Pennsylvania mortgage lending data
Northeast region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Pennsylvania, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 18.6% — close to the national denial rate (-1.0 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #21 of 51. Lenders originated about 168,096 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #7). The home-purchase denial rate was 11.7% and refinance 31.0%. By loan type, conventional loans were 86.1%, FHA 10.2%, VA 3.2% and USDA/RHS 0.5%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Pennsylvania mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 168,096 |
| Denied applications | 38,515 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 18.6% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #21 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 11.7% |
| Refinance denial rate | 31.0% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #7 |
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
Pennsylvania's mortgage denial rate of 18.6% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 19 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 Pennsylvania the purchase denial rate was 11.7% versus 31.0% for refinances.
Pennsylvania loan-type mix
How Pennsylvania's 168,096 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 | 201,523 | 86.1% |
| FHA | 23,794 | 10.2% |
| VA | 7,387 | 3.2% |
| USDA / RHS | 1,268 | 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 Pennsylvania
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania (this state) | 18.6% | 168,096 | 10.2% | 3.2% |
| Rhode Island | 18.9% | 14,404 | 12.6% | 2.9% |
| Maryland | 18.3% | 83,330 | 15.2% | 8.4% |
| New York | 18.3% | 154,253 | 8.3% | 2.2% |
| New Jersey | 19.0% | 106,113 | 12.0% | 2.4% |
| Tennessee | 19.0% | 122,624 | 14.5% | 8.1% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Pennsylvania in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Pennsylvania was about 18.6% — that is, 38,515 applications were denied out of 206,611 that were either originated or denied. That is -1.0 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Pennsylvania #21 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Pennsylvania?
Lenders originated about 168,096 home-purchase and refinance loans in Pennsylvania in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #7 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 11.7% and the refinance denial rate was 31.0%.
What share of Pennsylvania mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Pennsylvania, FHA loans made up about 10.2% of originations and VA loans about 3.2%, with conventional loans the largest share at 86.1% 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 Pennsylvania than elsewhere?
Pennsylvania's denial rate of 18.6% 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 Pennsylvania are Rhode Island, Maryland, New York.
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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