(WFLA/NEXSTAR) — Buying a home has always been a major investment, but now for the average American, their down payment may be more money than they were expecting.
An analysis from Zillow shows U.S. citizens who make the median household income, ($74,580, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), need to pay roughly a 35% down payment on their homes in hopes of sustaining a reasonable monthly mortgage payment.
Zillow found the average U.S. home costs an estimated $360,000. This means if the average American hopes to keep their mortgage payment at less than 30% of their monthly income, a broadly accepted standard of affordability, they’d have to pay $127,750 for their down payment.
Just five years ago, the real estate company said the typical home was worth about 50 percent less, and many homes would have been affordable for those same Americans with no money down.
According to Zillow, there are still “affordable pockets” in the U.S. where a median-income household can afford monthly payments on a typical home for less than a 10% down payment.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania tops the list for most affordable housing market, where a typical home can have a reasonable mortgage with no money down. Others that came close were St. Louis, Missouri (4.2% down payment), Birmingham, Alabama (7.6%), Detroit, Michigan (9.5%), and Indianapolis, Indiana (9.8%).
The most expensive city for a median-income household was San Jose, California where you would need to put $1.3 million down or 80.9% of that city’s average home price. Other major California cities were also high on the list including Los Angeles ($780,203 or 81.1%), San Diego ($723,527 or 75.5%), and San Francisco ($887,656 or 75%). New York City has a similarly high down payment cost at roughly a 75.3% of its average home value, however its down payment is roughly half of the aforementioned California cities at $494,795.
Here’s a look at how much the average buyer would need for a down payment in 50 metros across the United States.
| Metro Area* | Typical Home Value |
Down Payment Needed ($) |
Down Payment Needed (%) |
| United States | $360,681 | $127,743 | 35.4 % |
| New York, NY | $657,279 | $494,795 | 75.3 % |
| Los Angeles, CA | $962,388 | $780,203 | 81.1 % |
| Chicago, IL | $321,897 | $95,953 | 29.8 % |
| Dallas, TX | $381,104 | $152,586 | 40.0 % |
| Houston, TX | $310,707 | $76,825 | 24.7 % |
| Washington, DC | $568,862 | $188,087 | 33.1 % |
| Philadelphia, PA | $362,204 | $103,471 | 28.6 % |
| Miami, FL | $490,088 | $316,270 | 64.5 % |
| Atlanta, GA | $387,471 | $118,239 | 30.5 % |
| Boston, MA | $701,349 | $432,875 | 61.7 % |
| Phoenix, AZ | $461,352 | $186,012 | 40.3 % |
| San Francisco, CA | $1,183,272 | $887,656 | 75.0 % |
| Riverside, CA | $584,710 | $358,926 | 61.4 % |
| Detroit, MI | $254,325 | $24,132 | 9.5 % |
| Seattle, WA | $753,414 | $462,095 | 61.3 % |
| Minneapolis, MN | $378,924 | $102,199 | 27.0 % |
| San Diego, CA | $958,266 | $723,527 | 75.5 % |
| Tampa, FL | $382,802 | $181,195 | 47.3 % |
| Denver, CO | $595,649 | $300,970 | 50.5 % |
| Baltimore, MD | $387,914 | $100,641 | 25.9 % |
| St. Louis, MO | $253,559 | $10,773 | 4.2 % |
| Orlando, FL | $398,881 | $192,533 | 48.3 % |
| Charlotte, NC | $386,371 | $149,041 | 38.6 % |
| San Antonio, TX | $289,511 | $92,158 | 31.8 % |
| Portland, OR | $556,385 | $296,427 | 53.3 % |
| Sacramento, CA | $586,875 | $337,769 | 57.6 % |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $217,285 | $0 | 0 % |
| Cincinnati, OH | $287,721 | $59,573 | 20.7 % |
| Austin, TX | $466,628 | $209,333 | 44.9 % |
| Las Vegas, NV | $427,509 | $198,306 | 46.4 % |
| Kansas City, MO | $307,032 | $76,273 | 24.8 % |
| Columbus, OH | $315,438 | $84,215 | 26.7 % |
| Indianapolis, IN | $282,396 | $27,570 | 9.8 % |
| Cleveland, OH | $230,536 | $31,551 | 13.7 % |
| San Jose, CA | $1,631,252 | $1,320,275 | 80.9 % |
| Nashville, TN | $446,180 | $203,325 | 45.6 % |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $351,095 | $112,962 | 32.2 % |
| Providence, RI | $481,911 | $257,453 | 53.4 % |
| Jacksonville, FL | $361,796 | $116,974 | 32.3 % |
| Milwaukee, WI | $348,439 | $137,086 | 39.3 % |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $235,815 | $31,331 | 13.3 % |
| Raleigh, NC | $449,514 | $152,410 | 33.9 % |
| Memphis, TN | $242,519 | $30,852 | 12.7 % |
| Richmond, VA | $372,080 | $105,228 | 28.3 % |
| Louisville, KY | $258,557 | $46,869 | 18.1 % |
| New Orleans, LA | $241,940 | $46,138 | 19.1 % |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $549,373 | $251,131 | 45.7 % |
| Hartford, CT | $362,763 | $129,585 | 35.7 % |
| Buffalo, NY | $262,616 | N/A | N/A |
| Birmingham, AL | $255,033 | $19,406 | 7.6 % |
If you’re hoping for the market to drop before trying to jump on a house, you may want to reconsider.
The Associated Press spoke with Ethan Hamilton, a licensed agent with Realty ONE Group Sterling who says that as tempting as waiting for the market to dip is, you won’t be the only one waiting. And if everyone’s waiting, house prices will only continue to go up and up.
Instead, he encourages prospective buyers to focus on what they can control. Like trying to save for a down payment, building their credit score, or maybe starting a side hustle for more money.
With more money and a better credit score, buyers can often land a better mortgage rate and reduce their monthly payments.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.