Average Closing Costs by State: October 2026
Last updated . All data pieces · Methodology
Closing costs usually turn into a real question when the first Loan Estimate shows up, or when someone moving across a state line learns that the new state taxes deeds very differently. The price of the home is only part of the answer. State and local transfer taxes, recording charges, title insurance and settlement fees all move the total, and states split those charges between buyer and seller in different ways. One national average mixes low-tax and high-tax states together, so it says little about what a closing in any single state costs.
The national average purchase closing cost was $4,528 in 2025, or 1.04% of the average sale price, as reported by LodeStar Software Solutions, not independently verified. LodeStar's year-over-year report says its national figures are averages of state-level averages and should be read as a benchmark, not a population-weighted national mean. In this piece, "closing costs" means LodeStar's purchase-transaction measure: settlement, closing and escrow fees; owner's and lender's title policies; recordation charges; and transfer taxes. LodeStar's methodology does not list origination charges, discount points, prepaid interest, escrow deposits or agent commissions, and it does not say whether its figures cover only the buyer's side of the transaction. We did not add any separate lender-fee data to these figures.
We compiled 14 sources: three LodeStar releases published between April 2025 and June 2026 (covering purchase quotes dated January 2024 through December 2025), two personal-finance and real estate news outlets that published LodeStar figures, and nine state and D.C. tax agency pages and statutes reviewed in October 2026. The state table uses LodeStar's 2025 data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. LodeStar's 2024 figures appear only where we compare the two years.
Average Closing Costs by State: 2025 Purchase Quotes
This table gives each state's average sale price and average total closing costs, with and without recording fees and taxes, for 2025. Totals range from $13,836 in the District of Columbia to $1,386 in South Dakota; as a share of the sale price, they range from 3.06% in Delaware to 0.39% in South Dakota.
| State | Average sale price | Average closing costs, with recording fees and taxes | Average closing costs, without recording fees and taxes | Share of average sale price (with recording fees and taxes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average (average of state averages) | $433,632 | $4,528 | $2,993 | 1.04% |
| U.S. median | $406,786 | $3,492 | $2,923 | 0.85% |
| Alabama | $319,589 | $2,867 | $2,287 | 0.90% |
| Alaska | $406,786 | $2,946 | $2,746 | 0.72% |
| Arizona | $480,399 | $3,507 | $3,441 | 0.73% |
| Arkansas | $305,565 | $2,666 | $1,969 | 0.87% |
| California | $747,854 | $5,577 | $4,911 | 0.75% |
| Colorado | $546,627 | $2,737 | $2,417 | 0.50% |
| Connecticut | $487,089 | $4,222 | $3,565 | 0.87% |
| Delaware | $415,814 | $12,707 | $3,609 | 3.06% |
| District of Columbia | $616,476 | $13,836 | $4,411 | 2.24% |
| Florida | $462,390 | $8,128 | $3,902 | 1.76% |
| Georgia | $395,899 | $4,944 | $3,553 | 1.25% |
| Hawaii | $913,449 | $5,977 | $5,385 | 0.65% |
| Idaho | $524,073 | $3,351 | $3,287 | 0.64% |
| Illinois | $353,221 | $4,974 | $3,966 | 1.41% |
| Indiana | $287,866 | $1,980 | $1,868 | 0.69% |
| Iowa | $276,382 | $1,541 | $1,330 | 0.56% |
| Kansas | $301,116 | $2,435 | $1,870 | 0.81% |
| Kentucky | $288,452 | $2,608 | $2,413 | 0.90% |
| Louisiana | $298,903 | $3,492 | $3,053 | 1.17% |
