California mortgage lending data
West region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In California, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 19.1% — close to the national denial rate (-0.5 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #17 of 51. Lenders originated about 335,898 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #3). The home-purchase denial rate was 12.9% and refinance 32.2%. By loan type, conventional loans were 84.2%, FHA 11.7%, VA 4.1% and USDA/RHS 0.1%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
California mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | California |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 335,898 |
| Denied applications | 79,429 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 19.1% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #17 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 12.9% |
| Refinance denial rate | 32.2% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #3 |
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
California's mortgage denial rate of 19.1% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 19 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 California the purchase denial rate was 12.9% versus 32.2% for refinances.
California loan-type mix
How California's 335,898 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 | 364,947 | 84.2% |
| FHA | 50,521 | 11.7% |
| VA | 17,631 | 4.1% |
| USDA / RHS | 361 | 0.1% |
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 California
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California (this state) | 19.1% | 335,898 | 11.7% | 4.1% |
| New Jersey | 19.0% | 106,113 | 12.0% | 2.4% |
| Tennessee | 19.0% | 122,624 | 14.5% | 8.1% |
| Rhode Island | 18.9% | 14,404 | 12.6% | 2.9% |
| North Carolina | 19.6% | 188,875 | 11.0% | 9.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 18.6% | 168,096 | 10.2% | 3.2% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in California in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in California was about 19.1% — that is, 79,429 applications were denied out of 415,327 that were either originated or denied. That is -0.5 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks California #17 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in California?
Lenders originated about 335,898 home-purchase and refinance loans in California in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #3 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 12.9% and the refinance denial rate was 32.2%.
What share of California mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In California, FHA loans made up about 11.7% of originations and VA loans about 4.1%, with conventional loans the largest share at 84.2% and USDA/RHS loans 0.1%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in California than elsewhere?
California's denial rate of 19.1% 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 California are New Jersey, Tennessee, Rhode Island.
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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