How much is a home buyer rebate worth? A state-by-state map
In most states, your agent can hand part of their commission back to you in cash at closing. Using current typical home values, here is what a 2% buyer rebate is worth in every state, and where it is legal.
Key findings
A 2% buyer rebate is worth roughly $5,066 to $17,080, depending entirely on where you buy. On the typical U.S. home (about $371,800), it comes to about $7,400. California buyers stand to get the most back, about $17,080.
Buyer rebates are legal in 41 of 51 jurisdictions (40 states plus D.C.). 9 states ban them outright, and one (Iowa) sharply restricts them. In the 9 ban states, buyers forgo about $6,600 on average, with Oregon buyers giving up the most, roughly $10,162, because it pairs a rebate ban with high home prices.
Where a 2% rebate is worth the most (and where it's banned)
All 50 states and D.C., ranked by typical home value, with whether buyer rebates are legal and the estimated 2% rebate. In banned states the rebate is shown as unavailable.
| State | Typical home value | Rebate status | Est. 2% rebate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $854,000 | Legal | $17,080 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $773,400 | Legal | $15,468 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $676,500 | Legal | $13,530 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $645,400 | Legal | $12,908 |
| 5 | Washington | $644,300 | Legal | $12,886 |
| 6 | Colorado | $604,600 | Legal | $12,092 |
| 7 | New York | $595,900 | Legal | $11,918 |
| 8 | Utah | $575,300 | Legal | $11,506 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $545,300 | Legal | $10,906 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $535,100 | Legal | $10,702 |
| 11 | Oregon | $508,100 | Banned | — |
| 12 | Montana | $505,600 | Legal | $10,112 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $500,200 | Legal | $10,004 |
| 14 | Idaho | $476,300 | Legal | $9,526 |
| 15 | Nevada | $468,900 | Legal | $9,378 |
| 16 | Virginia | $462,400 | Legal | $9,248 |
| 17 | Arizona | $452,300 | Legal | $9,046 |
| 18 | Maryland | $446,900 | Legal | $8,938 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $445,100 | Legal | $8,902 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $440,300 | Legal | $8,806 |
| 21 | Vermont | $438,400 | Legal | $8,768 |
| 22 | Florida | $416,800 | Legal | $8,336 |
| 23 | Alaska | $399,900 | Banned | — |
| 24 | South Carolina | $397,600 | Legal | $7,952 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $392,100 | Banned | — |
| 26 | Maine | $390,400 | Legal | $7,808 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $381,700 | Legal | $7,634 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $378,300 | Legal | $7,566 |
| 29 | Georgia | $373,700 | Legal | $7,474 |
| 30 | Delaware | $366,200 | Legal | $7,324 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $354,500 | Legal | $7,090 |
| 32 | Texas | $341,800 | Legal | $6,836 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $338,200 | Legal | $6,764 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $318,500 | Legal | $6,370 |
| 35 | Illinois | $314,200 | Legal | $6,284 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $310,500 | Legal | $6,210 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $308,500 | Legal | $6,170 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $306,700 | Legal | $6,134 |
| 39 | Kansas | $302,300 | Banned | — |
| 40 | Alabama | $299,000 | Banned | — |
| 41 | Missouri | $281,400 | Banned | — |
| 42 | Kentucky | $277,200 | Legal | $5,544 |
| 43 | Indiana | $273,200 | Legal | $5,464 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $270,300 | Legal | $5,406 |
| 45 | Michigan | $269,700 | Legal | $5,394 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $265,200 | Banned | — |
| 47 | Ohio | $262,900 | Legal | $5,258 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $260,300 | Banned | — |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $256,700 | Banned | — |
| 50 | West Virginia | $253,300 | Legal | $5,066 |
| 51 | Iowa | $250,700 | Restricted | $5,014 |
The rebate ban costs buyers the most in Oregon
Eight of the 9 states that ban rebates are lower-cost markets, so the dollars forgone are smaller. Oregon is the exception: a high typical price plus a standing ban means a buyer there gives up an estimated $10,162 they could have kept in a neighboring state.
| State (rebate banned) | Typical value | 2% forgone |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $508,100 | $10,162 |
| Alaska | $399,900 | $7,998 |
| Tennessee | $392,100 | $7,842 |
| Kansas | $302,300 | $6,046 |
| Alabama | $299,000 | $5,980 |
| Missouri | $281,400 | $5,628 |
| Mississippi | $265,200 | $5,304 |
| Louisiana | $260,300 | $5,206 |
| Oklahoma | $256,700 | $5,134 |
Why this matters
The buyer's-agent commission, commonly around 2.5% to 3% of the price, is one of the largest single costs in a home purchase, and it is paid out of money the buyer already brings to the table. Federal antitrust regulators, including the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, have publicly encouraged buyer rebates as a way to lower that cost. Yet a handful of states still prohibit them, and most buyers never ask.
Methodology
Rebate figures are estimates, not quotes. We applied a flat 2% buyer rebate to each state's typical home value as reported in the Zillow-based Median Home Price by State index compiled by World Population Review (current as of May 2026). Actual rebates vary with the specific commission, agent, and home price. Rebate legality reflects Homebuying Brief's state-by-state tracking of real-estate license law as of publication; "Banned" means state law prohibits a licensee from giving or receiving a rebate, and "Restricted" (Iowa) means rebates are allowed only in limited circumstances. Rules change; this is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Typical home values by state: Median Home Price by State 2026, World Population Review (Zillow / Redfin; current May 2026).
- Buyer rebate legality: Homebuying Brief state rebate-rule tracking, citing each state's real-estate license statute.
- Regulatory context: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission guidance encouraging commission rebates.
Estimates are directional, based on typical (mid-tier) home values and a 2% rebate assumption; they are not a guarantee of any specific rebate amount.