The typical down payment for a house in 2025 varies depending on the buyer type and loan program, but the median down payment for all home buyers is about 18%. First-time buyers tend to put down around 9%, while repeat buyers put down closer to 23%. In terms of dollars, using the median home price of roughly $396,900, this translates to median down payments of approximately $35,700 for first-time buyers and $91,300 for repeat buyers. Many lenders require 20% down to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI), but down payments can be as low as 3% for conventional loans or even 0% with specific government-backed loans like VA or USDA loans. Therefore, the amount of down payment needed depends on the loan type, home price, and buyer status.