Georgia mortgage lending data
South region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Georgia, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 22.4% — above the national denial rate (+2.8 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #11 of 51. Lenders originated about 172,815 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #5). The home-purchase denial rate was 17.0% and refinance 34.6%. By loan type, conventional loans were 70.7%, FHA 18.7%, VA 10.0% and USDA/RHS 0.5%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Georgia mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Georgia |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 172,815 |
| Denied applications | 49,999 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 22.4% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #11 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 17.0% |
| Refinance denial rate | 34.6% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #5 |
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
Georgia's mortgage denial rate of 22.4% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 22 were turned down. That is higher 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 Georgia the purchase denial rate was 17.0% versus 34.6% for refinances.
Georgia loan-type mix
How Georgia's 172,815 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 | 148,325 | 70.7% |
| FHA | 39,298 | 18.7% |
| VA | 20,960 | 10.0% |
| USDA / RHS | 1,140 | 0.5% |
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 Georgia
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia (this state) | 22.4% | 172,815 | 18.7% | 10.0% |
| Texas | 23.1% | 421,653 | 18.4% | 9.0% |
| Arkansas | 23.3% | 45,314 | 15.5% | 7.9% |
| Kentucky | 23.3% | 65,145 | 14.4% | 6.4% |
| Oklahoma | 21.3% | 56,497 | 15.8% | 10.1% |
| Florida | 23.6% | 384,863 | 16.3% | 8.2% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Georgia in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Georgia was about 22.4% — that is, 49,999 applications were denied out of 222,814 that were either originated or denied. That is +2.8 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Georgia #11 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Georgia?
Lenders originated about 172,815 home-purchase and refinance loans in Georgia in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #5 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 17.0% and the refinance denial rate was 34.6%.
What share of Georgia mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Georgia, FHA loans made up about 18.7% of originations and VA loans about 10.0%, with conventional loans the largest share at 70.7% and USDA/RHS loans 0.5%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in Georgia than elsewhere?
Georgia's denial rate of 22.4% is above 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 Georgia are Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky.
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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