Washington mortgage lending data
West region · HMDA 2023 reporting year
In Washington, the 2023 mortgage denial rate was 15.7% — below the national denial rate (-3.9 points vs the 19.6% national rate), ranking it #42 of 51. Lenders originated about 101,889 home-purchase and refinance loans (rank #17). The home-purchase denial rate was 10.3% and refinance 30.1%. By loan type, conventional loans were 83.2%, FHA 9.5%, VA 7.1% and USDA/RHS 0.2%. Informational data, not lending advice.
Source: HMDA Data Browser (FFIEC / CFPB). Data as of June 2026.
Washington mortgage lending at a glance
| Indicator | Washington |
|---|---|
| Total originations (purchase + refinance, 2023) | 101,889 |
| Denied applications | 18,943 |
| Mortgage denial rate | 15.7% |
| Denial-rate rank (1 = highest of 51) | #42 |
| Home-purchase denial rate | 10.3% |
| Refinance denial rate | 30.1% |
| Volume rank (1 = most loans of 51) | #17 |
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
Washington's mortgage denial rate of 15.7% 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 Washington the purchase denial rate was 10.3% versus 30.1% for refinances.
Washington loan-type mix
How Washington's 101,889 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 | 114,429 | 83.2% |
| FHA | 13,059 | 9.5% |
| VA | 9,742 | 7.1% |
| USDA / RHS | 223 | 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 Washington
| State | Denial rate | Originations | FHA share | VA share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington (this state) | 15.7% | 101,889 | 9.5% | 7.1% |
| Massachusetts | 15.9% | 80,905 | 7.4% | 2.0% |
| Oregon | 16.0% | 51,823 | 10.8% | 5.0% |
| Kansas | 15.1% | 40,352 | 11.1% | 7.7% |
| Missouri | 14.9% | 97,685 | 13.0% | 6.6% |
| Idaho | 16.5% | 33,653 | 11.7% | 6.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the mortgage denial rate in Washington in 2023?
In 2023, the mortgage denial rate in Washington was about 15.7% — that is, 18,943 applications were denied out of 120,832 that were either originated or denied. That is -3.9 points versus the national rate of 19.6%, and ranks Washington #42 of 51 from highest to lowest. Figures are from HMDA; verify before relying on them.
How many mortgages were originated in Washington?
Lenders originated about 101,889 home-purchase and refinance loans in Washington in 2023 (HMDA reporting year), ranking it #17 of 51 by volume. Of those, the home-purchase denial rate was 10.3% and the refinance denial rate was 30.1%.
What share of Washington mortgages are FHA or VA loans?
In Washington, FHA loans made up about 9.5% of originations and VA loans about 7.1%, with conventional loans the largest share at 83.2% 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 Washington than elsewhere?
Washington's denial rate of 15.7% 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 Washington are Massachusetts, Oregon, Kansas.
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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