier.

The National Association of Realtors expects prices to continue to rise because of a lack of inventory of existing homes. 

“Without a significant ramp-up in new home construction and more homeowners listing their homes for sale, buyers are likely to see little relief in the form of slowing price growth in the months ahead,” said Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist. 

Nationally, home buyers would need a salary of $51,115 to purchase a median-priced home of $222,700 with an interest rate of 4.02 percent and a monthly payment of $1,193.

The mortgage information website HSH.com calculates the required salary to buy a median-priced home in 27 metro areas. 

Pittsburgh had the lowest salary requirement of $31,134 to buy a median-priced home of $128,000.

San Francisco had the highest salary of $147,996 needed to buy a median-priced home of $781,600.