Down Payment by City

How Much Is a Down Payment on a House in San Jose?

Updated November 1, 2026

By Vinura Abeysundara

Head of Growth at TurboHome

Reviewed by:

Vinura Abeysundara

Head of Growth at TurboHome

Kevin Kretzmer

Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822

A 20% down payment on the median San Jose home is $272,800, based on 1,687 San Jose homes that closed between May 1 and October 31, 2026 at a median price of $1,364,000. Most buyers put down less: an FHA loan at 3.5% down needs $47,740, a 5% conventional loan needs $68,200 and 10% down is $136,400. The median home exceeds the $1,249,125 Santa Clara County FHA limit at 3.5% down, and 39.5% of San Jose sales needed a jumbo loan even with 20% down.

TurboHome Market Analysis · San Jose, California · Sales closed from May 1, 2026 to October 31, 2026

Key findings

On the median San Jose home ($1,364,000), the down payment ranges from $47,740 at 3.5% (FHA) to $272,800 at 20%.
Home type changes the number more than anything else: 10% down is $165,000 on the median single family home ($1,650,000) and $75,000 on the median condo or townhome ($750,000).
44.7% of San Jose sales were priced within the $1,249,125 Santa Clara County FHA limit at 3.5% down, and 39.5% needed a jumbo loan even with 20% down (2026 conforming limit $1,249,125).
How San Jose buyers actually paid: 74.1% conventional, 19.1% cash, 1.3% FHA and 1.1% VA, based on the 97.6% of closings that record a financing type.
The San Jose median fell 2.9% year over year in our MLS feed ($1,405,328 to $1,364,000), which moved a 20% down payment by about $8,266.

Down payment on the median San Jose home

The table uses the $1,364,000 median sale price for San Jose homes that closed between May 1 and October 31, 2026 (single family homes, condos and townhomes). Monthly principal and interest is estimated at the Freddie Mac average 30-year fixed rate of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026; mortgage insurance, property taxes, homeowners insurance and HOA dues come on top.

Down payment. Every figure is in the table below.

Down payment on the median San Jose home, data table
Down payment option	Down payment	Loan amount	Loan type at this price	Est. monthly principal and interest
3.5% down (FHA minimum)	$47,740	$1,316,260	Above FHA limit	$8,970
5% down (conventional minimum)	$68,200	$1,295,800	Jumbo	$8,831
10% down	$136,400	$1,227,600	Conforming	$8,366
20% down (no mortgage insurance)	$272,800	$1,091,200	Conforming	$7,437

Putting 20% down instead of 3.5% on the median San Jose home cuts the monthly principal and interest by about $1,534 and avoids mortgage insurance, but it takes $225,060 more cash at closing. Closing costs typically add another 2% to 3% of the price on top of any option in the table.

Down payment by home type in San Jose

Single family homes and condos sell at very different prices in San Jose, so the home type you target sets your savings goal.

Down payment by home type in San Jose, data table
Home type	Sales (6 mo)	Median sale price	3.5% down	5% down	10% down	20% down
Single family home	1,168	$1,650,000	$57,750	$82,500	$165,000	$330,000
Condo or townhome	519	$750,000	$26,250	$37,500	$75,000	$150,000
All homes	1,687	$1,364,000	$47,740	$68,200	$136,400	$272,800

Entry level, median and upper tier in San Jose

One in four San Jose homes sold for $920,000 or less (the 25th percentile), and one in four sold for $1,854,375 or more. The entry tier is usually the better target for a first-time buyer's down payment plan.

