Mortgage and Housing Affordability Statistics 2026: Rates, Prices and Payment-to-Income
The numbers behind buying a home in 2026: rates, prices, what a payment takes out of a typical income, price growth in every state, and where mortgage debt and delinquency stand.
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📐 Verified Sep 29, 2026 against Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey (through Sep 24, 2026), Census and HUD new-home prices and Census income and homeownership data (via the St. Louis Fed's FRED), the FHFA House Price Index (through the second quarter of 2026 for states), the New York Fed's Household Debt and Credit Report for the second quarter of 2026 and the Consumer Price Index for August 2026. Payment math is principal and interest only. How we check numbers →
The average 30-year mortgage rate was 7.03% on Sep 24, 2026, up from 6.30% a year earlier, and the median new home sold for $393,700 in August 2026. With 20% down, principal and interest on a typical new home now takes about 30% of the median household's income, up from about 22% in 2021.
Numbers That Matter
| Rule or figure | What it says | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-year mortgage rate | 7.03% on Sep 24, 2026 (6.30% a year earlier; 5.98% to 7.03% over 52 weeks); 15-year 6.42% | Freddie Mac PMMS | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Median new-home price | $393,700 in August 2026; $410,700 for the second quarter | Census/HUD via FRED | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Home prices, past year | FHFA purchase-only index up about 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026 | FHFA House Price Index | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Median household income, 2025 | $87,460 ($83,160 in 2024) | Census via FRED | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.0% in the second quarter of 2026 (65.0% a year earlier) | Census HVS via FRED | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Mortgage debt and delinquency | $13.117 trillion owed in Q2 2026; 0.99% of balances 90+ days late; 55,160 people with new foreclosures | NY Fed Household Debt and Credit | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Rent, past year | Rent of a primary residence rose 2.7% and owners' equivalent rent 3.1% in the year to August 2026 (shelter 3.0%; all items 3.4%) | BLS Consumer Price Index | Sep 29, 2026 |
The Headline Numbers
- Rates: 7.03% on a 30-year fixed and 6.42% on a 15-year (Sep 24, 2026), the highest in the past 52 weeks.
- Prices: $393,700 median for new homes (August 2026); prices nationally up about 2.6% over the year to July.
- Affordability: principal and interest on the median new home with 20% down is about 30.0% of median household income at today's rate.
- Owners: 65.0% of households own their home.
- Debt: $13.117 trillion in mortgages and $458.5 billion in home equity lines, $18.77 trillion of household debt in all.
Mortgage Rates by Year
Annual averages of Freddie Mac's weekly 30-year fixed rate. The 2026 figure averages January through late September; rates were higher in late summer than earlier in the year and rose again after the Fed's September 16 increase.
| Year | Average 30-year rate |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 3.94% |
| 2020 | 3.11% |
| 2021 | 2.96% |
| 2022 | 5.34% |
| 2023 | 6.81% |
| 2024 | 6.72% |
| 2025 | 6.60% |
| 2026 (Jan–Sep) | 6.41% |
Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, weekly history. The survey reflects borrowers with strong credit putting 20% down; your quoted rate can differ.
Home Prices
The median new home sold for $393,700 in August 2026 and $410,700 across the second quarter, below the 2022 peak. The FHFA index, which tracks repeat sales of the same houses, was up about 2.6% over the year to July 2026: prices are still rising, but slowly. Here's how August's new-home sales spread across price ranges:
| Price range | Share of new homes sold |
|---|---|
| Under $300,000 | 22% |
| $300,000 to $399,999 | 30% |
| $400,000 to $499,999 | 22% |
| $500,000 to $599,999 | 9% |
| $600,000 to $799,999 | 10% |
| $800,000 to $999,999 | 3% |
| $1,000,000 and over | 4% |
Source: Census Bureau, New Residential Sales, Table 2 (preliminary August 2026).
Payment-to-Income: Affordability by Year
Price alone doesn't show affordability; the rate and income matter as much. This table puts the three together: principal and interest on the year's median new-home price with 20% down, as a share of that year's median household income.
| Year | Median new-home price | Average rate | Monthly P&I | Median income | P&I share of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $320,250 | 3.94% | $1,214 | $68,700 | 21.2% |
| 2020 | $328,150 | 3.11% | $1,122 | $68,010 | 19.8% |
| 2021 | $383,000 | 2.96% | $1,285 | $70,780 | 21.8% |
| 2022 | $432,950 | 5.34% | $1,932 | $74,580 | 31.1% |
| 2023 | $426,525 | 6.81% | $2,227 | $80,610 | 33.1% |
| 2024 | $418,975 | 6.72% | $2,167 | $83,160 | 31.3% |
| 2025 | $415,400 | 6.60% | $2,122 | $87,460 | 29.1% |
| 2026* | $409,600 | 6.41% | $2,052 | $87,460* | 28.2% |
Prices: annual average of Census/HUD quarterly medians for new homes sold (2026: first two quarters). Rates: Freddie Mac annual averages. Income: Census median household income. *2026 uses 2025 income, the latest available. Taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance would add to every year's payment.
