The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate in the U.S. was 7.32% in the week ended Oct. 21, 2026, down from 7.40% a week earlier, Freddie Mac said on Oct. 22. It was the first weekly decline since Aug. 20. The rate was 6.19% a year earlier. The 15-year fixed rate fell to 6.68% from 6.71%.
The 15-year rate averaged 5.44% a year earlier.
Over the past 52 weeks, the 30-year rate ranged from 5.98% (Feb. 26, 2026) to 7.40% (Oct. 8 and Oct. 15, 2026).
Survey rates are national averages for home-purchase loans that are not government-backed and are within federal size limits, to borrowers with good or excellent credit and a 20% down payment, taken from loan applications submitted to Freddie Mac.
How does the Oct. 22 Freddie Mac 30-year rate compare with recent weeks?
The decline came after seven straight weekly increases and an unchanged reading on Oct. 15. The 30-year rate rose from 6.65% on Aug. 20 to 7.40% on Oct. 8, and then held at 7.40% on Oct. 15.
The 7.40% readings on Oct. 8 and Oct. 15 were the highest since Nov. 16, 2023, when the 30-year rate averaged 7.44%.
The 15-year rate has fallen for two straight weeks, from a 52-week high of 6.73% on Oct. 8. The gap between the 30-year and 15-year averages was 0.64 percentage point in the Oct. 22 survey.
Freddie Mac publishes the survey on Thursdays at noon ET. Each reading averages rates on applications from the prior Thursday through Wednesday, so the Oct. 22 figures cover Oct. 15 through Oct. 21.
When is the next Freddie Mac mortgage rate survey, and what else is coming?
Freddie Mac weekly mortgage rate survey: Oct. 29, 2026, noon ET, covering applications from Oct. 22 through Oct. 28.
New-home sales, September 2026 (Census Bureau/HUD): Oct. 27, 10 a.m. ET.
Federal Reserve policy statement: Oct. 28, 2 p.m. ET.
Existing-home sales, October 2026 (National Association of Realtors): Nov. 12, 10 a.m. ET, on sales of previously owned homes.
Sources: Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Oct. 22, 2026, noon ET, PMMS historical data and PMMS publication calendar; U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Economic Indicator Calendar; National Association of Realtors, Existing-Home Sales; Federal Reserve Board, FOMC calendar.
Silvia News is for information only and is not investment advice.
