8 US Locations Where Saving for a Down Payment Could Take Over 20 Years

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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

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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