| Maine | $424,302 | $3,662 | $2,458 | 0.86% |
| Maryland | $469,782 | $9,486 | $3,980 | 2.02% |
| Massachusetts | $612,580 | $4,759 | $3,960 | 0.78% |
| Michigan | $359,012 | $3,907 | $3,546 | 1.09% |
| Minnesota | $395,314 | $3,282 | $2,278 | 0.83% |
| Mississippi | $246,219 | $2,366 | $2,285 | 0.96% |
| Missouri | $301,167 | $1,748 | $1,605 | 0.58% |
| Montana | $470,721 | $3,173 | $2,826 | 0.67% |
| Nebraska | $325,800 | $2,299 | $2,005 | 0.71% |
| Nevada | $511,891 | $4,159 | $3,246 | 0.81% |
| New Hampshire | $501,296 | $6,445 | $2,446 | 1.29% |
| New Jersey | $615,580 | $5,382 | $3,360 | 0.87% |
| New Mexico | $363,174 | $2,980 | $2,892 | 0.82% |
| New York | $534,697 | $12,418 | $4,227 | 2.32% |
| North Carolina | $422,364 | $2,462 | $2,282 | 0.58% |
| North Dakota | $327,746 | $2,228 | $2,129 | 0.68% |
| Ohio | $301,017 | $3,187 | $2,793 | 1.06% |
| Oklahoma | $274,110 | $2,979 | $2,621 | 1.09% |
| Oregon | $517,921 | $3,398 | $2,994 | 0.66% |
| Pennsylvania | $359,521 | $8,366 | $3,238 | 2.33% |
| Rhode Island | $551,287 | $3,719 | $3,252 | 0.67% |
| South Carolina | $403,313 | $2,753 | $2,525 | 0.68% |
| South Dakota | $354,327 | $1,386 | $1,042 | 0.39% |
| Tennessee | $433,721 | $5,184 | $3,012 | 1.20% |
| Texas | $402,804 | $3,754 | $3,572 | 0.93% |
| Utah | $578,787 | $4,143 | $4,063 | 0.72% |
| Vermont | $390,822 | $9,164 | $2,617 | 2.34% |
| Virginia | $523,332 | $7,294 | $3,710 | 1.39% |
| Washington | $609,890 | $5,261 | $3,776 | 0.86% |
| West Virginia | $278,279 | $3,238 | $2,436 | 1.16% |
| Wisconsin | $357,202 | $2,789 | $2,575 | 0.78% |
| Wyoming | $469,306 | $3,046 | $2,923 | 0.65% |
Source: LodeStar Software Solutions, 2025 Purchase Mortgage Closing Cost Data Report, Tables 1–4 (published April 27, 2026; 620,000+ purchase quotes dated Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025; homes over $10 million excluded), as reported by LodeStar, not independently verified. Share of sale price is LodeStar's average total closing costs, with recording fees and taxes, divided by the average sale price in each state.
Largest Changes in Average Closing Costs by State: 2024 to 2025
This table shows the five jurisdictions where average closing costs fell the most in dollars between 2024 and 2025, and the five where they rose the most.
| Jurisdiction | Average closing costs, 2024 | Average closing costs, 2025 | Change, dollars (calculated) | Change, percent (calculated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $17,545 | $13,836 | −$3,709 | −21.1% |
| New York | $13,738 | $12,418 | −$1,320 | −9.6% |
| Colorado | $3,479 | $2,737 | −$742 | −21.3% |
| Alaska | $3,683 | $2,946 | −$737 | −20.0% |
| Washington | $5,995 | $5,261 | −$734 | −12.2% |
| Vermont | $8,597 | $9,164 | +$567 | +6.6% |
| Delaware | $12,157 | $12,707 | +$550 | +4.5% |
| Virginia | $6,817 | $7,294 | +$477 | +7.0% |
| Illinois | $4,702 | $4,974 | +$272 | +5.8% |
| Maryland | $9,218 | $9,486 | +$268 | +2.9% |
Source: 2025 figures from LodeStar Software Solutions' 2025 Purchase Mortgage Closing Cost Data Report (April 27, 2026); 2024 figures from LodeStar's April 2025 purchase report as reproduced by Bankrate. Both as reported by LodeStar, not independently verified. Calculation: dollar change = 2025 average minus 2024 average; percent change = dollar change divided by the 2024 average, rounded to one decimal. The 2024 sample was 450,000 quotes and the 2025 sample was 620,000+. LodeStar's year-over-year report gives D.C.'s 2024 figure as $17,544 (a $3,708 decline) and Delaware's increase as $551; the $1 differences come from the published inputs.
