Stearns County, MN: mortgages, home buyers & loan limits
What buyers in Stearns County actually borrowed, earned and paid in 2025, from the official Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records — plus the 2026 conforming and FHA loan limits.
HMDA 2025 data released June 23, 2026 · Loan limits for calendar year 2026
In 2025, lenders reported 1,449 home-purchase mortgages for owner-occupied, single-family homes in Stearns County, MN. The median buyer borrowed $255,000 on a home valued at $295,000 and reported a household income of $88,000.
Buyers financed a median 95% of the home's value (roughly 5% down), paid a median 6.625% on 30-year fixed conventional loans and faced median conventional loan costs of $4,700.
Lenders denied 5.3% of completed home-purchase applications.
Key facts about Stearns County mortgages
- Home buyers' median income ($88,000) is 18% lower than the Minnesota median ($107,000).
- Median conventional loan costs ($4,700) were 16% lower than the U.S. median ($5,570).
- The most common age bracket among borrowers was 25–34 (32.2% of purchase loans).
- 52.0% of purchase mortgages had a single borrower with no co-applicant.
- The most-cited reason for denial was debt-to-income ratio (31.2% of denials with a stated reason).
National rank among 1,994 counties with at least 100 purchase loans: median income of home buyers 1225th · median home-purchase loan 998th · median conventional loan costs 1013th · purchase application denial rate 1747th. See rankings.
2026 loan limits in Stearns County
| Property | Conforming 2026 | vs 2025 | FHA 2026 | vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 unit | $832,750 | +$26,250 | $541,287 | +$17,062 |
| 2 units | $1,066,250 | +$33,600 | $693,050 | +$21,850 |
| 3 units | $1,288,800 | +$40,650 | $837,700 | +$26,425 |
| 4 units | $1,601,750 | +$50,500 | $1,041,125 | +$32,825 |
2026 limits for Stearns County, MN: conforming (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac) from FHFA; FHA forward-mortgage limits from HUD. FHA limit is at the national floor for low-cost areas. Loans above the conforming limit are "jumbo" loans.
All Minnesota counties: Minnesota 2026 loan limits. FHFA and HUD normally announce the next year's limits in late November.
Who bought homes in Stearns County
Home-purchase mortgages for owner-occupied, single-family (1–4 unit) site-built homes, first liens, originated in 2025.
Values are medians; "middle half" is the 25th to 75th percentile.
Loan type
What the homes were for
All first-lien, closed-end purchase mortgages, including second homes and investors.
Borrower age
Debt-to-income ratio
Monthly debts (including the new payment) as a share of income, as used in underwriting.
What borrowing cost in Stearns County
Medians for 2025 home-purchase loans. Total loan costs are section D of the Loan Estimate/Closing Disclosure (lender and third-party loan charges, excluding taxes, prepaids and escrow). FHA and VA costs include the upfront mortgage insurance premium or VA funding fee, so compare like with like.
| Measure | Stearns County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-year fixed rate · conventional | 6.625% | 6.625% | 6.625% |
| 30-year fixed rate · FHA | 6.500% | 6.500% | 6.250% |
| 30-year fixed rate · VA | 6.250% | 6.250% | 6.125% |
| 15-year fixed rate · conventional | — | 5.875% | 5.875% |
| Rate spread vs. APOR · conventional | +0.14 pts | +0.15 pts | +0.13 pts |
| Total loan costs · conventional | $4,700 | $5,100 | $5,570 |
| Total loan costs · FHA | $9,800 | $10,780 | $11,310 |
| Total loan costs · VA | $5,110 | $5,760 | $6,490 |
| Origination charges (all loan types) | $2,200 | $2,360 | $1,860 |
| Borrowers paying discount points | 49.6% | 54.9% | 51.3% |
| Points paid, when paid (% of loan) | 0.77% | 0.79% | 0.87% |
| Borrowers receiving lender credits | 29.3% | 35.3% | 33.1% |
| Adjustable-rate mortgages | 4.0% | 5.4% | 7.4% |
| Jumbo loans (above conforming limit) | 0.8% | 1.9% | 3.8% |
Medians are shown only when at least 30 loans report the field. Rates are those reported at closing; market rates changed during 2025, which the rate spread (APR minus the average prime offer rate on the lock date) adjusts for.
