Maryland mortgage lending data
South region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Maryland, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 18.3% — close to the national denial rate (-1.3 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #22 of 51. Lenders originated about 83,330 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #21). The home-purchase denial rate was 11.7% and refinance 33.9%. By loan type, conventional loans were 76.0%, FHA 15.2%, VA 8.4% and USDA/RHS 0.5%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Maryland mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Maryland |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 83,330 |
| Denied applications | 18,686 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 18.3% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #22 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 11.7% |
| Refinance denial rate | 33.9% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #21 |
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
Maryland's mortgage denial rate of 18.3% 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 Maryland the purchase denial rate was 11.7% versus 33.9% for refinances.
Maryland loan-type mix
How Maryland's 83,330 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 | 78,384 | 76.0% |
| FHA | 15,705 | 15.2% |
| VA | 8,634 | 8.4% |
| USDA / RHS | 475 | 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 Maryland
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland (this state) | 18.3% | 83,330 | 15.2% | 8.4% |
| New York | 18.3% | 154,253 | 8.3% | 2.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 18.6% | 168,096 | 10.2% | 3.2% |
| Arizona | 17.8% | 118,118 | 17.0% | 8.2% |
| Nevada | 17.8% | 46,782 | 18.5% | 9.8% |
| Rhode Island | 18.9% | 14,404 | 12.6% | 2.9% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Maryland in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Maryland was about 18.3% — that is, 18,686 applications were denied out of 102,016 that were either originated or denied. That is -1.3 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Maryland #22 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Maryland?
Lenders originated about 83,330 home-purchase and refinance loans in Maryland in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #21 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 11.7% and the refinance denial rate was 33.9%.
What share of Maryland mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Maryland, FHA loans made up about 15.2% of originations and VA loans about 8.4%, with conventional loans the largest share at 76.0% 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 Maryland than elsewhere?
Maryland's denial rate of 18.3% 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 Maryland are New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona.
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