Statistics · 2026 · Real Estate
Mortgage Rate Statistics (2026)
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 7.28% in Freddie Mac’s survey of October 1, 2026, up from 6.34% a year earlier. That is the highest weekly reading since November 22, 2023, and below the 18.63% peak of October 9, 1981. On the national median list price with 20% down, 7.28% means about $1,765 a month in principal and interest.
Key takeaways
- The 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.28% on October 1, 2026, 0.94 percentage points above the 6.34% of a year earlier.
- The 15-year fixed rate averaged 6.60%, which is 0.68 points below the 30-year rate; the average gap since August 30, 1991 is 0.57 points.
- The record high is 18.63% and the record low is 2.65%.
- On a $322,450 home with 20% down, principal and interest is about $1,765 a month at 7.28% and $1,088 at 3%.
- The 30-year rate sits 1.99 points above the 10-year Treasury yield, against an average gap of 1.77 points since 1971.
What is the current 30-year mortgage rate?
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 7.28% in Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey as of October 1, 2026. That is up from 6.34% a year earlier and up from 7.03% the prior week. Freddie Mac publishes the survey every Thursday, so the figure changes weekly.
1. 30-year fixed rate: 7.28% on October 1, 2026
Freddie Mac reports that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.28% as of October 1, 2026, up from 7.03% the week before. The survey averages loan rates from the prior Thursday through Wednesday, so it lags the market by a few days.
2. A year earlier: 6.34%, a rise of 0.94 points
Freddie Mac’s survey put the 30-year rate at 6.34% a year before October 1, 2026. On a $257,960 loan, that 0.94-point rise adds about $162 to the monthly principal-and-interest payment (WealthyBud’s calculation).
3. 52-week range: 5.98% to 7.28%
Across the 52 weekly readings from October 9, 2025 through October 1, 2026, the low was 5.98% on February 26, 2026 and the high is the latest reading. The last week at or above 7.28% before this one was November 22, 2023 (7.29%) (WealthyBud data · 52 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
4. Federal funds target range: 3-3/4 to 4 percent
At its September 16, 2026 meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee raised the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 3-3/4 to 4 percent.
What were the highest and lowest mortgage rates in history?
The highest weekly 30-year mortgage rate on record is 18.63%, set on October 9, 1981. The lowest is 2.65%, set on January 7, 2021. Both come from Freddie Mac’s survey, which began in 1971 and now holds 2,897 weekly readings. Today’s 7.28% falls between them.
5. Record high: 18.63% on October 9, 1981
The peak is 2.6 times today’s rate. 73 weekly readings topped 16%, all between March 28, 1980 and August 20, 1982 (WealthyBud data · 2,897 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
6. Record low: 2.65% on January 7, 2021
Today’s rate is 4.63 points above it, or 2.7 times the record low (WealthyBud data · 2,897 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
7. 49% of weeks since 1971 had a rate at or above today’s
Of 2,897 weekly readings from April 2, 1971 through October 1, 2026, 1,431 were at or above 7.28%, including this one. The all-period weekly mean is 7.68%, so today’s rate is 0.40 points below the long-run average (WealthyBud’s calculation).
8. The 2022–2023 climb peaked at 7.79% on October 26, 2023
From the 2.65% low, the rate rose 5.14 points to this cycle high. Before that, the rate last reached 7.79% on November 10, 2000 (WealthyBud data · 2,897 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
What were average mortgage rates by decade?
The 1980s had the highest average 30-year mortgage rate at 12.71%, and the 2010s had the lowest at 4.09%. The 2020s average 5.38% through October 1, 2026. Each figure is a simple mean of weekly readings from Freddie Mac’s survey.
9. 1980s average: 12.71%
The decade averaged 3.1 times the 2010s average of 4.09% (WealthyBud data · 522 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
10. 2010s average: 4.09%
1 of the 6 decades averaged below 5%. The 2020s average of 5.38% covers 353 weeks through October 1, 2026, so it will move as the decade continues (WealthyBud data · 521 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
11. Average since 1971: 7.68%
The mean of all 2,897 weekly readings is 7.68%. Freddie Mac notes that it changed how it collects rates over time, including a switch on November 17, 2022 from surveying lenders to using Loan Product Advisor data, so long-run comparisons mix two methods.
| Period | Average 30-year rate | Average 15-year rate | Weekly readings (30-year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–1979 (from April 2, 1971) | 8.90% | n/a | 457 |
| 1980–1989 | 12.71% | n/a | 522 |
| 1990–1999 | 8.12% | 7.33% (from August 30, 1991) | 522 |
| 2000–2009 | 6.29% | 5.83% | 522 |
| 2010–2019 | 4.09% | 3.38% | 521 |
| 2020–2026 (through October 1, 2026) | 5.38% | 4.69% | 353 |
How does the 15-year rate compare with the 30-year?
The 15-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.60% on October 1, 2026, which is 0.68 points below the 30-year rate of 7.28%. Since Freddie Mac began publishing the 15-year series in 1991, the gap has averaged 0.57 points. The shorter loan carries the lower rate and a higher monthly payment.
