Saving to buy a home is tough — but in some cities, it’s nearly impossible.
A recent Realtor.com analysis found that it now takes the typical U.S. household seven years to save for a typical down payment — that’s down from a high of 12 years in 2022. However, there are still many metro areas where the rise in median home prices is far outpacing median incomes — and in some cities, it would take the average household over 20 years to afford a typical down payment, based on a personal savings rate of 5.1%.
Here’s a look at the metro areas where it would take over 20 years for the average household to save up for a down payment.
1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $245,466
- Median household income (2025): $132,568
- Annual savings: $6,717
- Years to save a down payment: 36.5
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2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $304,623
- Median household income (2025): $166,033
- Annual savings: $8,412
- Years to save a down payment: 36.2
3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $170,035
- Median household income (2025): $98,329
- Annual savings: $4,982
- Years to save a down payment: 34.1
4. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $167,814
- Median household income (2025): $110,114
- Annual savings: $5,579
- Years to save a down payment: 30.1
5. New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York-New Jersey
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $121,796
- Median household income (2025): $102,807
- Annual savings: $5,209
- Years to save a down payment: 23.4
6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $133,937
- Median household income (2025): $117,158
- Annual savings: $5,936
- Years to save a down payment: 22.6
7. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts-New Hampshire
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $124,094
- Median household income (2025): $119,567
- Annual savings: $6,058
- Years to save a down payment: 20.5
8. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, California
- Median down payment (January-November 2025): $103,770
- Median household income (2025): $101,407
- Annual savings: $5,138
- Years to save a down payment: 20.2
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 8 US Locations Where Saving for a Down Payment Could Take Over 20 Years
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