Back From the Brink: Home Buyers Retreat from Record-High Down Payments, According to Realtor.com®

Rhea-AI Summary

Realtor.com's bi-annual down payment report reveals that home buyers are retreating from record-high down payments. In Q3 2024, nationwide down payments reached an average of 14.5% and a median amount of $30,300, down from Q2 2024's historical peak of 14.9% and $32,700. This decline is attributed to easing mortgage rates and improved affordability conditions.

Key findings include:

• Down payments remain historically high, more than double the pre-pandemic median
• Northeast states saw climbing down payments, with Maine and Rhode Island increasing the most
• Down payments shrank annually in half of the U.S. states
• Florida experienced a 24% year-over-year drop in down payments
• The District of Columbia saw the largest absolute decline, with down payments dropping over $17,000 year-over-year

Experts suggest that easing demand and increasing inventory gave buyers more flexibility, leading to slightly lower down payments. However, it's too early to determine if this is the beginning of a lasting downward trend.

Down payments reached an average of 14.5% and a median down payment amount of $30,300 in the third quarter of 2024

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 22, 2024  /PRNewswire/ -- Historically, down payments tend to hit their seasonal peak in the third quarter of the year; however, this year's down payment share peaked in the second quarter, according to the Realtor.com^® bi-annual down payment report. Nationwide, down payments reached an average of 14.5% and a median down payment amount of $30,300, in the third quarter of 2024, down from the Q2 2024 historical peak of 14.9% and $32,700, and down year-over-year as easing mortgage rates improved affordability conditions.

"The annual decline in down payments is the result of less buyer competition in the third quarter. Easing demand and increasing inventory gave buyers more flexibility last quarter, which led to slightly lower down payments," said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst, Realtor.com^®. "The recent drop in mortgage rates could pave the way for more competition in the coming months, especially if rates fall further, but we haven't yet seen that reflected in home sales or down payment trends."

Primary Residence	Avg Down Payment as % of Purchase Price				Med. Down Payment ($ amt)
	2021 Q3	2022 Q3	2023 Q3	2024 Q3	2021 Q3	2022 Q3	2023 Q3	2024 Q3
U.S.	12.5 %	13.8 %	14.7 %	14.5 %	$24,000	$27,300	$30,400	$30,300

Homebuyers Continue to Utilize Pandemic-Era Savings
Large accumulations of pandemic savings are likely still helping some home buyers put down a large down payment, especially buyers who also have the benefit of record high existing home equity that can boost a down payment. The typical down payment dollar amount is more than double the pre-pandemic median and the typical down payment as a share of purchase price was more than 3 percentage points higher.

Looking Forward
Down payments fell as both a share of purchase price and as a dollar amount in 2024 Q3 relative to one year prior and to the 2024 Q2 peak.

"It is too early to tell if this is the beginning of a lasting downward trend in down payments. While down payments have started to trend lower with lower demand, they remain historically high," said Jones. "Easing mortgage rates may bring more buyers back into the market, potentially increasing competition – and down payments – once again if for-sale inventory fails to keep pace with demand."

As long as housing market competition continues, down payments are likely to remain elevated nationally, but distinct trends may emerge in different markets as local competitiveness varies. Shoppers looking to navigate these trends may find that relatively affordable markets offer the opportunity to achieve homeownership and limit interest payments by using their existing savings to put a larger amount down as a down payment on a home.

Key Regional Data
Northeast States See Climbing Down Payments
At the state-level, the increase in down payment as a percent of price increased the most (1.8 percentage points) in Maine and Rhode Island, followed by Connecticut (+1.2 pp), Vermont (1.1 pp) and New Jersey (+1.0 pp).

States with Largest Down Payment Growth in 2024 (%)

State	2023 Q3	2024 Q3	2024 Change
Maine	16.0 %	17.8 %	1.8 pp
Rhode Island	16.6 %	18.4 %	1.8 pp
Connecticut	16.6 %	17.8 %	1.2 pp
Vermont	17.5 %	18.6 %	1.1 pp
New Jersey	18.1 %	19.1 %	1.0 pp

In terms of down dollar payment amount, Rhode Island saw the largest increase in Q3 2024, where the typical down payment increased from $45,300 in Q3 2023 to $60,400 in Q3 2024 (+33.3%). Measuring in this way, drivers include both the increase in down payment and the median home price increase. The list has mostly higher-than-average down payment markets, plus Ohio which tends to see a lower percentage down.

