★ MONEY · HOME BUYING · EARNEST MONEY
Earnest money $8,000.00, down payment $80,000.00, $72,000.00 still due at closing. On a $400,000 home at 2% earnest money and a 20% down payment, the deposit is 10.00% of the down payment — and it is credited toward it, not added on top. Enter your price to work out yours.
The earnest money is a deposit paid with the offer, held in escrow, and credited toward the down payment at closing. This calculator works out the deposit, the down payment, what share of the down payment it covers, and the cash still due at closing — with the 1%, 2% and 3% reference amounts on your price.
Earnest money is a deposit the buyer puts down with the offer to show the seller they are serious. It is held in escrow, and at closing it is credited toward the down payment — it is not an extra cost on top of it. The earnest money is the home price times the earnest percent divided by 100, and the down payment is the home price times the down percent divided by 100. The share of the down payment the earnest money covers is the earnest money divided by the down payment times 100, and the cash still due at closing is the down payment minus the earnest money. Earnest money is typically 1–3% of the price, and it can be at risk if the buyer walks away without a contingency — the inspection, appraisal, and financing contingencies are what protect it.
At the defaults — a $400,000 home, 2% earnest money, a 20% down payment — the earnest money is $400,000 × 2% = $8,000.00, and the down payment is $400,000 × 20% = $80,000.00. The earnest money is $8,000.00 ÷ $80,000.00 × 100 = 10.00% of the down payment, and the cash still due at closing is $80,000.00 − $8,000.00 = $72,000.00. On the same $400,000 price, 1% is $4,000, 2% is $8,000 and 3% is $12,000.
| Case | Earnest money | Down payment | Share of down | Still due at closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default ($400,000, 2%, 20%) | $8,000.00 | $80,000.00 | 10.00% | $72,000.00 |
| $300,000 home | $6,000.00 | $60,000.00 | 10.00% | $54,000.00 |
| $500,000 home | $10,000.00 | $100,000.00 | 10.00% | $90,000.00 |
| $750,000 home | $15,000.00 | $150,000.00 | 10.00% | $135,000.00 |
| 1% earnest money | $4,000.00 | $80,000.00 | 5.00% | $76,000.00 |
| 3% earnest money | $12,000.00 | $80,000.00 | 15.00% | $68,000.00 |
| 5% earnest money | $20,000.00 | $80,000.00 | 25.00% | $60,000.00 |
| 10% down payment | $8,000.00 | $40,000.00 | 20.00% | $32,000.00 |
| 3.5% down payment | $8,000.00 | $14,000.00 | 57.14% | $6,000.00 |
| 25% down payment | $8,000.00 | $100,000.00 | 8.00% | $92,000.00 |
Setup: home price $400,000, earnest money 2%, down payment 20%.
Line 1 — the earnest money. $400,000 × 2% = $8,000.00.
Line 2 — the down payment. $400,000 × 20% = $80,000.00.
Line 3 — the share of the down payment. $8,000.00 ÷ $80,000.00 × 100 = 10.00%.
Line 4 — the cash still due at closing. $80,000.00 − $8,000.00 = $72,000.00.
Line 5 — the reference line. 1% of $400,000 is $4,000, 2% is $8,000 and 3% is $12,000.
Reverse: the price for $10,000 of earnest money at 2% is $500,000.00 (exact 500000.0000 — $10,000 ÷ 2% × 100); the earnest rate for $5,000 on a $400,000 home is 1.25% (exact 1.2500); the price for $12,000 of earnest money at 3% is $400,000.00; a down payment where the earnest money is 25% of it is $32,000, which is a 8.00% down payment; the price for $20,000 of earnest money at 1.5% is $1,333,333.33 (exact 1333333.3333); and a $250,000 home at 2.5% needs $6,250.00 of earnest money.
$300,000 home: the earnest money is $6,000.00, the down payment is $60,000.00, the share is 10.00% and $54,000.00 is still due at closing. A cheaper home needs a smaller deposit in the same proportion.
