The traditional American dream typically begins with great jobs, two kids, and a family home to grow in. If you’ve been dreaming of buying a house, then you’ve likely considered the financial factors, including saving and budgeting for the home. Just as America is huge and diverse, so is its housing market. 

It takes the average American 51 months to save for a 20 percent home down payment, according to a new data study from Mint. 

This study ranked Alabama the 9th quickest state to save, with an estimated 35 months of saving. The median home price in Alabama is $146,534, the 5th cheapest in the U.S. This makes the state’s recommended 20 percent down payment just $29,307.

The study used Census data on median household incomes and NAR data on the median, single-family home price per state to determine how long it takes to save for a down payment across the U.S. 

West Virginia takes the top spot for quick-saving states, with an estimated 29 months to cover an $85,472 down payment. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hawaii takes over 9 years to save. That’s no surprise when their median, 20 percent down payment is $145,586 — just shy of Alabama’s median home value of $146 thousand. 

The average home price in America is $270,726, which may be startling to homeowners in West Virginia, where the average home value is just $107,840. On the other end of the spectrum, families in Washington, D.C. can expect to pay over $700,000 for a home. There are huge differences in both income and housing costs across the country, which is why we set out to see just how long it would take to afford a home in each state. 

If you’re looking to buy your first home, then you already know you have to save for a down payment. We recommend you have 20 percent of the home’s value as a down payment — be sure to save extra for closing costs. Otherwise, it’s important to choose a home and mortgage that keep your monthly payments within 30 percent of your income to best manage your living expenses.

We used the above budgeting parameters to determine how long it will take to save for a down payment and also cover home affordability in your city so you can better plan your home purchase. 

Here’s what we found:

• On average, it takes an estimated 51 months, or 4.25 years, for an American household to save for a 20 percent down payment. 
• $54,145 is the average 20 percent deposit on a single-family home in America. 
• It would take an estimated 109 months, or 9 years, to save for a 20 percent deposit on a home in Hawaii — the longest amount of time of all U.S. states.
• West Virginia homebuyers can save for a down payment in the least amount of time — approximately 29 months. 

As home sales surge and interest rates drop, more Americans are looking to buy their first home. The increased interest in homeownership does come with some risk to banks, who are raising their lending requirements in response. This makes a healthy credit score and a significant down payment a must for potential homebuyers to take advantage of record-low interest rates.

The cost of living and home prices in a given area are heavily correlated, which is why location has such a large influence on your housing prices.

Home prices respond to supply and demand just as other financial assets and costs do. When more people can afford homes, the price rises with the competition among potential homeowners. 

Alternatively, when fewer people can afford homes, then the competition is between sellers, and they’ll drop their prices to get the home sold quickly. 

High costs of living may leave little room for savings while requiring a larger down payment to begin with. It’s no surprise that the states we found to take the longest to save are also the most expensive to live in.

While the homes are expensive, rent in Hawaii will only save you about $500 a month — which is why homeownership is still more popular in the Aloha state than renting. 

2. Washington D.C.

The District of Columbia tops our list of having the most valuable homes, beating out Hawaii by just over $10,000. While the homes cost more, households also make more with a median income of $85,203 each year. Saving for a down payment will take you 104 months, just short of nine years, to save the $148,000 you’ll likely need for a deposit. 

3. California

California takes third place on our list with a nearly $140,000 drop in median home value, while bringing home a median income of $75,277 a year. It will still take you an estimated 94 months to save for a $117,610 deposit. This is in part because 54 percent of California households own their homes, making it a more competitive market despite the healthier income-to-home value ratio.

Rural states tend to have less densely populated cities and more land available than popular coastal cities, which is why the cost of owning a home in these states can drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on average.

Oklahoma and Iowa actually tie for second place, each taking just 31 months to save for a 20 percent down payment. Oklahoma nudges ahead with cheaper home prices around $134,995 and a suggested $27,000 deposit. 

Further north in Iowa, you can still expect to save for your home in under three years, but you’ll be putting nearly $4,500 more down. The good news is that you also likely make about $8,000 more than the median household in Oklahoma. That increased earning may be why 72 percent of homes in Iowa are owner-occupied. 

After looking at home affordability on a state level, we wanted to focus on cities to find those most and least friendly to homebuyers looking to stretch their dollar. Using data from the National Association of Realtors, we pulled the most and least affordable home rates in each region. Here are the cities that made the list:

There are a few things you can do to ensure your financial stability when you decide you’re ready to become a homeowner. In many ways, you can save money owning a home over renting, but it’s costly upfront and you’ll have to consider maintenance, too. The more you plan now, the less you’ll have to worry about mortgage forbearance, or worse, foreclosure. 

• Review your budget to determine how much you can afford to pay on housing each month — ideally less than 30 percent of your monthly income. 
• Determine your housing needs so you know how much your ideal home may cost for accurate planning.
• Begin saving up to 20 percent of your budget, but don’t cut your retirement or rainy day savings. 
• Start a side hustle to earn extra money and fast-track your savings goals. 
• Improve your credit score to lower your mortgage rates and improve your chances of approval. 

Owning your own home is a great investment for your finances and your future, but it’s not without risk. A 20 percent down payment is one of the best ways to ensure you get a great deal on your home and maintain affordable mortgage payments. 

A robust down payment is an essential step in any financially responsible homeowner’s journey, but you still need to ensure your monthly mortgage payments will be affordable. Once you begin saving your down payment, consider how much you can afford to pay, what the average interest rates are in your area, and how much your preferred home style will cost to determine how much home you can afford. 

Methodology

To determine how long it would take to save for a 20 percent deposit on a home, we used median household income data from the U.S. Census (2018) to determine how much someone could reasonably save each month (20 percent of their income). We then compared that savings amount to the median value of a single-family home for each state, provided by Zillow.

Source: How Long Does It Take to Afford a Down Payment in Each State? Mint (July 31, 2020)