States with Largest Down Payment Dollar Growth Q3 2023-2024

State	2023 Q3 Avg Down Payment %	2024 Q3 Avg Down Payment %	YY (percentage pts)	2023 Q3 Median Down Payment $	2024 Q3 Median Down Payment $	YY	$ YY
Rhode Island	16.6 %	18.4 %	1.80 %	$45,300	$60,400	33.3 %	$15,000
Delaware	17.0 %	17.6 %	0.60 %	$40,400	$53,600	32.8 %	$13,200
Wisconsin	15.0 %	15.9 %	0.90 %	$28,300	$35,500	25.2 %	$7,100
Nevada	15.0 %	15.1 %	0.10 %	$33,300	$40,900	22.8 %	$7,600
Ohio	12.3 %	12.8 %	0.50 %	$15,100	$18,500	22.8 %	$3,400

Down payments shrank annually in half of the states in the U.S.
In Q3 2024, down payments as a share of purchase price fell in 24 states, and down payment dollar amounts fell in 21 states. The lists of places with the largest decline in the percentage down and dollars down has significant overlap. Pandemic-era hotspots like Texas, Florida, and Montana have seen significant softening over the last year as waning demand and climbing inventory impact home prices and reduce competition.

States with Biggest Down Payment Declines (%)

State	% Down 2024 Q3	YY (percentage pts)
District of Columbia	17.10 %	-3.80 %
Florida	14.20 %	-1.70 %
Idaho	19.10 %	-1.10 %
Alaska	11.10 %	-1.10 %
Montana	19.90 %	-1.10 %
South Dakota	15.80 %	-1.00 %
Arizona	14.50 %	-0.90 %
Texas	11.30 %	-0.90 %
New Hampshire	19.20 %	-0.80 %
Georgia	12.00 %	-0.70 %

Florida saw down payments fall 24.0% year-over-year in Q3, which translated to a nearly $9,000 drop. The District of Columbia saw the biggest absolute decline, with down payments dropping more than $17,000 year-over-year, a 17.7% drop. Despite this decline, down payments are still more than $80,000 on average in the district. For the District of Columbia, in particular, falling down payments may reflect ongoing preference for and availability of remote work that households have previously used to locate further from downtown jobs and find more housing affordability.

States with Biggest Down Payment Declines ($)

State	% Down 2024 Q3	YY	$ YY
Florida	$27,000	-24.0 %	-$8,500
Texas	$14,400	-23.2 %	-$4,400
Wyoming	$25,200	-22.3 %	-$7,200
District of Columbia	$81,300	-17.7 %	-$17,400
South Dakota	$31,400	-16.4 %	-$6,200
Georgia	$15,300	-16.0 %	-$3,000
South Carolina	$20,600	-15.5 %	-$3,800
Alabama	$7,500	-14.1 %	-$1,200
Montana	$63,300	-13.2 %	-$9,600
North Dakota	$21,400	-12.9 %	-$3,200

To learn more, read the full report here.

Methodology:
Down payment trends analyzed at the national-, state- and top 150-metro level through Q3 2024 using Optimal Blue data. Down payment as a share of sale price is calculated as an average across the data. Down payment as a dollar amount is calculated by taking the median across the data. All comparisons are between the first quarter of the current and previous years unless otherwise stated. International viewership data is from Realtor.com Cross-Market Demand data.

About Realtor.com^®
Realtor.com^® is an open real estate marketplace built for everyone. Realtor.com^® pioneered the world of digital real estate more than 25 years ago. Today, through its website and mobile apps, Realtor.com^® is a trusted guide for consumers, empowering more people to find their way home by breaking down barriers, helping them make the right connections, and creating confidence through expert insights and guidance. For professionals, Realtor.com^® is a trusted partner for business growth, offering consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. For more information, visit Realtor.com^®.

Media Contact: Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com

 

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SOURCE Realtor.com

FAQ

What was the average down payment percentage in Q3 2024 according to Realtor.com?

According to Realtor.com's report, the average down payment percentage in Q3 2024 was 14.5% nationwide.

How much did the median down payment amount decrease from Q2 2024 to Q3 2024?

The median down payment amount decreased from $32,700 in Q2 2024 to $30,300 in Q3 2024, a drop of $2,400.

Which states saw the largest increase in down payment percentages in 2024?

Maine and Rhode Island saw the largest increase in down payment percentages, both rising by 1.8 percentage points in 2024.

How much did down payments drop in Florida year-over-year in Q3 2024?

In Florida, down payments fell 24.0% year-over-year in Q3 2024, which translated to a nearly $9,000 drop.

What factors contributed to the decline in down payments according to the Realtor.com report?

The report attributes the decline in down payments to easing mortgage rates, improved affordability conditions, less buyer competition, and increasing inventory in Q3 2024.