It takes a median of six years to save for a down payment in the United States, according to a new analysis from the National Association of REALTORS®.

That timeline is typical for a family saving 15% of their income, assuming a 15% down payment.

Schedules vary widely from market to market, though, just as the capacity to save varies by metro: In the most difficult market, San Jose, California, it takes 15 years; in the easiest, Jackson, Missouri, it takes just two.

Houston falls on the lower end of the spectrum: Given the median home value in the Houston metro area, buyers need to put down 17% to afford a median monthly mortgage payment. Therefore, it takes five years to save for a down payment of $64,410 (the required amount for a property valued at $380,560). That shakes out to about $12,210 annually. 

A majority of markets fall in the four-to-seven-year range, NAR said.

“For buyers with the flexibility to choose among major metros, the difference between a 12-year market and a five-year market is seven years,” wrote Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of real estate research at NAR. “This can also mean seven years of rent payments that could have been building equity. Seven years of accumulated homeownership wealth that are missing.”