When you’re ready to buy a home, the best way to budget is to understand how much you can realistically afford. That starts with knowing what your monthly payment will look like based on what kind of interest rate you can get from your lender. As of April 14, 2025 the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is sitting at 6.86% according to Bankrate. However, your rate also depends on your personal financial factors and credit history. Here’s a breakdown of what you might face monthly, in interest and over the life of a $500,000 mortgage.You can start by using our calculator to see local rates on the house you want and how that affects your monthly payment.
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At a 7.00% fixed interest rate, your monthly mortgage payment on a 30-year mortgage might total $3,327 a month, while a 15-year might cost $4,494 a month.
As a general rule, your mortgage payment shouldn’t exceed one-third of your monthly income. So, with a 20% down payment on a 30-year mortgage and a 7.00% interest rate, you’d need to make at least $96,000 a year before tax. Ultimately, how much you need to make depends on your down payment, loan terms, taxes and insurance.
When you take out a mortgage, you agree to pay the principal and interest over the loan’s life. Your interest rate is applied to your balance, and as you pay down your balance, the amount you pay in interest changes.
Amortization means that a big percentage of your payment is applied to interest at the beginning of your loan. With each subsequent payment, you pay more toward your principal.
Estimate your monthly loan repayments on a $500,000 mortgage at 7.00% fixed interest with our amortization schedule over 15 and 30 years.
| Year | Beginning balance | Monthly payment | Total interest paid | Total principal paid | Total paid throughout the year | Remaining balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $500,000 | $3,327 | $34,839 | $5,079 | $39,918 | $494,921 |
| 2 | $494,921 | $3,327 | $34,472 | $5,446 | $39,918 | $489,475 |
| 3 | $489,475 | $3,327 | $34,078 | $5,840 | $39,918 | $483,635 |
| 4 | $483,635 | $3,327 | $33,656 | $6,262 | $39,918 | $477,373 |
| 5 | $477,373 | $3,327 | $33,203 | $6,715 | $39,918 | $470,658 |
| 6 | $470,658 | $3,327 | $32,718 | $7,200 | $39,918 | $463,458 |
| 7 | $463,458 | $3,327 | $32,197 | $7,721 | $39,918 | $455,737 |
| 8 | $455,737 | $3,327 | $31,639 | $8,279 | $39,918 | $447,458 |
| 9 | $447,458 | $3,327 | $31,041 | $8,877 | $39,918 | $438,581 |
| 10 | $438,581 | $3,327 | $30,399 | $9,519 | $39,918 | $429,062 |
| 11 | $429,062 | $3,327 | $29,711 | $10,207 | $39,918 | $418,855 |
| 12 | $418,855 | $3,327 | $28,973 | $10,945 | $39,918 | $407,910 |
| 13 | $407,910 | $3,327 | $28,182 | $11,736 | $39,918 | $396,173 |
| 14 | $396,173 | $3,327 | $27,333 | $12,585 | $39,918 | $383,589 |
| 15 | $383,589 | $3,327 | $26,424 | $13,494 | $39,918 | $370,094 |
| 16 | $370,094 | $3,327 | $25,448 | $14,470 | $39,918 | $355,624 |
| 17 | $355,624 | $3,327 | $24,402 | $15,516 | $39,918 | $340,108 |
| 18 | $340,108 | $3,327 | $23,281 | $16,638 | $39,918 | $323,471 |
| 19 | $323,471 | $3,327 | $22,078 | $17,840 | $39,918 | $305,630 |
| 20 | $305,630 | $3,327 | $20,788 | $19,130 | $39,918 | $286,500 |
| 21 | $286,500 | $3,327 | $19,405 | $20,513 | $39,918 | $265,987 |
| 22 | $265,987 | $3,327 | $17,922 | $21,996 | $39,918 | $243,992 |
| 23 | $243,992 | $3,327 | $16,332 | $23,586 | $39,918 | $220,406 |
| 24 | $220,406 | $3,327 | $14,627 | $25,291 | $39,918 | $195,115 |
| 25 | $195,115 | $3,327 | $12,799 | $27,119 | $39,918 | $167,996 |
| 26 | $167,996 | $3,327 | $10,838 | $29,080 | $39,918 | $138,916 |
| 27 | $138,916 | $3,327 | $8,736 | $31,182 | $39,918 | $107,734 |
| 28 | $107,734 | $3,327 | $6,482 | $33,436 | $39,918 | $74,298 |
| 29 | $74,298 | $3,327 | $4,065 | $35,853 | $39,918 | $38,445 |
| 30 | $38,445 | $3,327 | $1,473 | $38,445 | $39,918 | $0 |
| Year | Beginning balance | Monthly payment | Total interest paid | Total principal paid | Total paid throughout the year | Remaining balance |
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| 1 | $500,000 | $4,494 | $34,381 | $19,549 | $53,930 | $480,451 |
| 2 | $480,451 | $4,494 | $32,968 | $20,962 | $53,930 | $459,489 |
| 3 | $459,489 | $4,494 | $31,452 | $22,478 | $53,930 | $437,011 |
| 4 | $437,011 | $4,494 | $29,827 | $24,102 | $53,930 | $412,909 |
| 5 | $412,909 | $4,494 | $28,085 | $25,845 | $53,930 | $387,064 |
| 6 | $387,064 | $4,494 | $26,217 | $27,713 | $53,930 | $359,351 |
| 7 | $359,351 | $4,494 | $24,213 | $29,717 | $53,930 | $329,634 |
| 8 | $329,634 | $4,494 | $22,065 | $31,865 | $53,930 | $297,770 |
| 9 | $297,770 | $4,494 | $19,761 | $34,168 | $53,930 | $263,601 |
| 10 | $263,601 | $4,494 | $17,291 | $36,638 | $53,930 | $226,963 |
| 11 | $226,963 | $4,494 | $14,643 | $39,287 | $53,930 | $187,676 |
| 12 | $187,676 | $4,494 | $11,803 | $42,127 | $53,930 | $145,549 |
| 13 | $145,549 | $4,494 | $8,757 | $45,172 | $53,930 | $100,377 |
| 14 | $100,377 | $4,494 | $5,492 | $48,438 | $53,930 | $51,939 |
| 15 | $51,939 | $4,494 | $1,990 | $51,939 | $53,930 | $0 |
Buying a house is among the biggest investments you’ll make. Know how much you might pay each month on your $500,000 mortgage — including how much of your payment goes toward your interest over the principal — when shopping for a lender.
Learn more about how home loans work in our comprehensive guide to mortgages.
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