Wedding or a House? Getting Married Costs More Than a Home Down Payment in These 23 US Cities

For couples saving for both a wedding and a home, getting married can cost more upfront than buying a house. In 23 US metro areas, the average wedding exceeded the cost of a 13% down payment on a median-priced home, according to an analysis of 150 major metro areas by SmartAsset.

The largest difference was in Peoria, Illinois, where the average wedding was nearly 41% more than the amount needed for a 13% home down payment. Note that the comparison is based on historical data, with wedding costs from 2021 and housing figures from October 2021 to October 2022, not current prices.

When a Wedding Costs More Than a Home

The analysis compared average wedding costs with 13% of the median home sales price across 150 of the largest US metro areas. Nationally, the average wedding cost $27,063 in 2021, while a 13% down payment on the median home sales price was $39,973.

In most metro areas, therefore, the down payment required more cash than the wedding. But 23 areas went against that pattern. No metro area had an average wedding cost higher than a 20% down payment.

Peoria Leads the List

Peoria recorded the largest difference in the study. An average wedding cost nearly 41% more than a 13% home down payment. Paying for both expenses in the same year would have required at least $41,254, according to the analysis.

Syracuse, New York, recorded the second-largest gap. The average wedding cost $31,304, compared with $23,816 for a 13% down payment, making the wedding 31.44% more expensive. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania, ranked third, with an average wedding cost of $22,373. Weddings there were almost 25% more expensive than a 13% home down payment.

Other Cities Show a Similar Gap

Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio, recorded an average wedding cost of $30,919, compared with a $24,811 down payment. The difference was 24.62%. In Rochester, New York, the average wedding cost $31,340, about 24.56% more than a 13% down payment. The typical home sales price used in the calculation was $193,544.

York-Hanover, Pennsylvania, had an average wedding cost of $34,069 against a $29,169 down payment, a difference of 16.8%. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, recorded a $26,780 average wedding cost compared with a $22,936 down payment. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, New York, had wedding costs of $32,394 versus $27,938 for a down payment.

Toledo, Ohio, recorded an average wedding cost of $22,975 against a $20,236 down payment. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Illinois, had the lowest wedding cost among the top 10 at $22,908, still 12.91% higher than its 13% down payment figure.

What the Numbers Mean for Couples

The comparison does not mean couples must choose between marriage and homeownership. It illustrates how the upfront costs associated with the two major purchases can differ substantially depending on local housing and wedding markets.

The 13% figure is particularly important. The analysis cited the National Association of Realtors for the typical down payment among all buyers and calculated 13% of the median home sales price for each metro area. NAR's 2021 data also showed that first-time buyers had a lower typical down payment of 7%, so the comparison should not be treated as a first-time-buyer benchmark.

Some Federal Housing Administration loans can require as little as 3.5% down, while some lenders may offer 3% down-payment options.

The Data Behind the Comparison

Average wedding costs came from The Wedding Report for 2021. Median home sales prices came from Zillow data for October 2021 and October 2022. The figures were then used to calculate a 13% down payment for each of the 150 metro areas and compare it with the average wedding cost.

The result offers a historical snapshot of how wedding expenses compared with home-buying costs in the markets studied. While the figures are not current 2026 prices, they show that in some US metro areas, the average cost of a wedding was higher than the upfront cash required for a 13% down payment on a median-priced home.