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Average 30-Year Mortgage Rate Tops 7%, Reaching Highest Level in Years

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets. No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered it yet.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose above 7% this week, according to Freddie Mac data, marking the first time it has reached that level since early 2025. By September 25, some reports put the rate as high as 7.45%-7.49%. The increase follows a Federal Reserve decision to raise interest rates, which the Fed cited as a response to high inflation. Analysts point to a combination of inflation, government spending and a strong economy contributing to the rise. Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, said consumers should 'expect 7 percent as the new normal.' The housing market continues to face low supply alongside elevated rates.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate topped 7% for the first time since early 2025, according to Freddie Mac.

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. By September 25, some reports placed the rate as high as 7.45%-7.49%.

    Reported byLeftRight

  3. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates, citing high inflation, which affected mortgage rates.

    Reported byLeft

  4. The housing market has faced years of low supply alongside high rates.

    Reported byLeft

  5. Economist Lawrence Yun said to 'expect 7 percent as the new normal.'

    Reported byRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The exact current mortgage rate level

    Fox Business and The Guardian report the rate at approximately 7.03%-7% as of September 24, while NBC News and The Epoch Times report rates around 7.45%-7.49% as of September 25, reflecting rapid movement or differing reporting dates.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left-leaning outlets frame the story around causes and consequences, linking the rate increase to Fed policy, inflation and economic pressures on households.

    How did mortgage rates get this high?
    NBC NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    2 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets present the rate increase primarily as a factual market update, with one including expert commentary on long-term expectations.

    US Mortgage Rates Hit 7.49 Percent: What to Know
    The Epoch TimesFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    aggravating a housing market that has endured years of high interest rates and low supply

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    aggravating a housing market that has endured years of high interest rates and low supplyMore neutral: adding to a housing market that has faced years of high interest rates and low supply

    'Aggravating' frames the effect as worsening a bad situation, adding a judgmental tone beyond stating the rate increase's effect.

    …according to federal lender Freddie Mac, aggravating a housing market that has endured years of high interest rates and low supply.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Federal Reserve rate hike
  • inflation and economic causes
  • impact on housing affordability
  • stagnant wages

Leaves out

  • Economist commentary on rates becoming a 'new normal'

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • NBC NewsLeft

    How did mortgage rates get this high?

    Mortgage rates are above 7.45% for the first time in years. How inflation, government spending, and a hot economy are causing a housing crunch

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    US mortgage rates top 7% for first time in 20 months

    Increase comes after Fed decision to raise interest rates, as Americans struggle with high prices and stagnant wages US mortgage rates surpassed 7% for the first time since January 2025, according to federal lender Freddie Mac, aggravating a housing market that has endured years …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

  • specific rate figures
  • Freddie Mac data
  • expert economist quote

Leaves out

  • Federal Reserve's rate hike as a driver
  • link to inflation and wage stagnation

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    21 min later

    Its first report, Sep 24, 12:31 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    Fox Business, Sep 24, 12:11 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Fox BusinessRightSep 24, 12:11 PM EDT
  2. The GuardianLeftSep 24, 12:31 PM EDT
  3. NBC NewsLeftSep 25, 4:40 PM EDT
  4. The Epoch TimesFar RightSep 25, 6:15 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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