The HOA effect on the housing market is growing [View all]

Millions of Americans are getting squeezed by growing fees from their homeowners association — and it’s likely only going to get worse.

Newly available research from online loan platform LendingTree indicates that 17.5 million homeowners in America, or about one in three, paid HOA or condo fees in 2024. For 2.6 million of those homeowners, the dues ran at least $500 a month, adding up to more than $6,000 a year on top of their mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance.

Additionally, 82% of the homeowners with HOA fees said their fees have gone up in the past three years, with 44% saying the increase was “significant."

“When you’re paying $500 or more a month, that’s a really big deal, especially when you consider how tight many Americans’ budgets are,” said Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst, in a statement with the findings. “That’s money that can’t go to other financial priorities, such as building an emergency fund, paying down high-interest debt or saving for retirement.”

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/04/02/hoa-fees-growing-housing-cost.html