Rates in the news can feel unusual, and history helps put them in context. Freddie Mac has surveyed 30-year fixed mortgage rates every week since April 1971, so here is the full record by decade.
| Decade | Average | Highest week | Lowest week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.90% | 12.90% (Nov 1979) | 7.23% (Mar 1972) |
| 1980s | 12.71% | 18.63% (Oct 1981) | 9.03% (Mar 1987) |
| 1990s | 8.12% | 10.67% (May 1990) | 6.49% (Oct 1998) |
| 2000s | 6.29% | 8.64% (May 2000) | 4.71% (Dec 2009) |
| 2010s | 4.09% | 5.21% (Apr 2010) | 3.31% (Nov 2012) |
| 2020s | 5.38% | 7.79% (Oct 2023) | 2.65% (Jan 2021) |
Reading the record
- The highest weekly reading in the record was 18.63% in October 1981.
- The lowest was 2.65% in January 2021.
- The most recent survey, for the week of Sep 24, 2026, showed 7.03%.
Home prices, incomes and rates all change together over time, so a rate is best understood alongside the monthly payment it produces. Try the payment calculator to see what today's rate means for a home at any price.
Talk to a lender. Rates, loan programs and approvals come from lenders, not from websites or real estate agents. Talk to your own mortgage broker, or use our preferred lender, Rodrigo Ballon with CrossCountry Mortgage, at 858-735-0255. You are always free to choose any lender you like, and you can verify any lender’s license at nmlsconsumeraccess.org.
Where these numbers come from
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey for weekly average mortgage rates.
- FRED (St. Louis Fed) for the federal funds target range and the 10-year Treasury yield.
- Federal Reserve FOMC calendar for meeting dates and statements.
- Investing.com Fed Rate Monitor, which shows market expectations for upcoming meetings based on federal funds futures, and its Fed Interest Rate Decision calendar.
Data as of Sep 24, 2026. These pages describe the past and the present and make no predictions. Investing.com and the other sources are independent of Rudy Flores and Coldwell Banker West.
More on interest rates
- The Fed's Rate Decisions vs. Mortgage Rates: What Is the Difference? — The Federal Reserve sets one short-term rate. Mortgage rates follow a different set of forces. Here is how the two relate, with the recent decisions.
- The 10-Year Treasury and Mortgage Rates: How They Move Together — Mortgage rates and the 10-year Treasury yield tend to rise and fall together. Here is the gap between them, year by year.
- Interest Rate, APR and Points: How to Read a Loan Estimate — Three numbers show up on every mortgage quote. Here is what each one means, with a worked example.
- What One Point of Interest Rate Means for Your Monthly Payment — A simple table of monthly principal and interest for common loan sizes, from 5% to 8%.
- Fixed Rate, Adjustable Rate and Buydowns: The Basics — How the main loan structures work, and what a temporary or permanent rate buydown means.
General information, not financial advice.