Tami Price is a U.S. Air Force veteran and Broker Owner of Tami Price Properties, helping military families across San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio.
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The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.95% in the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending September 17, 2026. That single number sets the monthly payment for a generation of fixed-rate loans, so this page puts it in context: where rates have been, what they mean for the payment on a given loan amount, and what the annual rate swings of recent years have cost a buyer who waited. The calculator below runs entirely in your browser.
Rate source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week ending September 17, 2026. Rates are averages and change weekly; your lender quotes the rate for your loan.
Latest PMMS reading
6.95%
30-year fixed average for the week ending September 17, 2026, after 6.76% the prior week and 6.71% on September 3, 2026.
All-time weekly high
18.63%
Week ending October 9, 1981. The full-year 1981 average was 16.64%. The PMMS series dates to 1971.
Recent low
2.65%
Weekly low in January 2021; the 2021 annual average was 2.96%, the lowest on record.
The table shows the annual average 30-year fixed rate from the Freddie Mac PMMS at a few checkpoints that mattered. Rates peaked in the early 1980s, settled through the 1990s, dropped to record lows in the early 2020s, and have since run in the mid-to-high sixes. A buyer in 2026 lives in a very different payment environment than a buyer in 2021, which is why the buying-power math below matters more than the rate itself.
| Year | Annual average | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 16.64% | Peak year; the all-time weekly high was 18.63% in the week ending October 9, 1981. |
| 2000 | 8.05% | |
| 2001 | 6.97% | |
| 2002 | 6.54% | |
| 2003 | 5.83% | |
| 2004 | 5.84% | |
| 2018 | 4.54% | |
| 2019 | 3.94% | |
| 2020 | 3.11% | |
| 2021 | 2.96% | Lowest annual average on record; the weekly low was 2.65% in January 2021. |
| 2022 | 5.34% | Rates more than doubled off the 2021 low over the course of the year. |
| 2023 | 6.81% | |
| 2024 | 6.72% | |
| 2025 | 6.60% | Weekly range for 2025 ran from 6.15% to 7.04%. |
| 2026 YTD | 6.95% | Most recent weekly reading, 6.95% for the week ending September 17, 2026, after 6.76% the prior week. |
Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (freddiemac.com/pmms), annual averages and weekly readings as of September 2026. The contemporary readings for 2026 are weekly, not annual; the most recent weekly average is shown.
Estimated monthly principal-and-interest payment for a 30-year fixed loan across common loan amounts and rates. The payment treats the loan amount as the starting balance, so for a purchase it comes after your down payment. Principal and interest only: property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA fees, and any mortgage insurance are not included.
| Rate | $200K loan | $250K loan | $300K loan | $350K loan | $400K loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5% | $1,136 | $1,419 | $1,703 | $1,987 | $2,271 |
| 6.0% | $1,199 | $1,499 | $1,799 | $2,098 | $2,398 |
| 6.5% | $1,264 | $1,580 | $1,896 | $2,212 | $2,528 |
| 7.0% | $1,331 | $1,663 | $1,996 | $2,329 | $2,661 |
| 7.5% | $1,398 | $1,748 | $2,098 | $2,447 | $2,797 |
Computed with standard 30-year amortization at the PMMS rate shown, rounded to the nearest dollar, as of September 2026. Example: a $300,000 loan at the latest PMMS reading of 6.95% lands between the 6.5% and 7.0% columns shown above.
Waiting for a lower rate can work, but the rate you get when you apply is what you pay, and rates can also rise. On a $300,000, 30-year loan, each 1 percent of rate adds roughly $200 a month, about $2,400 a year, and more than $70,000 in extra interest over the life of the loan. The table shows the arithmetic.
| Rate | Monthly P&I | Change from previous row | Total interest over 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0% | $1,799 | baseline | $347,515 |
| 7.0% | $1,996 | +$197 / month | $418,527 |
| 8.0% | $2,201 | +$205 / month | $492,466 |
$300,000 loan, 30-year fixed, principal and interest only, standard amortization, rounded to the nearest dollar, as of September 2026. A 1 percent move from 6.0% to 7.0% costs roughly $197 a month, about $70,000 in extra interest over the full term.
Enter your numbers. This calculator runs entirely in your browser, computes principal and interest from the rate and term, and adds optional monthly tax, insurance, and HOA estimates so you can see a fuller picture.
Loan amount
$315,000
Principal & interest
$2,085
Estimated monthly total
$2,085
Principal and interest only when tax and insurance are left at zero. Add annual property tax and insurance to include those monthly shares. Taxes and insurance vary by county and policy; a lender provides the exact numbers. Rates, payments, and loan terms come from the lender, not this calculator; a lender's pre-approval or Loan Estimate is authoritative for the specific figures on your loan. This is an estimate, not a loan quote.
Compare VA loans side by side with the funding-fee schedule, or run the rent-versus-buy numbers before you decide how to house your family for the next tour.
Tami Price is a U.S. Air Force veteran and Broker Owner of Tami Price Properties, helping military families across San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio.
More about Tami