The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level in more than six months, driving up borrowing costs during what’s typically the busiest time of the year for prospective homebuyers. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.38% from 6.22% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.65%. This marks the largest one-week increase since April 2025 and the largest three-week increase since October 2024,