Saving for a home in the Seattle area takes 22+ years
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It takes the typical Seattle-area household more than 20 years to save for a down payment in 2025, according to a Realtor.com analysis.
Why it matters: Coming up with a down payment is one of the biggest barriers to homeownership.
Zoom in: A Seattle household making roughly $117,000 a year and saving about 5% annually would have to stash for 22.6 years to come up with the median down payment of $134,000, per the analysis.
- Nationally, the average was just under seven years, down from 12 years in 2022.
Stunning stats: In more expensive West Coast markets, including San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego, it can take middle-income households more than three decades to save for a down payment, the real estate site found.
- Meanwhile, some Southern metros and military hubs offer significantly faster paths.
- San Antonio saw the shortest time to save, averaging 1.3 years.
Context: The share of first-time buyers in the U.S. has fallen to a record low as inventory and affordability issues persist, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The bottom line: For many Seattle area households, buying a home might mean waiting decades, leaving the region, or leaning on family for help.