The best documented 2025 benchmark in the available data is 8.22% for a $30,000, five-year home equity loan, reported by Bankrate on August 27, 2025. That was a survey average—not a rate every borrower could get, and not a final measure of the entire year. Your offer depends on your finances, home and loan terms.
2025 home equity loan rate snapshot
Bankrate’s weekly survey reported an average rate of 8.22% on August 27, 2025, for a benchmark $30,000 five-year home equity loan. Bankrate described that figure as a low for 2025 at that point in the year. Its survey drew rate information from the 10 largest banks and thrifts in 10 large U.S. markets, so the figure is a dated national benchmark rather than a quote or a guarantee of the lowest rate available to an individual borrower. See Bankrate’s August 27, 2025 report.
The date and loan assumptions matter: an average for a specific amount and term cannot tell you what another loan size, repayment period or borrower would be offered. Nor should the August figure be treated as the final or absolute low for 2025.
What is a good rate on a home equity loan?
There is no single rate that is “good” for every borrower. Use the 8.22% survey result as a historical point of comparison for the same $30,000, five-year structure, then compare personalized offers for identical amounts and terms. A lower advertised interest rate is not automatically the better deal if it comes with points, fees or conditions that raise the cost.
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Bankrate said offers depend on creditworthiness and other financial details, home value, and the borrower’s ownership stake. It also reported that lenders generally limit all home loans, including the mortgage, to a maximum of 80%–85% of the home’s value; this is a general range cited by Bankrate, not a universal underwriting rule. The lender’s actual credit, combined loan-to-value, occupancy, property and location requirements determine eligibility.
How home equity loan rates compare with HELOC rates
A home equity loan typically delivers a lump sum, and its interest rate may be fixed or adjustable. A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is revolving credit: borrowers draw against a credit limit, and its rate is usually adjustable. HELOC payments can change with both the rate and the amount outstanding. These are different products, so a HELOC rate should not be compared with a home equity loan rate without accounting for the repayment structure. The CFPB explains the product differences.
Both products use the home as security. Before borrowing, read the agreement and understand the repayment schedule and what happens if you cannot make payments. For HELOCs, federal disclosure requirements address information such as variable-rate terms and payment terms; review the disclosures for the particular plan. See Regulation Z, § 1026.40.
How to compare home equity loan offers
- Request matching quotes. Give each lender the same loan amount, term and relevant property and borrower details. This makes the resulting offers more useful to compare than rates based on different assumptions.
- Compare APR as well as the interest rate. Check whether a quoted rate is introductory or promotional, and whether it depends on autopay or an existing banking relationship. APR can help reflect the cost of credit, but examine the fees and terms behind the figure too. The CFPB’s Loan Estimate explainer describes how to compare loan costs and APR.
- Calculate payment and total repayment. Compare the monthly payment schedule and the total amount you would repay over the loan term, not just the headline rate.
- Check every charge and condition. Ask about origination, appraisal, title and closing fees, points, prepayment terms, and any rate discount requirements. Confirm which costs are included in the quote and which may be charged separately.
- Check eligibility before relying on the quote. Verify credit and combined loan-to-value limits, occupancy and property rules, geographic availability, and whether the advertised offer requires an existing account or automatic payments.
Why this is not a lender ranking
A dated market average can help set context, but it does not establish which lender has the best offer for you. The 8.22% figure is Bankrate’s August 27, 2025 survey result under a defined benchmark, not a side-by-side ranking of lenders’ personalized rates and full loan costs. A meaningful “best lender” comparison needs current disclosures and like-for-like quotes, including fees and eligibility terms.
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For context only, a Bankrate page indexed in October 2026 reported an average 8.46% for a $30,000 five-year home equity loan, with a September 30, 2026 observation. That later figure is not part of the 2025 snapshot and should not be blended into a 2025 comparison. Bankrate’s rate page.
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