Average Down Payment Price History
1980–2025 · National Association of Realtors / Zillow
Average down payment on existing homes sold in the United States from 1980 to 2025. Here's the number that keeps first-time buyers up at night. In 1980, scraping together $7,800 for a down payment was tough but doable on a middle-class salary. Fast forward to 2025, and buyers need an average of $58,500 upfront — a 7.5x increase that's far outpaced wage growth. The pandemic-era home price surge made things dramatically worse, with the average down payment jumping nearly $20,000 between 2019 and 2022 alone. It's the single biggest barrier to homeownership for younger Americans.
Price in 1980
$7,800.00
Price in 2025
$58,500.00
Total Change
+650.0%
Years Tracked
45
Average Down Payment Over Time
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- The average down payment rose from $7,800 in 1980 to $58,500 in 2025 — a 7.5x increase that's locked millions of would-be buyers out of the market entirely.
- Down payments tracked home prices almost perfectly through the 2000s boom, climbing from $18,700 in 2000 to $24,500 in 2007 before the crash knocked them back to $21,800.
- The pandemic era was brutal for aspiring homeowners: down payments surged from $35,800 in 2019 to $51,200 in 2022, adding $15,400 in just three years.
- Today's average down payment of $58,500 exceeds the entire median household income of the early 1980s, illustrating just how dramatically the goalpost has moved.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $7,800.00 | — |
| 1981 | $8,200.00 | +5.1% |
| 1982 | $8,500.00 | +3.7% |
| 1983 | $9,100.00 | +7.1% |
| 1984 | $9,600.00 | +5.5% |
| 1985 | $10,100.00 | +5.2% |
| 1986 | $10,800.00 | +6.9% |
| 1987 | $11,500.00 | +6.5% |
| 1988 | $12,200.00 | +6.1% |
| 1989 | $13,000.00 | +6.6% |
| 1990 | $13,400.00 | +3.1% |
| 1991 | $13,200.00 | -1.5% |
| 1992 | $13,500.00 | +2.3% |
| 1993 | $13,900.00 | +3.0% |
| 1994 | $14,300.00 | +2.9% |
| 1995 | $14,800.00 | +3.5% |
| 1996 | $15,400.00 | +4.1% |
| 1997 | $16,100.00 | +4.5% |
| 1998 | $16,900.00 | +5.0% |
| 1999 | $17,800.00 | +5.3% |
| 2000 | $18,700.00 | +5.1% |
| 2001 | $19,200.00 | +2.7% |
| 2002 | $19,800.00 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | $20,500.00 | +3.5% |
| 2004 | $21,600.00 | +5.4% |
| 2005 | $23,200.00 | +7.4% |
| 2006 | $24,100.00 | +3.9% |
| 2007 | $24,500.00 | +1.7% |
| 2008 | $23,200.00 | -5.3% |
| 2009 | $21,800.00 | -6.0% |
| 2010 | $22,500.00 | +3.2% |
| 2011 | $23,400.00 | +4.0% |
| 2012 | $24,200.00 | +3.4% |
| 2013 | $25,800.00 | +6.6% |
| 2014 | $27,100.00 | +5.0% |
| 2015 | $28,900.00 | +6.6% |
| 2016 | $30,500.00 | +5.5% |
| 2017 | $32,200.00 | +5.6% |
| 2018 | $34,000.00 | +5.6% |
| 2019 | $35,800.00 | +5.3% |
| 2020 | $38,200.00 | +6.7% |
| 2021 | $43,400.00 | +13.6% |
| 2022 | $51,200.00 | +18.0% |
| 2023 | $55,200.00 | +7.8% |
| 2024 | $56,800.00 | +2.9% |
| 2025 | $58,500.00 | +3.0% |
Sources & Methodology
Average down payment amounts derived from National Association of Realtors annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey data and Zillow market reports. Figures represent the mean down payment on existing (resale) single-family homes, reflecting a mix of first-time and repeat buyers. Down payment percentages vary by buyer type, but the dollar amounts shown here capture the actual cash outlay required.
Primary source: National Association of Realtors / Zillow
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.