What is the Average Closing Cost of a Mortgage Loan for Buyers in the U.S. By The State?
Among the major purchases you might ever make, the cost of a house doesn’t reveal the entirety of how much money you’ll need to receive the keys. The sum you spend on closing fees to purchase a home can vary widely depending on where you live.
Take note that not even the most wealthy neighborhoods are immune to this trend. Thus, the average mortgage closing costs in your target state are something you should be aware of.
As evidence, consider the homebuyers in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Though property prices in these two states are far lower than the national average, buyers nonetheless pay a higher share of the procurement price (5.9% and 4.2%, respectively) for closing costs than they would in more expensive areas.
Real estate closing costs have increased along with the rest of the market. ClosingCorp reports that the national average home closing costs for a single-family house in 2020 was $6,087, a 5.9% increase over 2019, or $3,470 if taxes were excluded.
Additionally, in 2021 the average house closing costs for purchasing a home in the United States were $6,905 with transfer taxes included and $3,860 without.
Some local and state governments impose a transfer tax whenever a property is sold or otherwise transferred between individuals. Based on local customs, either the purchaser or the dealer may be responsible for this fee.
What are Closing Costs?
To put it simply, closing costs refer to the expenses incurred when a property is sold or transferred. You will have to pay money whenever you hire someone to do work for you.
During the closing process, you will make a settlement to the relevant banks, lenders, or insurance. Those that helped get finance, regulatory approval, and insurance coverage for the deal will benefit from this.
Each party pays half of the total closing costs. Costs are different for everyone because of factors like location, property type, and financing method.
Closing costs are not included in the procurement price and are in addition to the down payment. Lenders are required by law to provide debtors with a Loan Estimate detailing estimated closing costs along with a justification of these fees within 3 business days of receiving a mortgage application.
In the event you decide to follow through with the transaction, you will receive a Closing Disclosure Statement detailing the total closing expenses three business days prior to closing. There is a cap on how much costs can climb so that you know what to expect.
It’s possible to secure a loan without paying any closing costs, but most debtors end up having those expenses added to their principal.
Getting a loan with no or minimal closing costs may not be the best option if the interest rate is greater than if you paid for everything upfront. The interest you’ll be charged will be on a larger loan principal if the creditor decides to add the closing costs to it.
How Much Do Closing Costs Average?
The closing costs will vary depending on your lender, state, loan sum, size of the property, and type of property; nonetheless, let’s take a look at the averages across the country. At the moment, the average sum of money spent on closing costs is 1.15 percent of the procurement price, before taxes.
Although it might not look like much at first glance, this figure might end up costing you hundreds of dollars.
These fees are calculated based on an average of the property values in your state. For instance, Washington, DC, and New York have some of the highest real estate prices in the country, and these cities also have some of the highest closing expenses.
As a result of Iowa and Missouri having the nation’s lowest property prices, the state’s buyers and sellers are required to pay significantly less in transaction fees.
States With No Transfer Taxes
Real estate transfer taxes, which are paid when the title or deed to a property is transferred from the seller to the buyer, are one of the charges that add to closing costs. Listed below are states that do not have transfer taxes:
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Kansas
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oregon (unless you’re buying in Washington County)
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
Average Closing Costs By State
The average sum paid in closing costs was computed by ClosingCorp based on data from 4.4 million single-family home purchase transactions in 2021.
The final sum you have to pay at closing will vary widely depending on your location. A buyer in Washington, DC can expect to pay around $30,352 in transfer taxes at closing, while a buyer in Missouri can expect to pay around $2,102.
Below you’ll see the average closing costs on a house in each state, including any transfer taxes that will need to be paid.
| State | Average Home Sales Price | Average Total Closing Costs with Taxes | Average Total Closing Costs without Taxes | Percentage of Sales Price (With Taxes) |
| DC | $753,631 | $30,352 | $6,524 | 4.03% |
| DE | $313,899 | $17,831 | $3,848 | 5.68% |
| NY | $520,460 | $17,582 | $6,301 | 3.38% |
| WA | $557,455 | $13,910 | $4,804 | 2.50% |
| MD | $386,810 | $12,056 | $3,975 | 3.12% |
| PA | $236,906 | $9,753 | $3,241 | 4.12% |
| CT | $418,948 | $8,849 | $4,131 | 2.11% |
| FL | $368,560 | $8,551 | $4,484 | 2.32% |
| CA | $779,838 | $8,219 | $5,773 | 1.05% |
| NH | $332,880 | $8,162 | $2,795 | 2.45% |
| NJ | $447,175 | $7,966 | $4,204 | 1.78% |
| HI | $777,764 | $7,559 | $5,977 | 0.97% |
| MA | $592,875 | $7,095 | $4,479 | 1.20% |
| NV | $410,263 | $6,504 | $4,328 | 1.59% |
| VA | $358,930 | $6,373 | $3,462 | 1.78% |
| VT | $287,233 | $6,269 | $3,192 | 2.18% |
| IL | $282,433 | $5,987 | $4,791 | 2.12% |
