Affordable and Costly Cities to Purchase a House: A Comparison of Housing Prices in Pittsburgh and San Jose Today
Down to Brass Tacks:
The U.S. median home price in May hit a whopping $440,000, according to fresh data from Realtor.com. And with an average 30-year mortgage rate of 7.02% and a 20% down payment, the typical monthly payment comes to a hefty $2,347. Monthly mortgage figures vary drastically from city to city, with Pittsburgh offering a surprising affordability at $1,330 per month, while San Jose, Calif takes the vice grip with a jaw-dropping $7,530.
To break it down, here's how the monthly mortgage payments stack up across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas.
House Prices Across the Nation
In May, the median home listing price was $440,000, a slight dip from a year ago ($442,500). Current mortgage rates are a bit elevated, with the average 30-year rate in May being 7.02%, compared to 6.94% in April. With a 20% down payment, the estimated national average monthly mortgage payment (principal and interest only) comes in at $2,347.
The State of Your State's 30-Year Rate
Every business day, we publish average rates for various loan types along with each state's 30-year rate average. Currently, New York, California, and Massachusetts have the lowest 30-year rates.
Mortgage Payments Vary More Than You'd Think
Naturally, home prices and mortgage rates fluctuate across regions, so a homeowner’s mortgage payment in Pittsburgh looks significantly different from that of someone in the Bay Area. Here's a glimpse into the cost of buying a home in some of the U.S.'s largest metros:
- The most expensive markets were all in California, with San Jose leading the pack at a staggering $7,530 average monthly payment.
- The priciest metro outside California was, once again, Boston, coming in at a still-steep $4,690 per month, followed by Seattle at $4,253 and New York at $4,157.
- Pittsburgh and Greater Detroit take “most affordable” honors, with average mortgage payments of just $1,330 and $1,440, respectively.
To compare all 50 metropolitan areas, see the table below, organized by region.
The Northeast
The South
The Midwest
The West
How We Gather Rate Data
The national and state averages we cite are obtained via the Zillow Mortgage API, assuming a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 80% (i.e., a down payment of at least 20%) and an applicant credit score in the 680-739 range. The resulting rates reflect the average borrowers should expect when receiving quotes from lenders based on their qualifications.
For a better understanding of the current mortgage rate landscape, take a gander at the interactive map we provide in our reports, or compare the best offers from local financial institutions.
[1] - Gereffi, M. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/mortgage-rates/
[2] - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (2025). Retrieved from https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/useumr30us
[5] - Zillow Mortgage SmartIndex LLC. (2025). Zillow Mortgage Rate: 30YR Fixed or Adjustable Rate Purchase Mortgage. Retrieved from https://www.zillow.com/mortgage-rates/
- In the housing-market, the estimated national average monthly mortgage payment, considering a 20% down payment, is $2,347, based on the current 7.02% average 30-year mortgage rate and the median home listing price of $440,000 in May.
- Personal-finance decisions such as investing in real-estate can greatly vary depending on the local business environment, as demonstrated by the vast disparity in average monthly mortgage payments among different metropolitan areas.
- across the United States, the 50 largest metro areas, such as San Jose, Boston, Seattle, and New York, have significantly higher average monthly mortgage payments compared to more affordable cities like Pittsburgh and Greater Detroit.
