Many Bostonians have to save for longer — and pay more money — in order to achieve the dream of homeownership. In 2025, typical buyers in Boston needed to save for 26.1 years and paid 70.9% down to achieve homeownership, according to a new report from Upgraded Points.

The group sourced data from the Zillow Home Value Index, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index to create their analysis.

Given Boston’s median home price of $757,504 and a maximum loan amount of $220,104, homebuyers need a down payment of $537,400 — over 70% down — in order to afford monthly mortgage payments. That’s much higher than the national average of 41% down.

“A combination of home price growth, increases in mortgage rates and income gains that have failed to keep pace has made it significantly harder for Americans to enter the housing market,” explained Alex Miller, founder and CEO of Upgraded Points. “What was once a challenge in many markets has become largely an impossibility (without some form of assistance) as borrowing power has declined and home prices continue to grow.”