Arizona mortgage lending data
West region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Arizona, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 17.8% — close to the national denial rate (-1.8 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #24 of 51. Lenders originated about 118,118 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #13). The home-purchase denial rate was 12.9% and refinance 31.2%. By loan type, conventional loans were 74.5%, FHA 17.0%, VA 8.2% and USDA/RHS 0.3%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Arizona mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Arizona |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 118,118 |
| Denied applications | 25,634 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 17.8% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #24 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 12.9% |
| Refinance denial rate | 31.2% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #13 |
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB) (2023 reporting year). Data as of June 2026.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (2023), public domain. Denial rate = denied ÷ (originated + denied). Informational only — verify before relying on it.
What the denial rate means
Arizona's mortgage denial rate of 17.8% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 18 were turned down. That is about average compared with the national figure of 19.6%. Denial rates are driven by applicant credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, the loan type and local home prices — not only by how strict lenders are. Refinance applications are often denied at a different rate than purchase loans: in Arizona the purchase denial rate was 12.9% versus 31.2% for refinances.
Arizona loan-type mix
How Arizona's 118,118 originations break down by loan program. A higher FHA or VA share usually points to more first-time buyers, lower down payments, or a large veteran population.
| Loan type | Originations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 110,445 | 74.5% |
| FHA | 25,280 | 17.0% |
| VA | 12,134 | 8.2% |
| USDA / RHS | 466 | 0.3% |
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB) (2023). Data as of June 2026.
See FHA vs VA vs conventional for what each program is. Shares are over loans with a reported type and may not sum to exactly 100% due to rounding.
States with a similar denial rate to Arizona
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona (this state) | 17.8% | 118,118 | 17.0% | 8.2% |
| Nevada | 17.8% | 46,782 | 18.5% | 9.8% |
| Maine | 17.6% | 20,555 | 8.5% | 4.9% |
| Utah | 17.5% | 56,986 | 12.5% | 3.6% |
| Indiana | 17.3% | 115,588 | 14.0% | 4.7% |
| Maryland | 18.3% | 83,330 | 15.2% | 8.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Arizona in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Arizona was about 17.8% — that is, 25,634 applications were denied out of 143,752 that were either originated or denied. That is -1.8 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Arizona #24 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Arizona?
Lenders originated about 118,118 home-purchase and refinance loans in Arizona in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #13 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 12.9% and the refinance denial rate was 31.2%.
What share of Arizona mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Arizona, FHA loans made up about 17.0% of originations and VA loans about 8.2%, with conventional loans the largest share at 74.5% and USDA/RHS loans 0.3%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in Arizona than elsewhere?
Arizona's denial rate of 17.8% is close to the national denial rate. Denial rates reflect applicant credit, income and debt, loan type and local home prices as much as lender behavior, so a higher rate does not by itself mean stricter lenders. States with the most similar denial rates to Arizona are Nevada, Maine, Utah.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
All counts are from the HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB, 2023 reporting year, public domain). Denial rate, loan-type shares and ranks are transparent calculations over those counts (see methodology). This page is informational and is not financial or lending advice — verify with a licensed lender before making a decision.
Last updated: 2026-06-20