Mortgage closing costs: State rankings

Bankrate.com researchers gathered closing-cost information from at least four lenders in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In California, Illinois and New York researchers also collected data from multiple markets where there was a presumed disparity.

Researchers requested a good faith estimate for a $200,000 loan, assuming a 20-percent down payment and good credit. Below, ranked from most expensive to least expensive, are the average closing costs charged by the lending industry for a mortgage in each state. Your costs will be higher than shown here because the most highly variable costs are not included: Taxes, other governmental fees and escrow fees. They vary almost infinitely, by locale and by which day of the month the closing occurs.

Closing costs averages for each state   2008 rank 2007 rank State 2008 closing costs 1 1 New York - NYC $4,015 2 2 Texas $3,975 3 N/A New York - Buffalo $3,845 4 3 Florida $3,683 5 8 Oklahoma $3,558 6 9 New Mexico $3,466 7 7 New Jersey $3,432 8 4 Pennsylvania $3,411 9 16 Alaska $3,408 10 24 Colorado $3,358 11 N/A California - San Francisco $3,321 12 5 Ohio $3,317 13 17 California - LA $3,250 14 35 Kentucky $3,213 15 27 West Virginia $3,201 16 11 Connecticut $3,200 17 25 Michigan $3,191 18 N/A California - Sacramento $3,179 19 41 Oregon $3,161 20 6 Hawaii $3,134 21* 39 Alabama $3,130 21* 12 Massachusetts $3,130 23 19 Maryland $3,117 24 15 Tennessee $3,116 25 37 South Carolina $3,103 26 10 Delaware $3,098 27 46 Arizona $3,096 28 22 District of Columbia $3,086 29 33 Idaho $3,064 30 14 Mississippi $3,059 31 28 Arkansas $3,049 32 13 Louisiana $3,042 33 48 Nevada $3,039 34 38 Washington $3,028 35 20 Virginia $3,007 36 34 Montana $2,970 37 36 Iowa $2,940 38 44 Wisconsin $2,940 39 18 Rhode Island $2,932 40 26 Minnesota $2,930 41* 21 New Hampshire $2,922 41* 23 North Dakota $2,922 43 31 Georgia $2,900 44 43 Nebraska $2,891 45 32 Utah $2,882 46 51 Indiana $2,878 47 30 Vermont $2,872 48 49 Illinois - Chicago $2,869 49 N/A Illinois - Springfield $2,826 50* 50 Wyoming $2,804 50* 36 Iowa $2,804 52 40 South Dakota $2,797 53 29 Maine $2,793 54 45 Missouri $2,758 55 42 Kansas $2,669 56 47 North Carolina $2,650             2008 average $3,118     2008 median $3,086     2007 average $2,736     2007 median $2,692 * tied