$500,000 home: the earnest money is $10,000.00, the down payment is $100,000.00, the share is 10.00% and $90,000.00 is still due at closing. At 2% and 20% the share stays 10.00% at any price.
$750,000 home: the earnest money is $15,000.00, the down payment is $150,000.00, the share is 10.00% and $135,000.00 is still due at closing. The deposit grows with the price, dollar for dollar.
1% earnest money: the earnest money is $4,000.00, the down payment is $80,000.00, the share is 5.00% and $76,000.00 is still due at closing. One percent is the low end of the usual range.
3% earnest money: the earnest money is $12,000.00, the down payment is $80,000.00, the share is 15.00% and $68,000.00 is still due at closing. Three percent is the high end of the usual range.
5% earnest money: the earnest money is $20,000.00, the down payment is $80,000.00, the share is 25.00% and $60,000.00 is still due at closing. Five percent is above the usual range — a strong offer, and more money at risk.
10% down payment: the earnest money is $8,000.00, the down payment is $40,000.00, the share is 20.00% and $32,000.00 is still due at closing. The earnest money is the same dollars, but it is a fifth of the smaller down payment.
3.5% down payment: the earnest money is $8,000.00, the down payment is $14,000.00, the share is 57.14% and $6,000.00 is still due at closing. With a small down payment, most of it is already paid as earnest money.
25% down payment: the earnest money is $8,000.00, the down payment is $100,000.00, the share is 8.00% and $92,000.00 is still due at closing. With a big down payment, the earnest money is a small part of it.
Reverse — the other way round: the price for $10,000 of earnest money at 2% is $500,000.00; the earnest rate for $5,000 on a $400,000 home is 1.25%; the price for $12,000 of earnest money at 3% is $400,000.00; a down payment where the earnest money is 25% of it is $32,000, which is a 8.00% down payment; the price for $20,000 of earnest money at 1.5% is $1,333,333.33; and a $250,000 home at 2.5% needs $6,250.00 of earnest money.
The model assumes the price, the earnest percent and the down percent you enter, and that the earnest money is credited toward the down payment in full at closing. It assumes the usual 1–3% range is a guide, not a rule: a seller in a competitive market may want more, and a buyer may offer more to stand out. It assumes the deposit is held in escrow and comes back when a contingency covers the reason the deal falls through. It leaves out closing costs, which are separate from the down payment, and it leaves out the lender’s own rules — some loans need a minimum down payment, and the earnest money counts toward it. With a 0% down payment the down payment is $0.00 and the share is shown as an em dash, because there is no down payment to take a share of. With a 0% earnest money the earnest money is $0.00. With 100% earnest money the deposit is the full price, $400,000.00, which the calculator flags as unrealistic. Rounding convention: money is rounded to cents, percents to two decimals, the reverse prices and rates to two decimals with the exact value to four, and all figures are computed from unrounded values, rounded only for display.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Earnest money | home price × earnest % ÷ 100 | $8,000.00. |
| Down payment | home price × down % ÷ 100 | $80,000.00. |
| Earnest as % of down | earnest money ÷ down payment × 100 | 10.00%. |
| Cash still due at closing | down payment − earnest money | $72,000.00. |
| Earnest as % of price | the earnest % itself | 2.00%. |
| 1% / 2% / 3% reference | home price × 1% / 2% / 3% | $4,000.00 / $8,000.00 / $12,000.00. |
| Price for $10,000 at 2% | $10,000 ÷ 2% × 100 | $500,000.00 (exact 500000.0000). |
| Earnest rate for $5,000 on $400,000 | $5,000 ÷ $400,000 × 100 | 1.25% (exact 1.2500). |
| Price for $12,000 at 3% | $12,000 ÷ 3% × 100 | $400,000.00. |
| Down payment where earnest is 25% of it | $8,000 ÷ 25% × 100 | $32,000, which is 8.00% down. |
| Price for $20,000 at 1.5% | $20,000 ÷ 1.5% × 100 | $1,333,333.33 (exact 1333333.3333). |
