Advertiser Disclosure

6 Cities Where Paying Cash for a Home Is Becoming the New Normal

November 17, 2025

2 min Read

Written by Gabrielle Olya

Edited by Cory Dudak

Rocky89 / iStock.com

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 Years
Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed
by Experts

Trusted by
Millions of Readers

About 1 in 3 homes sold in the first half of 2025 were paid for in all cash, a new Realtor.com report found. While that percentage is slightly down from the year prior, it’s well above pre-2020 levels.

“Cash buyers have long been a fixture in the market, but their influence is more pronounced today than in pre-pandemic years,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a press release.

“High-wealth buyers, investors and those with significant equity can move quickly and often win out in competitive situations,” she continued. “For traditional, mortgage-reliant buyers, this can add another hurdle in an already challenging affordability environment.”

Cash buying is more prevalent in some markets than others — and in these six cities, cash is rapidly becoming king, with all-cash offers outpacing the national average.