USA: 30-Year Mortgage Rates Jump to Nine-Month High.

The average US 30-year fixed mortgage rate for conforming loans of $806,500 or less rose to 6.65% in the week ending May 22, 2026, from 6.56% the prior week, the highest level since August 2025, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. Rates increased for the fifth consecutive week, tracking higher Treasury yields amid persistent inflation concerns from elevated fuel costs and rising global public debt, prompting investors to rule out Fed rate cuts and price in a potential hike by year-end. Consequently, mortgage applications dropped 8.5%, the sharpest decline in nearly two months, with refinance applications plummeting 18.1% and purchase applications slipping 0.4%.