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Mortgage rates today, April 23, 2026

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Fortune
April 23, 2026
Mortgage RatesSource: GNews
Mortgage rates today, April 23, 2026

See Thursday’s report on average mortgage rates on different types of home loans so you can pick the best mortgage for your needs as you house shop.

By Glen Luke FlanaganGlen Luke FlanaganStaff Editor, Personal Finance CommerceDown Arrow Button IconApril 23, 2026, 3:01 AM ETAdd us onGetty Images

The average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate conforming mortgage loan in the U.S. is 6.231%, an increase of about a basis point from the day before, according to data from mortgage data company Optimal Blue.

Meanwhile, the average rate for a 15-year, fixed-rate conforming mortgage loan is 5.524%, up about 7 basis points for the same period.

Rates current as of April 23, 2026. Fortune publishes a daily mortgage rates post each weekday that data is available.

Compare mortgage rates for April 23, 2026

Here’s a quick look at week-over-week rate changes.

Fortune reviewed the latest Optimal Blue data available on April 22, reflecting rates for loans locked in as of April 21.

Check Out Our Daily Rates Reports

What you’d pay in interest with where rates are at on April 23, 2026

We ran the numbers through the mortgage calculator provided by the federal government’s Office of Financial Readiness. At the current rate of 6.231%, on a 30-year mortgage where you borrow $300,000, you’d pay roughly $363,637.97 in interest over the life of the loan.

On a 15-year mortgage with the same loan amount used for the estimate, you’d pay roughly $141,913.35 in interest over the life of the loan at the current rate of 5.524%.

Read on to see how mortgage rates have changed from one day to the next.

30-year conventional mortgage: Up about 1 basis point

This may be the most popular mortgage type in the United States.

The current average 30-year mortgage rate is 6.231%. That’s up from 6.218% on the last day’s report.

15-year conventional mortgage: Up about 7 basis points

This type of mortgage is popular with homeowners seeking to minimize interest payments over the life of their loan.

The current average 15-year mortgage rate is 5.524%. That’s up from 5.450% on the last day’s report.

30-year jumbo mortgage: Down about 8 basis points

A jumbo mortgage is one that exceeds the conforming loan limits set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. While the limit can vary in certain high-cost-of-living-areas, in most of the U.S., it’s $832,750 for 2026.

The current average rate on a 30-year jumbo loan is 6.459%. That’s down from 6.538% on the last day’s report.

30-year FHA mortgage: Up about 8 basis points

This type of mortgage is oftentimes more accessible to borrowers with slightly lower credit scores than conventional mortgages. Lenders are protected because these loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

The current average rate on a 30-year FHA home loan is 6.093%. That’s up from 6.014% on the last day’s report.

30-year VA mortgage: Less than a basis point of change

These loans are, in general, available to U.S. military members and veterans and surviving spouses. One attractive feature is that they have no minimum down payment requirement, unlike most other mortgage types.

The current average rate on a 30-year VA home loan is 5.822%. That’s up from 5.819% on the last day’s report.

30-year USDA mortgage: Up about 9 basis points

A USDA loan is meant to help low- to moderate-income borrowers purchase a home in an eligible rural area. Like VA loans, USDA loans have no minimum down payment requirement.

The current average rate on a 30-year USDA home loan is 5.944%. That’s up from 5.845% on the last day’s report.

What the Federal Reserve is doing in 2026

The Fed does not set mortgage rates, but does indirectly influence them by what it does with the federal funds rate. That benchmark rate is what banks charge each other to borrow money overnight.

When the Fed increases the federal funds rate, mortgage rates often rise, and conversely, mortgage rates often decrease when the Fed cuts the federal funds rate. At its most recent meeting March 17-18, the Federal Open Market Committee left the federal funds rate at 3.50% – 3.75%.

The FOMC has another meeting coming up on April 28-29.

Some would-be homebuyers probably remember when the average mortgage rate dropped to a startling low of 2.65% in January 2021. That came as the Fed had cut the federal funds rate to effectively zero, trying to stave off a pandemic-induced recession.

However, barring a disaster of that level, experts do not expect mortgage rates to drop that low again in the foreseeable future.

Trends with mortgage applications

Mortgage applications are up week over week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. For the week ending April 17, applications were up 7.9% compared to a week prior.

“Mortgage rates declined last week as financial markets responded positively to the Middle East ceasefire and the lower trend in oil prices,” Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and chief economist, said in a news release.

Refi application volume increased by 6% while purchase application volume increased by 10%, according to the MBA.

“Despite the geopolitical uncertainty, housing demand is being supported by a still resilient job market, and homebuyers are experiencing a buyer’s market in most of the country given the higher levels of inventory relative to last year,” Fratantoni said in the release.

Recent reporting on the housing market from Fortune

If you want to stay in the loop and understand what’s happening with the economy, Fortune has your back. See what the newsroom has been reporting on recently:

Why you should comparison shop

Bear in mind that you can comparison shop from a couple different angles. On one hand, it’s worth considering different mortgage types to understand what the best type of loan is for your needs.

If you have exceptional credit, you might get the best deal for your situation from a conventional loan. But, if you have a credit score below 600, you’d likely get denied for a conventional mortgage while still having a chance at approval for an FHA home loan.

There’s also comparison shopping by applying with different lenders. Freddie Mac notes that in markets with high interest rates, homebuyers who shop around with multiple lenders might save from $600 to $1,200 per year compared to those who don’t.

Frequently asked questions

Are a mortgage’s interest rate and APR the same?

They’re not quite the same. Your APR will include interest plus any applicable fees, meaning it will generally be a slightly higher number than interest rate alone.

What’s a good mortgage rate in April 2026?

With the average for a 30-year conventional mortgage hovering above 6.00% these days, if you snag a rate slightly above 6.00%, that’s pretty good. And if you manage to get a rate under 6.00%, that’s really good.

Will mortgage rates go down?

Perhaps. If the Fed decreases the federal funds rate in 2026, there’s a chance mortgage rates might dip accordingly. But other factors are at play too, with inflation, the national debt, and the demand for home loans all impacting mortgage rates.

Glen is a commerce editor on the Fortune personal finance team covering housing, mortgages, and credit. He’s been immersed in the world of personal finance since 2019, holding editor and writer roles at USA TODAY Blueprint, Forbes Advisor, and LendingTree before he joined Fortune. Glen loves getting a chance to dig into complicated topics and break them down into manageable pieces of information that folks can easily digest and use in their daily lives.

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Originally published by Fortune

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