USDA 30-Year mortgage rates
USDA 30-year average 6.86% · Optimal Blue OBMMI · Nov 5, 2026
USDA rates track other government-backed loans. With no down payment, what separates the rate from your real monthly cost is the guarantee fee: 1% upfront plus 0.35% a year.
USDA 30-Year mortgage rates: chart & history
Over the past 52 weeks the USDA 30-year average ranged from 5.78% (Dec 12, 2025) to 7.21% (Oct 9, 2026); today's 6.86% is 0.35 percentage points below the high. Weekly readings of Optimal Blue's daily index of rates lenders actually locked, with the conforming 30-year from the same index for comparison — from the last 30 days to 5 years.
- Now
- 6.86%
- Nov 5, 2026
- 1 week ago
- 6.87%
- −0.01 pts
- 1 month ago
- 7.21%
- −0.35 pts
- 1 year ago
- 6.18%
- +0.68 pts
USDA 30-Year: Optimal Blue OBMMI (rates lenders locked), weekly. National series.
What a USDA loan really costs each month
A $300,000 home with no down payment at today's 6.86% USDA average:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Upfront guarantee fee (1%, financed) | $3,000 |
| Principal & interest on $303,000 | $1,987/mo |
| Annual fee (0.35%), first year | $88/mo |
| Loan payment before taxes and insurance | $2,076/mo |
The home must be in an eligible area and household income within the USDA limit ($122,800 for 1–4 people in most areas in 2026).
Is my USDA 30-year rate competitive?
Enter the rate from your quote or Loan Estimate. It's compared with today's national average of rates lenders actually locked for this program (Optimal Blue) and that average's 52-week range. The index mixes borrowers of every credit score and down payment, so treat it as a yardstick, not a promise.
An example rate is filled in — replace it with yours. Government-backed loans don’t carry Fannie Mae’s credit-score price adjustments, so there is no score field here.
In line with the average lenders locked for this program, within the normal spread between lenders.
Shaded: the average's 52-week range, 5.78%–7.21%.
- Your payment
- $2,661/mo
- principal & interest at 7.00%
- At today's average
- $2,624/mo
- USDA 30-year average, 6.86%
- 5 years of payments
- +$2,250
- $38 a month more than at the average
Have quotes from several lenders? Compare up to three side by side — payment, cash up front, APR and when points pay back.
Eligibility hinges on the property’s location and household income limits rather than first-time-buyer status. Where a home qualifies, USDA is one of the few remaining true zero-down options and carries the highest approval rate of any major program.
Check the USDA property-eligibility map and your area’s income cap before counting on it.
USDA 30-Year rate FAQ
What is the current USDA 30-year rate?
The national average USDA 30-year rate is about 6.86% (Optimal Blue OBMMI, Nov 5, 2026). On a $400,000 loan that works out to roughly $2,624 a month in principal and interest over 30 years.
Averages assume a well-qualified borrower; your quote depends on credit, down payment and lender.
What is a good USDA 30-year mortgage rate right now?
A quote at or below today's 6.86% average is a good USDA 30-year rate — that's Optimal Blue's index of rates lenders actually locked (Nov 5, 2026), across borrowers of every credit score and down payment. Over the past 52 weeks it ranged from 5.78% to 7.21%.
Quotes for the same borrower routinely differ by a quarter point or more between lenders, so a rate within about 0.25 percentage points of the average is competitive; much more than that is worth questioning. Test yours in the rate check above.
Is the USDA guarantee fee the same as PMI?
It plays the same role but costs less at zero down: 1% upfront ($3,000 on a $300,000 home, usually financed) plus 0.35% a year, about $88 a month at first. Unlike conventional PMI, it lasts for the life of the loan.
Why is my quoted rate different from the average?
National averages assume strong credit, a solid down payment and a single-family primary home. Lower scores, smaller down payments, condos, second homes and cash-out all add pricing adjustments, so the average is a benchmark for judging quotes, not a promise.
Rates shown are national weekly averages for general guidance, not an offer or personalized quote. Payment figures are principal and interest, plus mortgage insurance or program fees only where a row says so; property tax and homeowners insurance are not included. Confirm current pricing with a licensed lender.