5% vs. 10% vs. 20% down on a $400,000 house
Side-by-side PITI, PMI, and total interest for three down-payment scenarios on a $400k home.
The difference between 5% and 20% down on a $400k home is dramatic — PMI, monthly payment, loan amount, and lifetime interest all shift. Here’s the full side-by-side at today’s rates.
5% vs 10% vs 20% down on a $400,000 home
At today’s 6.750% rate, 30-year loan. Full PITI and closing costs included.
| Scenario | 5% down $20,000 | 10% down $40,000 | 20% down $80,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total monthly PITI | $3,186 | $3,043 | $2,559 |
| Principal & interest | $2,465 | $2,335 | $2,076 |
| Monthly PMI Only with down payment < 20% | $238 | $225 | $0 |
| Loan amount | $380,000 | $360,000 | $320,000 |
| Closing costs | $13,448 | $13,198 | $12,698 |
| Total cash to close | $33,448 | $53,198 | $92,698 |
| Total interest over 30 yrs | $507,282 | $480,583 | $427,185 |
The real trade-off: cash now vs. cost over time
Putting 20% down on a $400,000 home means $80,000 out of pocket for the down payment alone — plus $12,698 in closing costs. But you skip PMI (saves $238/mo for years) and your monthly drops to $2,559.
Put 5% down and you only need $33,448 cash upfront — but your monthly is $3,186 and over the life of the loan you pay about $80,097 more in interest alone.
Want to run it for your exact credit score? See how credit changes PMI.
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