Entry level, median and upper tier in San Jose, data table
Price tier	Sale price	3.5% down	5% down	10% down	20% down	Loan at 10% down
Entry level (25th percentile)	$920,000	$32,200	$46,000	$92,000	$184,000	$828,000 (conforming)
Median	$1,364,000	$47,740	$68,200	$136,400	$272,800	$1,227,600 (conforming)
Upper tier (75th percentile)	$1,854,375	$64,903	$92,719	$185,438	$370,875	$1,668,937 (jumbo)

2026 loan limits in Santa Clara County and what they mean for your down payment

2026 loan limits in Santa Clara County and what they mean for your down payment, data table
Limit (one unit, 2026)	Amount	Max purchase price at minimum down	Share of sales within limit
FHA loan limit, Santa Clara County	$1,249,125	$1,294,430 at 3.5% down	44.7%
Conforming loan limit, Santa Clara County	$1,249,125	$1,314,868 at 5% down	46.8%
Jumbo needed even at 20% down	above $1,249,125 loan	above $1,561,406 price	39.5% of sales

Santa Clara County is a high-cost area, so both the FHA and conforming limits sit at the national ceiling of $1,249,125 for 2026. FHA loans allow 3.5% down with a 580 or higher credit score but carry an upfront premium of 1.75% of the loan and monthly mortgage insurance for the life of the loan at less than 10% down. Conventional loans allow 3% to 5% down for first-time buyers with private mortgage insurance that drops off at 20% equity. Jumbo loans above the conforming limit usually require 10% to 20% down and higher reserves. Limits are from the FHFA and HUD announcements for 2026 (fhfa.gov, hud.gov).

How San Jose buyers actually paid

Of the San Jose closings in the period, 97.6% record the buyer's financing type in the MLS. Among those:

Share of closings. Every figure is in the table below.

How San Jose buyers actually paid, data table
Financing type	Share of closings	Median sale price for this type	Minimum down payment
Conventional	74.1%	$1,436,750	3% to 5%
Cash	19.1%	$1,300,000	100%
FHA	1.3%	$700,000	3.5%
VA	1.1%	not calculated	0%

FHA buyers in San Jose bought at a median $700,000, against $1,436,750 for conventional buyers, so the low-down-payment route is concentrated in the lower half of the market.

Nationally, first-time buyers put down a median 10% and repeat buyers 23% according to the NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (nar.realtor), and Redfin found the typical buyer put down 15%, or about $64,000, in March 2026 (redfin.com).

Where a down payment goes furthest in San Jose

These are the three lowest-median neighborhoods in San Jose with at least 15 closings in the period, out of 15 that qualified. Entry prices come with trade-offs: older buildings, higher HOA dues or longer commutes.

Where a down payment goes furthest in San Jose, data table
Neighborhood	Sales (6 mo)	Median sale price	3.5% down	5% down	10% down
Trade Winds	15	$515,000	$18,025	$25,750	$51,500
The Villages (55-plus community)	55	$750,000	$26,250	$37,500	$75,000
Downtown San Jose	90	$900,000	$31,500	$45,000	$90,000
Citywide median	1,687	$1,364,000	$47,740	$68,200	$136,400
Silver Creek (highest median)	17	$2,835,000	$99,225	$141,750	$283,500

Local notes for San Jose buyers

San Jose is the largest city in our Silicon Valley coverage and the clearest example of the house-versus-condo gap. The median single family home sold for $1,650,000, so a 20% down payment is $330,000, while the median condo or townhome closed at $750,000, where 10% down is $75,000. The Villages ($750,000 median) is a 55-plus community, so first-time buyers should instead look at Trade Winds and the downtown and Japantown condo stock, where a 5% down payment on the median unit is under $50,000. Prices eased from $1,405,328 to $1,364,000 year over year in our feed. Conventional financing covered 74.1% of recorded sales and FHA just 1.3%, and 39.5% of homes needed a jumbo loan at 20% down, so most buyers here are pairing a 10% to 20% down payment with a jumbo or high-balance conforming loan.