Home Price Growth by State
FHFA's purchase-only index for each state, second quarter of 2026. Prices fell over the year in 4 states (California, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington); the fastest gains were in Alaska, Vermont and Hawaii.
| State | 1-year change | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | +2.8% | +36.1% |
| Alaska | +8.3% | +37.0% |
| Arizona | +0.5% | +27.3% |
| Arkansas | +1.1% | +37.6% |
| California | -0.3% | +17.1% |
| Colorado | -0.6% | +15.7% |
| Connecticut | +4.6% | +49.6% |
| Delaware | +3.2% | +36.6% |
| District of Columbia | +1.5% | -2.8% |
| Florida | +0.9% | +37.5% |
| Georgia | +1.8% | +38.9% |
| Hawaii | +5.9% | +39.1% |
| Idaho | +3.5% | +24.2% |
| Illinois | +5.5% | +43.9% |
| Indiana | +3.5% | +39.3% |
| Iowa | +2.3% | +32.4% |
| Kansas | +3.2% | +36.5% |
| Kentucky | +4.3% | +39.8% |
| Louisiana | +1.6% | +16.5% |
| Maine | +1.0% | +47.2% |
| Maryland | +0.9% | +25.3% |
| Massachusetts | +3.6% | +35.0% |
| Michigan | +3.7% | +38.5% |
| Minnesota | +2.4% | +24.4% |
| Mississippi | +0.6% | +35.5% |
| Missouri | +3.7% | +38.3% |
| Montana | +2.6% | +40.0% |
| Nebraska | +2.0% | +33.6% |
| Nevada | +2.7% | +28.5% |
| New Hampshire | +3.1% | +46.2% |
| New Jersey | +4.5% | +50.5% |
| New Mexico | -1.2% | +34.6% |
| New York | +3.5% | +44.9% |
| North Carolina | +0.4% | +41.5% |
| North Dakota | +4.8% | +32.6% |
| Ohio | +4.3% | +41.6% |
| Oklahoma | +1.9% | +31.8% |
| Oregon | +0.2% | +15.7% |
| Pennsylvania | +3.9% | +37.2% |
| Rhode Island | +4.6% | +45.7% |
| South Carolina | +2.3% | +45.0% |
| South Dakota | +1.1% | +35.4% |
| Tennessee | +0.9% | +38.4% |
| Texas | +0.4% | +25.1% |
| Utah | +1.0% | +23.9% |
| Vermont | +7.2% | +51.8% |
| Virginia | +3.0% | +37.1% |
| Washington | -1.0% | +19.6% |
| West Virginia | +5.7% | +40.5% |
| Wisconsin | +4.8% | +46.0% |
| Wyoming | +3.2% | +36.3% |
Source: FHFA House Price Index, purchase-only, not seasonally adjusted; 2026 Q2 against 2025 Q2 and 2021 Q2. State figures hide wide swings between cities.
Rent
Rent of a primary residence rose 2.7% and owners' equivalent rent 3.1% in the year to August 2026 (shelter 3.0%; all items 3.4%). The CPI measures rent across all leases, not just new ones, so it moves more slowly than asking rents on listings.
Homeownership
The homeownership rate was 65.0% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census Bureau's Housing Vacancies and Homeownership survey, unchanged from a year earlier. Low-rate lock-in keeps many owners from selling, which holds down the supply of existing homes.
Mortgage Debt and Delinquency
- Balances: $13.117 trillion in mortgages and $458.5 billion in home equity lines of credit (second quarter of 2026).
- New loans: $504.6 billion of mortgages originated in the quarter ($529.8 billion in the first); 57.5% went to borrowers with credit scores of 760 or higher, and the median score at origination was 764.
- Delinquency: 0.99% of mortgage balances and 0.99% of home equity line balances were 90 or more days late.
- Foreclosures: about 55,160 people had a new foreclosure on their credit report in the quarter.
Worked Example: What the Rate Costs on Today's Median Home
- The loan: the 2026 median new-home price so far, $409,600, with 20% down is a $327,680 30-year mortgage.
- At today's 7.03%: principal and interest of $2,187 a month, 30.0% of the median household's income.
- At last year's 6.30%: $2,028 a month, so the past year's rate rise adds $158 a month.
- At 2021's 2.96% average: $1,374 a month, $812 less than today, or $9,747 a year on the same loan.
Principal and interest only; property taxes and insurance often add several hundred dollars a month.
Decision Rules
If this, then that
- If you're judging affordability over time → compare payment-to-income, not price alone.
- If rates move a full point → on a $327,680 loan the payment moves by about $216 a month; get quotes before and after big economic releases.
- If your state's index fell → check your own metro and neighborhood; state figures average over very different markets.
- If you cite these numbers → cite the date shown; rates change weekly and prices monthly.
- Always → add taxes, insurance and any mortgage insurance before deciding what you can afford.
Mistakes to avoid
- Comparing new-home medians with existing-home medians; they measure different houses.
- Using a rate from a month ago when weekly rates have moved.
- Treating a state price index as your home's value.
- Leaving taxes and insurance out of affordability math.
Using and Citing These Numbers
Figures come from the public sources above; the payment-to-income table and the rate example are our calculations from them. Cite as: DigitalWealthSource, "Mortgage and Housing Affordability Statistics 2026: Rates, Prices and Payment-to-Income," updated 2026-09-29, https://digitalwealthsource.com/data/mortgage-housing-statistics. More in the Data Library.
Related: what a low-rate mortgage is worth, ARM vs fixed, rate buydowns, how mortgage rates work and the Real Estate & Homeownership hub.