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If you need to make renovations to your home, consolidate debt or cover another major cost, a home equity loan could be the solution. Home equity loans allow you to borrow money by using your home’s equity — the value of your property minus your existing mortgage balance — as collateral.

We’ve ranked multiple lenders to help you find the best home equity loan rates in 2024. While these rankings mainly focused on each home equity loan lender’s minimum annual percentage rate (APR), we also considered the ease of the application process, fees and discounts, combined loan-to-value (CLTV) ratio, transparency in borrowing requirements and overall customer service.

Best home equity loan rates

Why trust our mortgage experts

Our team of experts evaluated hundreds of mortgage products and analyzed thousands of data points to help you find the best fit for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.

  • 18 mortgage lenders reviewed.
  • 180 data points analyzed.
  • 6-stage fact-checking process.

Compare the best home equity loan rates

APRMIN. CREDIT SCOREMAX CLTV RATIOCLOSING TIME
Below national averageDoes not disclose89%Less than 30 days
APRBelow national average
MIN. CREDIT SCOREDoes not disclose
MAX CLTV RATIO89%
CLOSING TIMELess than 30 days
Below national average660
89.99%
30 to 45 days
APRBelow national average
MIN. CREDIT SCORE660
MAX CLTV RATIO
89.99%
CLOSING TIME30 to 45 days
Above national average70089%30 to 45 days
APRAbove national average
MIN. CREDIT SCORE700
MAX CLTV RATIO89%
CLOSING TIME30 to 45 days
Below national average66089%30 to 45 days
APRBelow national average
MIN. CREDIT SCORE660
MAX CLTV RATIO89%
CLOSING TIME30 to 45 days
Below national average68089%30 to 45 days
APRBelow national average
MIN. CREDIT SCORE680
MAX CLTV RATIO89%
CLOSING TIME30 to 45 days
Below national average62090%
30 to 55 days
APRBelow national average
MIN. CREDIT SCORE620
MAX CLTV RATIO90%
CLOSING TIME
30 to 55 days
Below national average (introductory rate)64090%Less than 30 days
APRBelow national average (introductory rate)
MIN. CREDIT SCORE640
MAX CLTV RATIO90%
CLOSING TIMELess than 30 days
Below national averageDoes not disclose100%40 to 55 days
APRBelow national average
MIN. CREDIT SCOREDoes not disclose
MAX CLTV RATIO100%
CLOSING TIME40 to 55 days

Methodology

Our expert writers and editors have reviewed and researched multiple lenders to help you find the best home equity loan. Out of all the lenders considered, the eight that made our list excelled in areas across the following categories (with weightings): loan cost (35%), eligibility and accessibility (35%), customer service (15%) and ease of application (10%).

Within each major category, we considered several characteristics, including minimum APR, maximum CLTV ratio and minimum credit score requirements. We also evaluated each provider’s customer support options, lender discounts and features that simplify the borrowing process—like time to close.

Why some lenders didn’t make the cut

Of the home equity loan lenders that we reviewed, only a fraction made the cut. The lenders that didn’t have high enough scores to be included received lower ratings mostly due to having higher interest rates as well as a lack of transparency around eligibility details like minimum credit score.

What is a home equity loan?

A home equity loan is a fixed-rate financing option that lets you tap into the equity you’ve earned in your home. You can generally access up to 90% of your equity, depending on your lender, and you’ll receive the funds as a lump sum to use for almost any purpose — such as to cover home renovations, debt consolidation or other significant costs.  

Lender requirements can vary for borrowers seeking home equity loans. For instance, some home equity loan lenders require a higher credit score than others. You’ll also see varying loan amounts, rates and terms available as you compare options. 

Also note that a home equity loan is secured by your home, which means you risk foreclosure if you can’t keep up with your payments.

How to calculate your home equity

The equity you have in your home is the appraised value of your home minus the amount you still owe on your mortgage. 

Your Home’s Value – Total Amount Owed = Home Equity

For example, if you took out a mortgage for $600,000 and still owe $360,000, you would have $240,000, or 40%, in home equity. But keep in mind that, as a general rule, most lenders usually only let you borrow up to 85% of your CLTV ratio—the difference between your home’s value and any loans secured by your property (like your mortgage). 

