From the buyer’s fee to the mortgage insurance, the home buying process can be costly. Saving is a must, but how long does it take to rack up enough cash for a down payment in Atlanta?

» RELATED: 9 ways to save for a down payment on a home

The personal finance company SmartAsset did some digging to find out. Its experts used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's One-Year American Community Survey to calculate how many years it takes to afford a 20 percent down payment for a median-priced home in 50 of America's largest cities. Their scenario included workers earning the median income and saving 20 percent of their salary a year.

After analyzing the results, they found that Atlantans, with a median household income of $53,843, need to save for 4.8 years to pay for a pad with a median home value of $262,600.

The Peach City fell toward the middle of the pack. Overall, it takes Californians longer to save. Six of the top 10 places where the average household would have to save the longest were in the Golden State. House hunters in Los Angeles should stow away money for 10.9 years, while those in San Francisco should for 9.8 years.

Texas homebuyers require the least amount of time. Residents in Fort Worth, San Antonio, Arlington and El Paso all need to save for fewer than three years.

Want to know how other areas fared?

Take a look at the full report here.

» RELATED: This is the salary you need to earn to buy an 'average' house in Atlanta

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