| Earnest on $250,000 at 2.5% | $250,000 × 2.5% | $6,250.00. |
| $300,000 home | same model, $300,000 price | Earnest $6,000.00, down $60,000.00, due $54,000.00, share 10.00%. |
| $500,000 home | same model, $500,000 price | Earnest $10,000.00, down $100,000.00, due $90,000.00, share 10.00%. |
| $750,000 home | same model, $750,000 price | Earnest $15,000.00, down $150,000.00, due $135,000.00, share 10.00%. |
| 1% earnest money | same model, 1% | Earnest $4,000.00, down $80,000.00, due $76,000.00, share 5.00%. |
| 3% earnest money | same model, 3% | Earnest $12,000.00, down $80,000.00, due $68,000.00, share 15.00%. |
| 5% earnest money | same model, 5% | Earnest $20,000.00, down $80,000.00, due $60,000.00, share 25.00%. |
| 10% down payment | same model, 10% down | Earnest $8,000.00, down $40,000.00, due $32,000.00, share 20.00%. |
| 3.5% down payment | same model, 3.5% down | Earnest $8,000.00, down $14,000.00, due $6,000.00, share 57.14%. |
| 25% down payment | same model, 25% down | Earnest $8,000.00, down $100,000.00, due $92,000.00, share 8.00%. |
The math is exact for the numbers you enter: the earnest money is the price times the percent, the down payment is the price times the percent, and the cash still due is the down payment minus the earnest money. What the model cannot do is know your contract: check the contingencies, because they decide whether the deposit comes back if the deal falls through, and the calculator cannot read them. It assumes the earnest money is credited toward the down payment in full, and it leaves out closing costs, which are separate. It assumes the usual 1–3% range and flags 100% as unrealistic, but a seller can ask for more in a competitive market. For the monthly payment on the same home, see mortgage calculator; for how much house your income allows, see mortgage affordability calculator.
Bright Side Kit. "Earnest Money Calculator: Deposit & Down Payment 2026." https://brightoolbox.com/earnest-money-calculator/ Accessed October 25, 2026.$8,000 at 2%. Two percent of $400,000 is $8,000.00. The usual range is 1–3% of the price, which is $4,000 at 1% and $12,000 at 3% on a $400,000 home. The down payment at 20% is $80,000.00, so the $8,000 of earnest money is 10.00% of the down payment, and $72,000.00 is still due at closing.
Yes — it is credited toward it, not added on top. The $8,000 of earnest money on a $400,000 home at 2% counts toward the $80,000.00 down payment at 20%, so the cash still due at closing is $80,000.00 − $8,000.00 = $72,000.00. The earnest money is not an extra cost: it is the first part of the down payment, paid early to show the seller you are serious.
Yes, if you walk away without a contingency. The deposit is held in escrow, and the purchase contract says when it comes back. If the deal falls through for a reason a contingency covers — the inspection, the appraisal, or the financing — the money usually comes back. If you walk away for a reason no contingency covers, the seller may keep it. Read the contingencies before you sign, because they are what protect the $8,000.
1–3% of the home price. On a $400,000 home that is $4,000 to $12,000. In a competitive market a buyer may offer more to stand out — 5% is $20,000 on $400,000, which is 25.00% of a 20% down payment. A bigger deposit can make an offer stronger, but it also puts more money at risk if the deal falls through.
The earnest money becomes a big share of it. On a $400,000 home at 3.5% down, the down payment is only $14,000.00, so $8,000 of earnest money at 2% is 57.14% of it, and only $6,000.00 is still due at closing. At a 10% down payment the same $8,000 is 20.00% of the $40,000.00 down payment, with $32,000.00 still due. The earnest money is the same dollars either way; the share moves with the size of the down payment.
Divide the earnest money by the percentage. The price for $10,000 of earnest money at 2% is $10,000 ÷ 2% × 100 = $500,000.00. The earnest rate for $5,000 on a $400,000 home is $5,000 ÷ $400,000 × 100 = 1.25%. And the price for $20,000 of earnest money at 1.5% is $1,333,333.33.