Read more: Black-owned homes appreciated more than other groups since pandemic, but ‘it’s a low bar’

Home equity loan vs. HELOC: What's the difference?

While a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit (HELOC) can be used to cover similar expenses, they work differently. 

  • Home equity loan: You’ll receive a lump sum and have both a fixed rate and set monthly payments for the duration of the loan. Home equity loans also typically come with higher rates than HELOCs.
  • HELOC: This is a line of credit that works similarly to a credit card. You take out what you need from the total amount and are only responsible for paying back what you use, and you have the option of borrowing again. A HELOC could be a better choice if you’re not sure exactly how much you need to borrow or have recurring expenses. Also, HELOCs typically have lower rates than home equity loans. However, these rates are variable, meaning they can fluctuate over time.

Home equity loan alternatives

A HELOC, cash-out refinance or personal loan might be a good alternative to a home equity loan, depending on your situation.

HELOC 

A HELOC lets you draw money as you need it for a period of time (typically 10 years), and you’re only responsible for paying back what you use — similar to how credit cards work. If you’re not sure exactly how much you need to cover your extra expenses or you have recurring costs, this might be a better option.

Cash-out refinance

This type of mortgage refinance pays off your current mortgage and replaces it with a new one, leaving you with the difference as a lump sum on top of what you owe. You can use this additional amount to pay for anything you need. If mortgage refinancing rates are lower than a home equity loan or HELOC, this is likely the solution for you.

Personal loan

You can take out a personal loan to pay for almost any emergency expense or cost, which would come with a fixed rate and set monthly payment. If you only need to borrow a small amount, this might be the better choice. Additionally, unlike a home equity loan or other type of mortgage, most personal loans are unsecured — meaning you don’t have to use your house as collateral

Just keep in mind some personal loan lenders have restrictions on what you can and can’t use their loans for.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

As of March 11, 2024, the national average interest rate on a home equity loan is 8.66%, according to data from Bankrate. However, keep in mind that the rate you’ll receive will depend on the home equity loan lender you choose and a variety of other factors, including your credit score, income and more.

Home equity loan rates are usually higher than mortgage rates because they’re considered a second mortgage. As of Feb. 5, 2024, the average interest rate on a fixed-rate, 30-year mortgage purchase loan is 7.31%, according to data from Curinos. The average home equity loan rate, on the other hand, is 8.95%.

When you take out a home equity loan, you’re using your house as collateral. So if you’re unable to make payments on the loan, the lender could foreclose, and you might end up losing your home. Before you get this type of loan, make sure you have a plan in place and are able to keep up with payments.

Another potential downside of a home equity loan could be eventually owing more than your house is worth. For example, when you take out the loan, the value is determined by current home prices. If the area your house is in ends up declining rapidly in value, the loan amount won’t change. You’ll still have to pay based on the higher valuation.

A good interest rate on a home equity loan is generally considered to be a rate below the national average, which is currently 8.95%. Remember that rates vary by lender, and factors like your credit score, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and more will also help determine the rate you receive. 

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Jamie Young

BLUEPRINT

Jamie Young is Lead Editor of loans and mortgages at USA TODAY Blueprint. She has been writing and editing professionally for 12 years. Previously, she worked for Forbes Advisor, Credible, LendingTree, Student Loan Hero, and GOBankingRates. Her work has also appeared on some of the best-known media outlets including Yahoo, Fox Business, Time, CBS News, AOL, MSN, and more. Jamie is passionate about finance, technology, and the Oxford comma. In her free time, she likes to game, play with her two crazy cats (Detective Snoop and his girl Friday), and try to keep up with her ever-growing plant collection.

Ashley Harrison is a USA TODAY Blueprint loans and mortgages deputy editor who has worked in the online finance space since 2017. She’s passionate about creating helpful content that makes complicated financial topics easy to understand. She has previously worked at Forbes Advisor, Credible, LendingTree and Student Loan Hero. Her work has appeared on Fox Business and Yahoo. Ashley is also an artist and massive horror fan who had her short story “The Box” produced by the award-winning NoSleep Podcast. In her free time, she likes to draw, play video games, and hang out with her black cats, Salem and Binx.