Across all 51 jurisdictions, the same calculation gives 28 declines and 23 increases, matching the split LodeStar reports. LodeStar's year-over-year report attributes most of the D.C. and New York declines to lower average sale prices, which reduce price-linked transfer taxes, and Delaware's increase to a higher average price.
National Closing Cost Benchmarks: 2024 vs. 2025
This table shows how LodeStar's national averages and medians changed between its two annual purchase reports, with and without recording fees and taxes.
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Average total closing costs, with recording fees and taxes | $4,661 | $4,528 |
| Median total closing costs, with recording fees and taxes | $3,513 | $3,492 |
| Average total closing costs, without recording fees and taxes | $3,042 | $2,993 |
| Median total closing costs, without recording fees and taxes | $2,958 | $2,923 |
| Average closing costs as a share of sale price | 1.06% | 1.04% |
| Median closing costs as a share of sale price | 0.88% | 0.85% |
| Average home sale price | $438,236 | $433,632 |
| Median home sale price | $409,839 | $406,786 |
| Jurisdictions (50 states and D.C.) where average closing costs fell from 2024 | Not applicable | 28 |
| Jurisdictions where average closing costs rose from 2024 | Not applicable | 23 |
Source: LodeStar Software Solutions, Purchase Mortgage Closing Cost Data Report (published April 21, 2025), 2025 Purchase Mortgage Closing Cost Data Report, Tables 3 and 4 (published April 27, 2026) and 2024 vs 2025 Year-Over-Year Mortgage Closing Cost Report (published June 30, 2026), as reported by LodeStar, not independently verified. LodeStar's 2026 release describes the prior-year median share as 0.86%; its 2025 release reported 0.88%. The 28 jurisdictions with declines include the District of Columbia. National figures are averages of state-level averages.
LodeStar reports the national average decline as $133, or 2.9%, and attributes it mainly to lower average home prices pulling down transfer taxes and other price-linked fees, not to changes in fee schedules.
Recording Fees and Transfer Taxes as a Share of Sale Price: 2025
This table isolates the government portion of closing costs, recording fees plus transfer taxes, in the jurisdictions where it was largest relative to the sale price.
Source: Recording-fee and transfer-tax shares from LodeStar Software Solutions 2025 purchase data, as published by Realtor.com on May 6, 2026; total shares from LodeStar's 2025 Purchase Mortgage Closing Cost Data Report, Table 1 (April 27, 2026). As reported by LodeStar, not independently verified.
In dollars, Realtor.com reports that recording fees and taxes made up $9,098 of Delaware's $12,707 average. Who pays these charges varies by state: Realtor.com notes that sellers typically cover transfer taxes and owner's title insurance, while buyers usually pay recording fees, lender charges, lender's title insurance and attorney fees.
Statutory Transfer and Recordation Tax Rates in Higher-Cost States: 2026
This table lists the deed-related tax rates that state agencies and statutes publish for the nine jurisdictions in the previous table. These are statutory rates, a different measure from the LodeStar averages above, and local add-on taxes are included only where the source states them.
