Closing Cost Calculator (2026)
Estimate the cash you need at the closing table: down payment, lender & title fees (2%–5% of price), and your state's transfer taxes — all 50 states + DC.
Closing costs calculator
What is inside the 2–5%
Buyer closing costs have three parts, and only two of them are costs. Lender and third-party fees: origination, underwriting, appraisal, credit report, title search and lender's title insurance, recording. Prepaids: the first year's insurance premium, property taxes funded into escrow, and per-diem interest from the closing date to the end of the month. And the down payment, which is not a cost but is cash at the table — it is why the number you actually wire is usually well above the band.
The band covers the first two. A larger loan costs more in absolute dollars at the same percentage, but a smaller down payment moves the loan-to-value into a higher mortgage-insurance tier, which is a separate line the calculator shows rather than hides.
Transfer taxes are the part that depends on the state
Most states put the real estate transfer tax on the seller, a few split it, and a few charge the buyer — sometimes on a sliding scale. New York's mansion tax applies to residential sales of $1 million and up, so a $1.2 million closing in Manhattan carries a tax that a $1.2 million closing in Texas does not. This is the line that makes the same house cost thousands more to close in one state than the next, and it is why the state picker above sits in front of the estimate.
The transfer-tax rule in the calculator is the same table the state pages use, including the states with no transfer tax at all. Property taxes by state covers the recurring version of the same question — what the house costs every year rather than once.
FHA and VA charge a fee of their own
FHA charges an upfront mortgage insurance premium of 1.75% of the loan, usually financed into the balance, plus an annual premium on top. VA charges a one-time funding fee — 2.15% for a first use with less than 5% down, less with a larger down payment, more on a subsequent use — paid in cash at closing or financed into the loan. Neither is optional and neither belongs in the monthly payment alone: both are cash-to-close items, which is why they appear in the estimate below the calculator rather than in the summary card.
The fee schedules, the date of each figure and the method behind every number on this site are on the methodology page. If a number here disagrees with your lender's closing disclosure, the lender's disclosure is the one that governs the transaction — and a correction here is one email away.
Last reviewed Oct 25 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much are closing costs?
Buyer closing costs typically run 2%–5% of the purchase price: lender origination (~0.5%–1%), appraisal and credit fees, title insurance and search, prepaid interest, and the first year's insurance/escrow cushion. Transfer taxes are separate and depend on your state.
Who pays the transfer tax?
It varies by state — in Texas there is none; in most states the seller pays it; in others it is split (Pennsylvania, New Hampshire) or falls on the buyer (Vermont, much of Maryland). This calculator uses the customary convention for each state.
Do FHA and VA loans change my cash to close?
Their upfront fees — FHA's 1.75% UFMIP and the VA funding fee (2.15% and below) — are financed into the loan instead of paid in cash, so they raise your loan amount but not the money you bring to closing.