Ohio mortgage lending data
Midwest region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Ohio, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 17.3% — below the national denial rate (-2.3 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #30 of 51. Lenders originated about 171,804 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #6). The home-purchase denial rate was 11.2% and refinance 29.4%. By loan type, conventional loans were 82.0%, FHA 12.7%, VA 4.7% and USDA/RHS 0.6%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Ohio mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Ohio |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 171,804 |
| Denied applications | 35,825 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 17.3% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #30 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 11.2% |
| Refinance denial rate | 29.4% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #6 |
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
Ohio's mortgage denial rate of 17.3% 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 Ohio the purchase denial rate was 11.2% versus 29.4% for refinances.
Ohio loan-type mix
How Ohio's 171,804 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 | 186,206 | 82.0% |
| FHA | 28,854 | 12.7% |
| VA | 10,689 | 4.7% |
| USDA / RHS | 1,442 | 0.6% |
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 Ohio
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio (this state) | 17.3% | 171,804 | 12.7% | 4.7% |
| Indiana | 17.3% | 115,588 | 14.0% | 4.7% |
| New Hampshire | 17.3% | 19,655 | 7.3% | 4.4% |
| Virginia | 17.3% | 126,501 | 11.9% | 14.4% |
| Wyoming | 17.3% | 8,152 | 17.6% | 10.8% |
| District of Columbia | 17.2% | 7,348 | 5.1% | 4.6% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Ohio in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Ohio was about 17.3% — that is, 35,825 applications were denied out of 207,629 that were either originated or denied. That is -2.3 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Ohio #30 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Ohio?
Lenders originated about 171,804 home-purchase and refinance loans in Ohio in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #6 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 11.2% and the refinance denial rate was 29.4%.
What share of Ohio mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Ohio, FHA loans made up about 12.7% of originations and VA loans about 4.7%, with conventional loans the largest share at 82.0% and USDA/RHS loans 0.6%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in Ohio than elsewhere?
Ohio's denial rate of 17.3% 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 Ohio are Indiana, New Hampshire, Virginia.
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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