"California Dominates: Top 5 Cities with Largest U.S. Homebuyer Down Payments"

Homebuyers in some U.S. markets, particularly in California, are still making down payments of over $100,000 on homes, despite a slight decrease in down payment percentages relative to home prices. The top 5 cities with the largest down payments are all in California, including San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley. The dominance of California in the rankings can be attributed to the state's desirable yet expensive properties and longstanding housing shortage. In contrast, areas near military bases tend to have lower down payments, thanks to affordable, 0% down mortgages offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.