The median U.S. homeowners association fee reached $135 a month in 2025, according to Realtor.com's Homeowners Association Report and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey -- up from $108 in 2019, a roughly 25% jump in six years. If your board just announced this year's increase, it's worth knowing where that number actually falls before you decide whether to push back.
Average HOA fee 2026: what "average" actually hides
A single national median is a useful anchor, but it flattens enormous local variation -- condo towers with elevators and staffed lobbies, or communities with pools and private security, routinely run well above $135, while a small townhome HOA with minimal shared amenities can run well below it. The median tells you where the middle of the market sits, not what's normal for your specific type of building.
HOA fee increase: how much is too much in 2026
Industry surveys tracking 2026 board budgets (iPropertyManagement, DoorLoop) found that 71% of HOA boards planned some increase this year, but the large majority -- about 81% of those raising fees -- kept the increase under 10%. Only around 19% planned something in the 11-25% range. That gives a rough, useful benchmark: a single-digit increase is common; an increase above 10% is statistically less typical and worth asking your board to explain.
HOA fee by state comparison: why we don't try to give you one
State-by-state HOA fee averages exist, but they're driven as much by local cost of living and building stock age as by the HOA system itself, and can be stale quickly. Rather than publish a state table that goes out of date, comparing your fee to the current national median plus checking whether your increase is in the "typical" or "unusually high" band gives a more durable, at-a-glance read.
Is my HOA fee too high? What this tool actually tells you
The HOA Fee Reasonableness Checker compares your monthly fee against the 2025 national median and classifies your proposed increase as typical or unusually high, based on the 2026 board survey data above -- instantly, with no signup, unlike several existing HOA calculators that estimate lifetime cost but never tell you whether your number looks normal.
Try the HOA Fee Reasonableness Checker →
Sources: Realtor.com Homeowners Association Report and U.S. Census Bureau 2024 American Community Survey (national median fee); iPropertyManagement and DoorLoop 2026 HOA statistics (board increase survey).