Delaware mortgage lending data
South region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Delaware, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 20.0% — close to the national denial rate (+0.4 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #14 of 51. Lenders originated about 17,361 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #42). The home-purchase denial rate was 15.4% and refinance 32.2%. By loan type, conventional loans were 78.4%, FHA 15.0%, VA 6.3% and USDA/RHS 0.3%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Delaware mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Delaware |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 17,361 |
| Denied applications | 4,340 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 20.0% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #14 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 15.4% |
| Refinance denial rate | 32.2% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #42 |
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
Delaware's mortgage denial rate of 20.0% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 20 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 Delaware the purchase denial rate was 15.4% versus 32.2% for refinances.
Delaware loan-type mix
How Delaware's 17,361 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 | 17,157 | 78.4% |
| FHA | 3,281 | 15.0% |
| VA | 1,385 | 6.3% |
| USDA / RHS | 66 | 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 Delaware
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware (this state) | 20.0% | 17,361 | 15.0% | 6.3% |
| Michigan | 20.0% | 141,464 | 10.9% | 3.6% |
| Hawaii | 20.1% | 12,213 | 4.0% | 12.9% |
| North Carolina | 19.6% | 188,875 | 11.0% | 9.5% |
| California | 19.1% | 335,898 | 11.7% | 4.1% |
| New Jersey | 19.0% | 106,113 | 12.0% | 2.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Delaware in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Delaware was about 20.0% — that is, 4,340 applications were denied out of 21,701 that were either originated or denied. That is +0.4 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Delaware #14 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Delaware?
Lenders originated about 17,361 home-purchase and refinance loans in Delaware in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #42 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 15.4% and the refinance denial rate was 32.2%.
What share of Delaware mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Delaware, FHA loans made up about 15.0% of originations and VA loans about 6.3%, with conventional loans the largest share at 78.4% 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 Delaware than elsewhere?
Delaware's denial rate of 20.0% 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 Delaware are Michigan, Hawaii, North Carolina.
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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