San Antonio has nation's shortest down payment savings timeline

San Antonio has nation's shortest down payment savings timeline

Data: Realtor.com; Note: Calculated using personal savings rate, median household income and median down payment amount; Chart: Axios Visuals

San Antonio had the shortest time to save for a median home down payment in 2025 compared to the rest of the country, averaging 1.3 years, according to a Realtor.com analysis.

The big picture: The typical U.S. household needed almost seven years to save for a median home down payment in 2025.

  • The median down payment was $30,400 in the third quarter of 2025, up from $13,900 six years earlier.

    • Zoom in: The median down payment amount in the San Antonio metro area was $5,067 between January and November 2025.

  • In 2025, the metro's median household income was $77,385, per the analysis.

    • Between the lines: The analysis attributes San Antonio's short savings timeline to relatively affordable homes and the area's large military presence, where many buyers use VA loans that require little or no down payment.

    Stunning stat: San Francisco saw the longest time to save, averaging 36.5 years.

  • The median down payment there for the same time period was $245,466.