There's great news for America's homeowners: A growing percentage now own their homes outright. No mortgage, no liens, nada. In a November analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, Bloomberg found the number of Americans in this category jumped between 2012 and 2022 by 5 percentage points to just shy of 40%.
Data collected by NASDAQ suggests that while only 28% of homeowners below retirement age have paid off their homes, nearly 63% of those 65+ have done so.
Similarly, states along the Pacific Coast—where home values skyrocketed during the pandemic—have some of the lowest rates of free-and-clear homeownership among the working-age population. California (22.7%), Washington (22.8%), and Oregon (22.9%) sit at 45th, 44th, and 43rd out of all 50 states, respectively.
Average American Debt Load
That breaks down into $241,815 on average in mortgage debt, and an average of $23,317 in non-mortgage debt (including credit card, student loan, auto loan and personal loan debt). But these debt balances vary greatly depending on age group.
With an average mortgage term of 30 years, this means that the average first-time buyer won't pay off their mortgages until they're 63 years and 8 months old. However, the age can differ depending on the region that the first-time buyer resides in.
As of September 2023, according to Redfin, 34.1% of U.S. home purchases were made in cash. This is up from 29.5% in September 2022, when mortgage rates were lower. In 2025, the percentage of homebuyers who pay cash is likely even higher.
"Becoming a homeowner has never felt harder." The average age of all homebuyers — first-timers and repeaters — has "risen by six years since July 2023," Mike Winters said at CNBC. That average age is now 56, up from 49 last year.
Those with billions of dollars to their name can buy a home outright rather than take out a loan. Yet celebrities like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jay-Z have all made headlines for taking out multimillion-dollar mortgages — not out of necessity but to reap a couple of key benefits.
"If you want to find financial freedom, you need to retire all debt — and yes that includes your mortgage," the personal finance author and co-host of ABC's "Shark Tank" tells CNBC Make It. You should aim to have everything paid off, from student loans to credit card debt, by age 45, O'Leary says.
For example, if you plan to travel frequently in retirement, you may want to aim for 90% to 100% of your pre-retirement income. On the other hand, if you plan to pay off your mortgage before you retire or downsize your living situation, you may be able to live comfortably on less than 80%.
Around 23% of Americans are debt free, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Reserve. That figure factors in every type of debt, from credit card balances and student loans to mortgages, car loans and more. The exact definition of debt free can vary, though, depending on whom you ask.
The average mortgage balance in America grew to $244,498 in 2023, an $8,000 increase from 2022.
Mortgage-Paying Habits of Average Americans
For example, according to the Census Bureau, fewer than 28% homeowners below retirement age have paid off their homes completely, as opposed to almost 63% of those 65 or older. That makes sense, of course, as older Americans have had a longer time to make payments.
Since then, with vaccines allowing people to work more safely and minimizing further disruption to business operations, the percentage of mortgage holders behind on payments has declined to about 7%—an improved figure, but one that still represents more than 6 million American households.
But with such a wide range of homes available – what defines an old house vs. a new house? In this article, we consider homes to be old when they are at least 50 years but no more than 100 years of age, while new homes have been constructed within the last few years.
"It's definitely not required." Nationally, the average down payment on a house is closer to 10% or 15%, Hale said. In some states, the average is well below 20% while some are even below 10%, she added. Some loans and programs are available to help interest buyers purchase homes through lower down payments.
40% of Americans Pay Off Their House — Are They Doing Better Financially? For most Americans, a home mortgage is the biggest financial obligation they will ever have. A traditional mortgage spans 30 years and is often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, so the interest charges can be enormous.
Average home price in the United States: $420,400
Median Sales Price of Homes in the U.S. Data source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (2024). Between 1980 and 2020, the median home sales price increased by 416%.
That depends on the offer — and the seller. If you're looking to sell your house fast or don't want to deal with contingencies, a cash offer may be ideal for you. But if you might need more time to find a new home or want to be sure you're maximizing your profits, you could be better off with a mortgaged buyer.
The short answer: absolutely! Luckily, whether you're 25 or 70, lenders look only at certain numbers when reviewing a mortgage application. Those numbers aren't age but rather a borrower's income, credit score, assets, and debts.
There is no specific age to pay off your mortgage, but a common rule of thumb is to be debt-free by your early to mid-60s. It may make sense to do so if you're retiring within the next few years and have the cash to pay off your mortgage, particularly if your money is in a low-interest savings account.