Utah mortgage lending data
West region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Utah, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 17.5% — below the national denial rate (-2.1 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #27 of 51. Lenders originated about 56,986 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #26). The home-purchase denial rate was 12.1% and refinance 27.8%. By loan type, conventional loans were 83.7%, FHA 12.5%, VA 3.6% and USDA/RHS 0.2%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Utah mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Utah |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 56,986 |
| Denied applications | 12,062 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 17.5% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #27 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 12.1% |
| Refinance denial rate | 27.8% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #26 |
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
Utah's mortgage denial rate of 17.5% means that for every 100 applications that were either approved-and-originated or denied, about 18 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 Utah the purchase denial rate was 12.1% versus 27.8% for refinances.
Utah loan-type mix
How Utah's 56,986 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 | 68,041 | 83.7% |
| FHA | 10,161 | 12.5% |
| VA | 2,893 | 3.6% |
| USDA / RHS | 192 | 0.2% |
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 Utah
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah (this state) | 17.5% | 56,986 | 12.5% | 3.6% |
| Maine | 17.6% | 20,555 | 8.5% | 4.9% |
| Indiana | 17.3% | 115,588 | 14.0% | 4.7% |
| New Hampshire | 17.3% | 19,655 | 7.3% | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 17.3% | 171,804 | 12.7% | 4.7% |
| Virginia | 17.3% | 126,501 | 11.9% | 14.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Utah in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Utah was about 17.5% — that is, 12,062 applications were denied out of 69,048 that were either originated or denied. That is -2.1 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Utah #27 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Utah?
Lenders originated about 56,986 home-purchase and refinance loans in Utah in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #26 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 12.1% and the refinance denial rate was 27.8%.
What share of Utah mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Utah, FHA loans made up about 12.5% of originations and VA loans about 3.6%, with conventional loans the largest share at 83.7% and USDA/RHS loans 0.2%. Higher government-backed shares often reflect more first-time and lower-down-payment buyers.
Is it harder to get a mortgage in Utah than elsewhere?
Utah's denial rate of 17.5% 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 Utah are Maine, Indiana, New Hampshire.
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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