New York, the District of Columbia and Hawaii are the states with the highest homeowner association (HOA) fees in the United States, new data shows.
According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2024, people in these states paid the highest monthly median fees to live in these nonprofit organizations, wherein a group of residents is elected to a board that creates community rules, maintains common areas, and collects funds to do so.
Why It Matters
HOAs are disliked by some residents. According to a September 2024 survey by home repair and maintenance services company Frontdoor, 70 percent of people would prefer to purchase a home in a community without an HOA.
Despite their mixed reception, HOAs are on the rise. U.S. Census data showed that out of the some 86.6 million owned households in the U.S., approximately 21.6 million paid a condo or HOA fee in 2024. Their previous data also showed that the proportion of single-family homes built within HOAs has increased from 49 percent in 2009 to 65 percent in 2023.
What To Know
The new data revealed that those living in New York paid the most ($739) in median monthly HOA costs in 2024. The District of Columbia came next, with residents paying an average of $505 per month. In Hawaii, those living in HOAs paid some $470 in monthly fees, while in Massachusetts, the fourth most costly state in terms of HOA costs, people residing in these communities paid $376 a month.
The other top 10 states were Connecticut ($351), New Hampshire ($316), Rhode Island ($314), New Jersey ($300), California ($278) and Minnesota ($269).
The census also found that overall, the monthly median HOA fee across the country was $135. Those with a mortgage paid $120 while those without paid $184.
Meanwhile, according to data by the Foundation for Community Association Research compiled by RubyHome, the number of people living in HOAs varies state by state. They found that over 40 percent of the population of Florida, Delaware, and Vermont now lives in an HOA, while the proportion of the population that lives under this arrangement is lowest in West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and Mississippi.
What People Are Saying
Speaking to Newsweek, Donna Berger, a shareholder in Becker’s Condo, Co-Op & HOA practice in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida said: "The fact that Hawai'i, New York and DC rank near the top in terms of HOA and condominium fees is a signal that the costs of shared amenities, infrastructure, insurance, regulation and maintenance are very real-especially in high-cost states.
She added: "If homeowners' associations are well run, they can provide real value. But in high-fee states—especially when costs are rising fast, they can also become a stress point in housing affordability and community equity."
Realtor.com Senior Economic Research Analyst Hannah Jones told Newsweek: "In these states, high HOA fees mean a higher baseline cost to own a home. Even if your mortgage payment is affordable, tacking on high HOA fees can easily push housing costs out of reach. This higher cost of homeownership can further lock low- and middle-income buyers out of the housing market."
She added: "Places like New York, D.C., and Massachusetts are home to high-density metros, which means more density-friendly building types, like condos, which often have shared infrastructure, and therefore HOAs. High-density metros also tend to see higher home prices, meaning that buyers in these areas face a double-whammy of high home prices and often, high HOA fees."
What Happens Next
Costs associated with HOAs will likely change in line with inflation and other housing market changes. Meanwhile, a Florida state Republican, Juan C. Porras, who represents Miami-Dade County, has called to repeal the associations, calling them “authoritarian bonds.”