New Mortgage Costs Fall 2.4%, But 1 in 4 Buyers Still Stretched [LendingTree Report]

Housing costs take up a major share of household budgets, leaving many Americans stretched after covering essentials. There’s modest relief: the average new mortgage payment fell 2.4% to $1,942 in 2025 from $1,990—but affordability pressures remain. Our latest analysis breaks down where payments are rising or falling and which metros put the most strain on buyers. Metros with the highest average new mortgage payments: San Jose, CA — $4,016 San Francisco, CA — $3,850 Oxnard, CA — $3,401 Los Angeles, CA — $3,366 San Diego, CA — $3,225 Seattle, WA — $2,976 Boston, MA — $2,784 Stockton, CA — $2,654 New York, NY — $2,615 You can check out the full report here: https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/national-average-monthly-mortgage-payment-and-loan-affordability-in-each-state-ranked/ LendingTree's Chief Consumer Finance Analyst, Matt Schulz, had this to say:   "What stands out is how uneven this market is. Payments may be easing nationally, but that relief isn’t showing up everywhere, and younger buyers are feeling the squeeze the most. In some metros, costs are still climbing, and in others, they’re already extremely high. That combination can make it tough for buyers to know when, or where, they can realistically afford to jump in.”