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Home Down Payments: 7-Year Wait Amid Price Surge

12/31/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A typical down payment now requires about seven years of saving in the United States, down from 12 years in 2022, per Realtor.com.
The longer timeline stems from high home prices and a personal savings rate of 5.1%, below the pre-pandemic 6.5%.
In high-cost markets such as San Francisco, the wait reaches 36.5 years, while San Antonio is about 1.3 years, signaling buyers shift to cheaper areas.

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Story summary

A typical down payment now requires about seven years of saving in the United States, down from 12 years in 2022, per Realtor.com.
The longer timeline stems from high home prices and a personal savings rate of 5.1%, below the pre-pandemic 6.5%.
In high-cost markets such as San Francisco, the wait reaches 36.5 years, while San Antonio is about 1.3 years, signaling buyers shift to cheaper areas.