Study: Home down Payment Averages Nearly $85,000

A down payment on a home across the nation’s 50 largest metros averages $84,499, according to a new study from LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE). This sum is slightly lower than the average of $84,983 recorded one year earlier.

LendingTree noted that none of the 50 largest metros had a down payment average of less than $47,900 and 10 metros had average down payments that are more than $100,000. California had the three metros with the highest down payments averages — San Jose at $237,600, San Francisco at $228,951 and Los Angeles at $157,557.

On the flip side, the metros with the lowest average down payments were Buffalo, New Yok ($47,976), Oklahoma City ($49,713) and Virginia Beach, Virginia ($52,858).

“Though they are important, buyers should remember that a down payment isn’t everything, and, even if you don’t have tens of thousands of dollars you can put toward one, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to buy a house,” said LendingTree Senior Economist Jacob Channel. “Keep in mind that many lenders and specific loan options, like FHA mortgages, don’t necessarily require particularly large down payments.”