12. 15-year fixed rate: 6.60%, against 5.55% a year earlier
Freddie Mac reports the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.60% as of October 1, 2026, up from 6.42% the prior week, and 5.55% a year ago. On the $257,960 loan used below, a 15-year term at 6.60% costs about $2,261 a month in principal and interest (WealthyBud’s calculation).
13. Average 30-year minus 15-year spread: 0.57 points
Across 1,832 weeks since August 30, 1991, the 30-year rate has sat 0.57 points above the 15-year rate on average. The gap ranged from 0.20 points (December 4, 2008) to 1.00 points (March 20, 2014), and today’s 0.68 points is wider than average (WealthyBud data · 1,832 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
14. 15-year range: 2.10% low to 8.89% high
The 15-year rate bottomed at 2.10% on July 29, 2021 and peaked at 8.89% on December 16, 1994 (WealthyBud data · 1,832 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
Test a purchase at today's rate and one point either side
How much does the rate change a monthly payment?
On the national median list price of $322,450 with 20% down, a 30-year loan at 7.28% costs about $1,765 a month in principal and interest. At 3% the same loan costs $1,088, and at 7% it costs $1,716. These figures exclude taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance.
15. Payment on the median home at 7.28%: $1,765 a month
The $322,450 price is the median list price across 946 metro and resort markets in WealthyBud’s dataset (one record per metro area, September 2026). With 20% down ($64,490), the loan is $257,960. Interest over 30 years comes to about $377,438. This is a WealthyBud estimate: it applies a national rate to a median of metro list prices, not to any one purchase.
16. Payment at 3%: $1,088; at 7%: $1,716
The same loan costs $677 a month more at 7.28% than at 3%, an increase of 62%. Against 7% the difference is $49 a month (WealthyBud’s calculation).
17. One point is worth about $178 a month
Moving the rate from 7.28% to 8.28% raises the payment to $1,943; moving it to 6.28% lowers it to $1,593. These figures leave out discount points (WealthyBud’s calculation).
18. A $1,765 payment supports a $523,297 home at 3%
Holding the payment at $1,765 and the down payment at 20%, a 3% rate would support a loan of $418,638, or a home priced near $523,297. At 7.28% the same payment supports $257,960, a loan 38% smaller (WealthyBud’s calculation).
| Mortgage rate | Monthly principal and interest | Change vs. today’s rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3.00% | $1,088 | −$677 |
| 5.00% | $1,385 | −$380 |
| 6.00% | $1,547 | −$218 |
| 7.00% | $1,716 | −$49 |
| 7.28% (latest) | $1,765 | — |
| 8.00% | $1,893 | +$128 |
- At 7.28%, a buyer of the median-priced home pays about $1,765 a month in principal and interest on a $257,960 loan.
- At 3%, the same loan costs about $1,088 a month, which is $677 less.
- At 7%, the payment is about $1,716, so today’s rate adds about $49 a month over 7%.
How do mortgage rates relate to Treasury yields?
Mortgage rates move with the 10-year Treasury yield, and the 30-year rate has averaged 1.77 points above it since 1971. The latest gap is 1.99 points: 7.28% against a 10-year yield of 5.29% on September 30, 2026. The 2020s average gap is wider, at 2.26 points.
19. 10-year Treasury yield: 5.29% on September 30, 2026
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis publishes the daily 10-year constant-maturity yield (series DGS10). The latest value in WealthyBud’s data is 5.29% for September 30, 2026; the series ends before the October 1, 2026 survey date, so this latest earlier day stands in for it.
20. Mortgage-minus-Treasury spread: 1.99 points now, 1.77 on average
WealthyBud matched each weekly 30-year reading to the latest daily 10-year yield on or before that date. Over 2,897 weeks from April 2, 1971, the spread averaged 1.77 points (median 1.67). Only 25% of weeks had a spread as wide as today’s (WealthyBud’s calculation).
21. 2010s average spread: 1.69 points; 2020s: 2.26
The gap ran 0.57 points wider in the 2020s than in the 2010s. Weekly extremes were −0.03 points on February 22, 1980 and 5.66 points on May 2, 1980. A weekly survey average and a daily yield are not measured the same way, so treat single-week gaps as approximate (WealthyBud data · 2,897 weekly readings · Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED).
What this means for buyers and investors
For buyers, compare today’s 7.28% with history, not with 2021. The long-run weekly average is 7.68%, and the payment table above shows what each point costs on a median-priced home. Check the full monthly cost, with taxes and insurance, against local pay in housing affordability statistics.
For renters, a higher rate raises the monthly cost of owning. Compare it with rent in rent vs. buy statistics.
For investors, financing cost sets the hurdle for every rental deal. A 7.28% loan needs a higher rent-to-price ratio than a 3% loan did. Model a deal at today’s rate and one point either side in the deal analyzer, and screen for markets that still clear the bar with the cash-flow tool.
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