The mortgage interest rate climate has changed. Here's what a good rate is considered to be at the start of 2026.

Today, the mortgage interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.18%, according to the Mortgage Research Center. On a 15-year fixed mortgage, the average rate is 5.34%, and the average rate on a 30-year jumbo mortgage is 6.

Dear Quentin, Last year, I told my daughter and her husband that I would pay off their mortgage if they got it under $76,000. My husband, daughter, son-in-law and I all went to the bank. My wife wrote the check for the balance.

The average mortgage interest rate on a 30-year term is 5.87%, according to Zillow, as of January 9, 2026. That's lower than the 5.99% rates had been consistently sitting at in recent weeks and could open up new, more affordable opportunities for buyers right now.

The rate on a 30-year fixed refinance rose to 6.22% today, according to the Mortgage Research Center. The average rate on a 15-year mortgage refinance is 5.32%. On a 20-year mortgage refinance, the average rate is 6.

The housing market faces dual pressure as fewer Americans apply for mortgages while lenders reduce loan programs and increase documentation requirements.

The average long-term mortgage rate rose to 6.16%, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s up slightly from 6.15% last week, when the average rate dropped to its lowest level since October 3, 2024. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.93%.