District of Columbia mortgage lending data
South region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In District of Columbia, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 17.2% — below the national denial rate (-2.4 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #33 of 51. Lenders originated about 7,348 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #51). The home-purchase denial rate was 10.5% and refinance 37.3%. By loan type, conventional loans were 90.3%, FHA 5.1%, VA 4.6% and USDA/RHS 0.0%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
District of Columbia mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 7,348 |
| Denied applications | 1,522 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 17.2% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #33 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 10.5% |
| Refinance denial rate | 37.3% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #51 |
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
District of Columbia's mortgage denial rate of 17.2% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 17 were turned down. That is lower 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 District of Columbia the purchase denial rate was 10.5% versus 37.3% for refinances.
District of Columbia loan-type mix
How District of Columbia's 7,348 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 | 7,782 | 90.3% |
| FHA | 438 | 5.1% |
| VA | 396 | 4.6% |
| USDA / RHS | 0 | 0.0% |
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 District of Columbia
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia (this state) | 17.2% | 7,348 | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Connecticut | 17.1% | 47,680 | 10.2% | 2.6% |
| Indiana | 17.3% | 115,588 | 14.0% | 4.7% |
| New Hampshire | 17.3% | 19,655 | 7.3% | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 17.3% | 171,804 | 12.7% | 4.7% |
| Virginia | 17.3% | 126,501 | 11.9% | 14.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in District of Columbia in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in District of Columbia was about 17.2% — that is, 1,522 applications were denied out of 8,870 that were either originated or denied. That is -2.4 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks District of Columbia #33 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in District of Columbia?
Lenders originated about 7,348 home-purchase and refinance loans in District of Columbia in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #51 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 10.5% and the refinance denial rate was 37.3%.
What share of District of Columbia mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In District of Columbia, FHA loans made up about 5.1% of originations and VA loans about 4.6%, with conventional loans the largest share at 90.3% and USDA/RHS loans 0.0%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in District of Columbia than elsewhere?
District of Columbia's denial rate of 17.2% is below 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 District of Columbia are Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire.
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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