| MI | $200,331 | $5,704 | $3,501 | 2.85% |
| UT | $465,574 | $4,751 | $4,751 | 1.02% |
| RI | $392,302 | $4,683 | $3,053 | 1.19% |
| ME | $320,185 | $4,400 | $2,848 | 1.37% |
| OR | $448,156 | $4,392 | $3,935 | 0.98% |
| OH | $202,147 | $4,256 | $3,376 | 2.11% |
| ID | $402,043 | $4,101 | $4,101 | 1.02% |
| MN | $282,664 | $4,054 | $2,627 | 1.43% |
| TX | $294,899 | $3,946 | $3,946 | 1.34% |
| CO | $520,372 | $3,895 | $3,812 | 0.75% |
| AZ | $395,395 | $3,876 | $3,876 | 0.98% |
| TN | $262,382 | $3,869 | $2,655 | 1.47% |
| GA | $283,380 | $3,768 | $2,859 | 1.33% |
| LA | $220,594 | $3,629 | $3,301 | 1.65% |
| AK | $347,089 | $3,576 | $3,576 | 1.03% |
| NM | $306,594 | $3,489 | $3,489 | 1.14% |
| SC | $295,186 | $3,437 | $2,495 | 1.16% |
| WI | $225,039 | $3,424 | $2,658 | 1.52% |
| WV | $190,948 | $3,393 | $2,468 | 1.78% |
| SD | $208,904 | $3,064 | $2,806 | 1.47% |
| MT | $381,220 | $3,055 | $3,055 | 0.80% |
| AL | $209,562 | $2,994 | $2,629 | 1.43% |
| NC | $296,206 | $2,970 | $2,425 | 1.00% |
| OK | $177,778 | $2,938 | $2,549 | 1.65% |
| MS | $266,367 | $2,799 | $2,799 | 1.05% |
| KS | $275,764 | $2,793 | $2,793 | 1.01% |
| IA | $202,620 | $2,774 | $2,368 | 1.37% |
| NE | $220,266 | $2,764 | $2,194 | 1.25% |
| AR | $197,137 | $2,608 | $2,071 | 1.32% |
| WY | $337,354 | $2,510 | $2,510 | 0.74% |
| KY | $194,879 | $2,556 | $2,194 | 1.21% |
| ND | $240,774 | $2,321 | $2,321 | 0.96% |
| IN | $229,867 | $2,193 | $2,193 | 0.95% |
| MO | $238,276 | $2,102 | $2,102 | 0.88% |
Closing costs might range from one state to the next. In states with high transfer taxes, this is a major consideration. The sum due at closing is heavily influenced by the real estate transfer tax rate in your state.
Highest Average Closing Costs with Taxes
Listed below are the states with the highest avg closing costs with taxes.
| CBSA | Average Home Sales Price | Average Total Closing Costs with Taxes | Percentage of Sales Price |
| Easton, MD | $529,523 | $19,475 | 3.68% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $729,446 | 18,190 | 2.49% |
| Key West, FL | $855,974 | $16,458 | 1.92% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $673,897 | $16,420 | 2.44% |
| Salisbury, MD-DE | $337,068 | 16,032 | 4.76% |
Highest Average Closing Costs without Taxes
Listed below are the states with the highest avg closing costs without taxes.
| CBSA | Average Home Sales Price | Average Total Closing Costs without Taxes | Percentage of Sales Price |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $1,003,672 | $8,019 | 1.10% |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | $956,717 | $7,464 | 1.03% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | $1,211,934 | $7,398 | 1.16% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $1,398,792 | $7,334 | 0.87% |
| Key West, FL | $855,974 | $7,256 | 1.92% |
What Fees are Included in Closing Costs?
One of the expenses associated with buying a property is the closing fees, which are paid to a variety of parties who work together to bring about the finalization of the home purchase.
Here are some of the average expenditures you should anticipate paying, in accordance with the Federal Reserve.
- Application fee – Usually, you may expect to pay anything from $75 to $300. Lenders impose this charge to compensate for the time and resources required to conduct a loan application and a credit check.
- Loan origination fee – Common fees range from 0% to 1.5% of the loan sum. This fee pays the creditor’s costs of underwriting as well as preparing your mortgage.
- Prepaid interest – This varies with loan size, interest rate, and the number of days between closure and loan start date. Interest will accrue from the day your mortgage funds until the first payment is due.
- Title search and insurance – The average price is $700-$900. Creditors will commission a title search to ensure the home is free and clear of any encumbrances and that the vendor is the rightful owner.
Creditors frequently insist that debtors also protect the creditor against any title issues by purchasing a creditor’s title insurance policy. You can get this security by investing in an owner’s title insurance policy, but it’s not required.
- Appraisal fee – Normally, you may expect to spend between $300 and $700. The bank may rest easy knowing they won’t lose money on the deal if the appraised value of the home is at least as much as the loan being requested.
- Legal fees, recording fees, and settlement or closing cost all fall under this category – Normal pricing ranges from $600 to $1,200. The creditor’s closing attorney receives these funds to cover his or her services.
- Land surveys – Usually, you may expect to pay between $150 and $400. The purpose of these surveys is to confirm the correct placement of all structures and to document the precise spots where any renovations or alterations were made. If a current survey is available, this step can be unnecessary.
- Funding for the taxation of real estate – The cost normally varies If applicable, you may also have to pay the property taxes on the home you’re purchasing when you close. The vendor may have already paid some or all of the taxes that you’ll be liable for paying, in which case the sum owed will be prorated.
Conclusion
You should budget for the lender-mandated closing fees when purchasing a house. As mentioned earlier, closing costs refer to the costs incurred when a property is sold or transferred. There is no way to get around them, and they change depending on where you reside and the type of property you’re buying.
Closing costs are often proportional to the procurement price of a home. Consider this while you look for a home and start putting money aside. To minimize costs, it is wise to compare loan providers and be knowledgeable of how much should lender fees be.
