Hawai'i homebuyers pay an average of $3,134 in closing costs, the 20th highest rate among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to a study by Bankrate Inc.

That was an improvement from last year when Hawai'i ranked sixth highest.

Nationally, homebuyers paid an average of $3,118 in closing costs, up 14 percent from $2,736 in 2007. New York leads the nation at an average fee of $4,016. North Carolina is the least expensive area with an average fee of $2,650.

The study was based on a 30-year fixed mortgage of a $200,000 loan with a 20 percent down payment. The survey included lenders' origination fees and title and settlement fees, and not taxes or prepaid items.