Massachusetts mortgage lending data
Northeast region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Massachusetts, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 15.9% — below the national denial rate (-3.7 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #41 of 51. Lenders originated about 80,905 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #23). The home-purchase denial rate was 9.8% and refinance 28.4%. By loan type, conventional loans were 90.5%, FHA 7.4%, VA 2.0% and USDA/RHS 0.1%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Massachusetts mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 80,905 |
| Denied applications | 15,308 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 15.9% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #41 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 9.8% |
| Refinance denial rate | 28.4% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #23 |
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
Massachusetts's mortgage denial rate of 15.9% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 16 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 Massachusetts the purchase denial rate was 9.8% versus 28.4% for refinances.
Massachusetts loan-type mix
How Massachusetts's 80,905 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 | 101,032 | 90.5% |
| FHA | 8,305 | 7.4% |
| VA | 2,255 | 2.0% |
| USDA / RHS | 63 | 0.1% |
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 Massachusetts
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts (this state) | 15.9% | 80,905 | 7.4% | 2.0% |
| Oregon | 16.0% | 51,823 | 10.8% | 5.0% |
| Washington | 15.7% | 101,889 | 9.5% | 7.1% |
| Idaho | 16.5% | 33,653 | 11.7% | 6.4% |
| Illinois | 16.5% | 158,841 | 12.3% | 4.0% |
| Montana | 16.6% | 14,125 | 10.6% | 9.0% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Massachusetts in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Massachusetts was about 15.9% — that is, 15,308 applications were denied out of 96,213 that were either originated or denied. That is -3.7 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Massachusetts #41 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Massachusetts?
Lenders originated about 80,905 home-purchase and refinance loans in Massachusetts in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #23 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 9.8% and the refinance denial rate was 28.4%.
What share of Massachusetts mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Massachusetts, FHA loans made up about 7.4% of originations and VA loans about 2.0%, with conventional loans the largest share at 90.5% and USDA/RHS loans 0.1%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in Massachusetts than elsewhere?
Massachusetts's denial rate of 15.9% 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 Massachusetts are Oregon, Washington, Idaho.
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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