The national annual record

What changed across 54 completed years?

This public record shows the source inputs behind the private calculator. It does not assign an opaque affordability score or assume a household income.

Source-backed interpretation

Rates define only one part of the comparison

Within the completed records, the lowest annual average 30-year rate is 2.96% in 2021; the highest is 16.64% in 1981. Those observations alone do not establish which year was easiest for a particular household.

The calculator combines price, rate, CPI-U, and private user inputs at full precision. Taxes, insurance, PMI, HOA dues, maintenance, utilities, closing costs, credit, and underwriting remain excluded.

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Completed-year chart

Annual average 30-year mortgage rate

◆ Full-year record

Each focusable bar links to the corresponding year page. The complete values and observation counts follow in the table.

Accessible chart equivalent

Annual source record

How the series are combined
Completed years use official annual observations. The 1971 row is visibly marked partial and excluded from rankings.
YearStatusMedian new-home sale price30-year rateWeekly rate observationsCPI-U
1971△ Partial$25,2007.54%4040.492
1972◆ Complete$27,6007.38%5241.817
1973◆ Complete$32,5008.04%5244.400
1974◆ Complete$35,9009.19%5249.308
1975◆ Complete$39,3009.05%5253.817
1976◆ Complete$44,2008.87%5356.908
1977◆ Complete$48,8008.85%5260.608
1978◆ Complete$55,7009.64%5265.233
1979◆ Complete$62,90011.20%5272.575
1980◆ Complete$64,60013.74%5282.408
1981◆ Complete$68,90016.64%5390.925
1982◆ Complete$69,30016.04%5296.500
1983◆ Complete$75,30013.24%5299.600
1984◆ Complete$79,90013.88%52103.883
1985◆ Complete$84,30012.43%52107.567
1986◆ Complete$92,00010.19%52109.608
1987◆ Complete$104,50010.21%53113.625
1988◆ Complete$112,50010.34%52118.258
1989◆ Complete$120,00010.32%52123.967
1990◆ Complete$122,90010.13%52130.658
1991◆ Complete$120,0009.25%52136.192
1992◆ Complete$121,5008.39%53140.317
1993◆ Complete$126,5007.31%52144.458
1994◆ Complete$130,0008.38%52148.225
1995◆ Complete$133,9007.93%52152.383
1996◆ Complete$140,0007.81%52156.850
1997◆ Complete$146,0007.60%52160.517
1998◆ Complete$152,5006.94%53163.008
1999◆ Complete$161,0007.44%52166.575
2000◆ Complete$169,0008.05%52172.200
2001◆ Complete$175,2006.97%52177.067
2002◆ Complete$187,6006.54%52179.875
2003◆ Complete$195,0005.83%53183.958
2004◆ Complete$221,0005.84%52188.883
2005◆ Complete$240,9005.87%52195.292
2006◆ Complete$246,5006.41%52201.592
2007◆ Complete$247,9006.34%52207.342
2008◆ Complete$232,1006.03%53215.303
2009◆ Complete$216,7005.04%52214.537
2010◆ Complete$221,8004.69%52218.055
2011◆ Complete$227,2004.45%52224.939
2012◆ Complete$245,2003.66%52229.594
2013◆ Complete$268,9003.98%52232.957
2014◆ Complete$288,5004.17%53236.736
2015◆ Complete$294,2003.85%52237.017
2016◆ Complete$307,8003.65%52240.007
2017◆ Complete$323,1003.99%52245.120
2018◆ Complete$326,4004.54%52251.107
2019◆ Complete$321,5003.94%52255.657
2020◆ Complete$330,9003.11%53258.811
2021◆ Complete$383,5002.96%52270.970
2022◆ Complete$434,5005.34%52292.655
2023◆ Complete$428,6006.81%52304.702
2024◆ Complete$420,3006.72%52313.689
2025◆ Complete$417,4006.60%53321.943

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Why these records can be compared

Eligibility requires a reviewed price, rate, and CPI observation with a complete annual basis.