Super Bowl Ticket vs. a House: Some Seats Are Selling for as Much as a Down Payment on These Homes

Whether you’re a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, the New England Patriots, or just football in general, Sunday’s big game is the moment you’ve waited for all season. 

Attending the Super Bowl is a bucket list experience for die-hard fans across the nation—an experience that is wildly out of reach for many, given the high prices for tickets. 

In fact, seats are so expensive this year that someone who could afford the best view in the stadium might also have the means to invest in another dream altogether: buying a home.

The price of Super Bowl 2026 tickets 

With just a few days left leading up to Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, Feb. 8, tickets to the game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, are scarce and pricey.

A look at major online resellers shows that the average price for a single ticket across most of the stadium falls between $5,000 and $8,000. However, the best views come with a much steeper cost.

Ticket prices soared well above the average, as demonstrated by these high-end examples just five days before the game:

• Seat Geek: $40,265 (including fees) for a ticket in Section C 113, Row 10.
• Stubhub: $40,207 each (including all fees) for tickets in Section C114, Row 23.
• Ticketmaster: The most expensive tickets available are priced at $69,030 (including fees) for Section 139 VIP, offering a view of the 50-yard line.

For comparison, the best seats in the house to see Harry Styles’ opening-night show at Madison Square Garden this summer are selling for $1,976 on StubHub (or if you want to be on the floor, it’s over $2,200) and two seats to see BTS at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on the floor are currently running between $1,800 to $3,400.

Super Bowl ticket or a house? You choose!

In 2025, the median down payment among all buyers was 19%—10% for first-time buyers and 23% for repeat buyers—according to the 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report by the National Association of Realtors®.

That marks the highest median down payment for first-time buyers since 1989 and the highest for repeat buyers since 2003.

Now, let’s assume you have $69,030 for that 50-yard-line seat at the big game, and rather than see the Seahawks and Patriots duke it out, you use that money to buy a house.

If that amount of money accounted for a 19% down payment, excluding closing costs, you could afford a home priced at roughly $360,000. That estimate assumes a 30-year mortgage at a 6.1% interest rate for the loan.

While the current median house price nationally sits closer to $400,000, you could still find some nice homes at that price point in many parts of the country—including those rooting for their hometown teams on Sunday. 

For example, you’d have plenty of options in New England.

Forty minutes outside of Boston, the suburb of Lowell, MA, is a hot spot for commuters and families alike. Homes in the area move quickly, including this three-bedroom Cape Codder. 

The property was listed for less than a week before it moved to contingent status. The asking price: $309,000.

Farther south in Meriden, CT, this multifamily home features five bedrooms, three baths, and a two-car garage—all for $350,000.

The listing touts its “unbeatable location,” especially for Pats fans, as countless restaurants and bars are hosting game-day parties in town this Sunday.

If you’re based in Seattle, you might be surprised to learn that a $69,030 down payment can help land you a pretty spectacular home.

If you’re set on living in the city, you’ll have your choice of apartments and condos like this one: a two-bed, two-bath, 843-square-foot unit, with a gas fireplace and a view from the building roof that can’t be beat, all for $350,000, according to the listing.

If you’re willing to drive a bit into Seattle, Tacoma, WA, has some wonderful options as well. This fully renovated Craftsman bungalow is listed at $355,000, with two bedrooms, one bath, and an impressive backyard space.