California down payment assistance for San Jose buyers

CalHFA's MyHome Assistance Program is a deferred-payment junior loan of up to 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value (whichever is lower) when paired with a CalHFA FHA first mortgage, or up to 3% with a CalHFA conventional first mortgage, usable for the down payment and closing costs (calhfa.ca.gov). On an entry-level San Jose home at the 25th percentile price ($920,000), that is up to $32,200 with an FHA loan, which covers the entire 3.5% minimum, or up to $27,600 with a conventional loan. MyHome requires the borrower to be a first-time buyer under CalHFA's income limits, which vary by county, and the first mortgage must stay within the county loan limit of $1,249,125, so it applies to homes priced up to about $1,294,430 with an FHA loan, which is below the San Jose median. CalHFA's Dream For All shared-appreciation loan reopens in limited rounds, and several cities and counties run their own programs; your TurboHome agent can check which ones apply to a specific address.

Methodology

TurboHome analyzed 1,687 San Jose, California home sales recorded in the MLS with a close date between May 1 and October 31, 2026 and a sale price above $50,000. Single family homes, condominiums and townhouses are included; land, mobile and manufactured homes, multifamily and timeshares are excluded. Down payments are calculated as a straight percentage of the sale price and rounded to the nearest dollar; lender overlays, seller credits and closing costs are not included. FHA eligibility is the share of sales where the price less a 3.5% down payment is at or below the 2026 Santa Clara County FHA one-unit limit of $1,249,125; the conforming test uses a 5% down payment against the 2026 conforming limit of $1,249,125; the jumbo test uses a 20% down payment against the same limit. Loan limits are from the FHFA announcement of November 25, 2025 and HUD's 2026 FHA limits effective January 1, 2026. The financing mix counts only closings where the MLS records a single buyer financing type; multi-value entries and blanks are excluded, and the mix is omitted where fewer than 80% of closings have a recorded type. Neighborhood medians use the MLS neighborhood field and require at least 15 closings (Sacramento uses ZIP codes with at least 8 closings because of thinner feed coverage). Monthly payment estimates use the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey 30-year fixed average of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026 (freddiemac.com/pmms), principal and interest only. Year-over-year comparisons use the same method for May 1 to October 31, 2025 and are shown only where the prior period has at least 100 closings in our feed.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a down payment on a house in San Jose?

On the median San Jose home, which sold for $1,364,000 between May 1 and October 31, 2026, a down payment is $47,740 at 3.5% (FHA), $68,200 at 5%, $136,400 at 10% and $272,800 at 20%. One in four homes sold for $920,000 or less, where 5% down is $46,000.

What is the minimum down payment for a house in San Jose?

FHA loans allow 3.5% down, which is $47,740 on the median San Jose home, as long as the loan stays under the $1,249,125 Santa Clara County limit; 44.7% of San Jose sales in the period qualified. Conventional loans allow 3% to 5% down for first-time buyers, and VA loans require no down payment for eligible veterans and service members.

Do I need 20% down to buy a house in San Jose?

No. 19.1% of recorded San Jose closings were all-cash and FHA plus VA loans covered 2.4%; the remaining 78.5% were conventional or other loans, many of them with less than 20% down and private mortgage insurance. Nationally, first-time buyers put down a median 10%. Putting 20% down ($272,800 on the median home) avoids mortgage insurance and lowers the payment by about $1,534 a month compared with 3.5% down.

Is San Jose a jumbo loan market?

Largely, yes. 39.5% of San Jose homes sold for more than $1,561,406, which means the loan exceeded the $1,249,125 conforming limit even with 20% down. Jumbo lenders typically want 10% to 20% down, higher credit scores and 6 to 12 months of reserves, so plan the down payment and the reserves together.

Is there down payment assistance in San Jose?

Yes. CalHFA's MyHome program offers a deferred junior loan of up to 3.5% of the price with a CalHFA FHA loan ($32,200 on an entry-level San Jose home at the 25th percentile price) or 3% with a conventional loan, subject to first-time buyer status, income limits and the $1,249,125 county loan limit. Local city and county programs may stack on top.

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