Maine mortgage lending data
Northeast region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Maine, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 17.6% — close to the national denial rate (-2.0 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #26 of 51. Lenders originated about 20,555 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #40). The home-purchase denial rate was 12.9% and refinance 27.5%. By loan type, conventional loans were 85.3%, FHA 8.5%, VA 4.9% and USDA/RHS 1.3%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Maine mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Maine |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 20,555 |
| Denied applications | 4,384 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 17.6% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #26 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 12.9% |
| Refinance denial rate | 27.5% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #40 |
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
Maine's mortgage denial rate of 17.6% 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 Maine the purchase denial rate was 12.9% versus 27.5% for refinances.
Maine loan-type mix
How Maine's 20,555 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 | 24,437 | 85.3% |
| FHA | 2,432 | 8.5% |
| VA | 1,406 | 4.9% |
| USDA / RHS | 369 | 1.3% |
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 Maine
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine (this state) | 17.6% | 20,555 | 8.5% | 4.9% |
| Utah | 17.5% | 56,986 | 12.5% | 3.6% |
| Arizona | 17.8% | 118,118 | 17.0% | 8.2% |
| Nevada | 17.8% | 46,782 | 18.5% | 9.8% |
| Indiana | 17.3% | 115,588 | 14.0% | 4.7% |
| New Hampshire | 17.3% | 19,655 | 7.3% | 4.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Maine in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Maine was about 17.6% — that is, 4,384 applications were denied out of 24,939 that were either originated or denied. That is -2.0 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Maine #26 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Maine?
Lenders originated about 20,555 home-purchase and refinance loans in Maine in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #40 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 12.9% and the refinance denial rate was 27.5%.
What share of Maine mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Maine, FHA loans made up about 8.5% of originations and VA loans about 4.9%, with conventional loans the largest share at 85.3% and USDA/RHS loans 1.3%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in Maine than elsewhere?
Maine's denial rate of 17.6% 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 Maine are Utah, Arizona, Nevada.
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