| Jurisdiction | Tax and published rate | Who is liable, per the source |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | State realty transfer tax of 2.5% where a local transfer tax applies, 3% where none applies; first-time buyers get a 0.5% reduction on the buyer's share, capped at $2,000 and applied to the first $400,000 | Typically shared equally by buyer and seller |
| Vermont | Principal residence: 0.5% on the first $200,000, then 1.25% plus a 0.22% clean water surcharge (1.47%) above $200,000; non-principal residence fit for year-round use: 3.40% (3.62% with surcharge) | Buyer |
| New York | $2 for each $500 of consideration; additional 1% "mansion tax" on residences of $1 million or more; further New York City taxes at higher price points | Base tax: seller; mansion tax: buyer |
| District of Columbia | Deed recordation tax and deed transfer tax, each 1.1% for residential transfers under $400,000 or 1.45% of the full amount at $400,000 or more | Not stated on the source page |
| Pennsylvania | State realty transfer tax of 1%, often collected with an additional local realty transfer tax | Grantor and grantee jointly and severally liable |
| Maryland | State transfer tax of 0.5%; 0.25% for a qualifying first-time Maryland home buyer; county recordation and local transfer taxes not included | First-time buyer rate paid entirely by the seller |
| Florida | Documentary stamp tax on deeds of $0.70 per $100 ($0.60 per $100 in Miami-Dade, plus a $0.45 surtax that does not apply to single-family dwellings) | All parties liable, regardless of who agrees to pay |
| New Hampshire | Real estate transfer tax of $0.75 per $100 | Imposed on both buyer and seller |
| Virginia | State recordation tax of $0.25 per $100; grantor tax of $0.50 per $500 | Grantor tax paid by the grantor unless the parties arrange otherwise |
Source: Delaware Division of Revenue; Vermont Department of Taxes; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance; D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue; Pennsylvania Department of Revenue; Maryland Code, Tax-Property § 13-203; Florida Department of Revenue; New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration; Code of Virginia §§ 58.1-801 and 58.1-802. Rates as published when reviewed in October 2026; some may differ from the rates in effect during 2025.
The owner's and lender's title policies in LodeStar's definition are issued by underwriters such as those in our index of title insurers, and our guide to choosing a mortgage lender and title company covers how to shop for title and settlement services.
What the Data Means for Buyers and Sellers
Deed taxes, more than service fees, separate the costliest closings from the least expensive, so a state's tax rules say more about a likely bill than the national average does. The next annual LodeStar purchase report will show whether 2025's price-driven dip held.
Sources
- LodeStar Software Solutions. "2024 Purchase Mortgage Closing Cost Data Report" (press release dated April 21, 2025; data period Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024). https://www.lodestarss.com/2025/04/21/data-reports-2025-purchase-mortgage-closing-cost-data-report/
- LodeStar Software Solutions. "2025 Purchase Mortgage Closing Cost Data Report," including Tables 1–4. April 27, 2026. https://www.lodestarss.com/2026/04/27/data-reports-2025-purchase-mortgage-closing-cost-data-report/
- LodeStar Software Solutions. "2024 vs 2025: Year-Over-Year Mortgage Closing Cost Report." June 30, 2026. https://www.lodestarss.com/2026/06/30/2024-vs-2025-year-over-year-mortgage-closing-cost-report/
- Bankrate. "Mortgage closing costs: What are they, and how much will you pay?" Published August 5, 2025. https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/average-closing-costs-by-state/
- Realtor.com. "Here's Where Taxes and Government Fees Hit Homebuyers the Hardest." May 6, 2026. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/closing-costs-state-taxes-fees-homebuyer-2026/
- Delaware Division of Revenue. "First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit." Accessed October 22, 2026. https://revenue.delaware.gov/first-time-home-buyer-tax-credit/
- Vermont Department of Taxes. "Property Transfer Tax." Accessed October 22, 2026. https://tax.vermont.gov/property/property-transfer-tax
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. "Real estate transfer tax." Accessed October 22, 2026. https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/transfer/rptidx.htm
- D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. "ROD FAQs" (deed recordation and transfer tax rates). Accessed October 22, 2026. https://otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/rod-faqs
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. "Realty Transfer Tax." Accessed October 22, 2026. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/revenue/resources/tax-types-and-information/realty-transfer-tax
- Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code, Tax-Property § 13-203. Accessed October 22, 2026. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtp§ion=13-203
- Florida Department of Revenue. "Florida Documentary Stamp Tax." Accessed October 22, 2026. https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/taxesfees/Pages/doc_stamp.aspx
- New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration. "Real Estate Transfer Tax." Accessed October 22, 2026. https://www.revenue.nh.gov/taxes-glance/real-estate-transfer-tax
- Virginia General Assembly. Code of Virginia §§ 58.1-801 and 58.1-802. Accessed October 22, 2026. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title58.1/chapter8/section58.1-801/ and https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title58.1/chapter8/section58.1-802/
Figures are shown as published by the sources named under each table. How we source and correct: editorial and corrections policy. Spotted an error? Contact us.