Approvals and denials
Stearns County: 82 of 1,561 completed home-purchase applications were denied (5.3%).
Denial rate
| Application | Stearns County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home purchase | 5.3% | 5.2% | 8.5% |
| Conventional | 3.8% | 4.2% | 7.1% |
| FHA | 9.6% | 10.7% | 12.5% |
| VA | 9.5% | 7.2% | 8.0% |
| USDA | — | 10.2% | 12.5% |
| Refinance | 11.0% | 15.3% | 17.9% |
| Cash-out refinance | 23.7% | 31.1% | 33.6% |
Main reason for purchase denials
First reason the lender reported.
Denial rate = denied ÷ (originated + approved but not accepted + denied). Withdrawn and incomplete applications are excluded. Differences between places reflect who applies, not only lender behavior.
Refinancing in Stearns County
Top mortgage lenders in Stearns County
179 lenders originated at least one home-purchase or refinance loan here in 2025. The table ranks them by loan count; pricing columns compare conventional purchase loans only.
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Denial rate | 30-yr rate* | Spread* | Costs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magnifi Financial Credit Union | 167 | 8.5% | 2.2% | 6.500% | −0.04 | $4,220 |
| 2 | Liberty Bank Minnesota | 119 | 6.0% | 0.0% | 6.625% | +0.04 | $3,210 |
| 3 | Homeowners Financial Group USA, LLC | 109 | 5.5% | 2.9% | 6.625% | +0.26 | $5,390 |
| 4 | United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) | 108 | 5.5% | 10.9% | 6.490% | +0.17 | $5,960 |
| 5 | Plaza Home Mortgage, Inc. | 100 | 5.1% | 6.5% | 6.375% | +0.02 | $4,800 |
| 6 | Rocket Mortgage, LLC | 86 | 4.4% | 11.4% | 6.500% | +0.14 | $5,230 |
| 7 | St. Cloud Financial | 64 | 3.3% | 5.0% | 6.375% | +0.02 | $4,690 |
| 8 | Veterans United Home Loans | 54 | 2.7% | 8.5% | — | — | — |
| 9 | Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation | 51 | 2.6% | 2.0% | 6.750% | +0.46 | $6,770 |
| 10 | New American Funding | 44 | 2.2% | 0.0% | 6.625% | +0.41 | $5,870 |
| 11 | Old National Bank | 42 | 2.1% | 0.0% | 6.625% | +0.08 | $5,010 |
| 12 | Freedom Mortgage Corporation | 37 | 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Everett Financial, Inc. | 36 | 1.8% | 2.8% | — | — | — |
| 14 | U.S. Bank, N.A. | 36 | 1.8% | 6.1% | 6.750% | +0.08 | $4,360 |
| 15 | CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. | 34 | 1.7% | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 16 | Pennymac Loan Services, LLC | 33 | 1.7% | 14.3% | — | — | — |
| 17 | Bell Bank | 32 | 1.6% | 0.0% | 6.625% | +0.24 | $4,410 |
| 18 | Granite Bank | 30 | 1.5% | 3.7% | — | — | — |
| 19 | Primelending, a Plainscapital Company | 29 | 1.5% | 4.2% | — | — | — |
| 20 | Newrez LLC | 23 | 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Ark-La-Tex Financial Services, LLC. | 20 | 1.0% | 9.1% | — | — | — |
| 22 | Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC | 20 | 1.0% | 5.0% | — | — | — |
| 23 | Trustone Financial Credit Union | 20 | 1.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | Deerwood Bank | 20 | 1.0% | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | loanDepot.com, LLC | 18 | 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
Lenders in Stearns County, MN. Loans = home-purchase, refinance and cash-out originations (2025); share = share of those loans here; denial rate = home-purchase applications. *Medians for conventional home-purchase loans, shown with at least 20 loans; spread = APR minus the average prime offer rate at rate lock (percentage points); costs = total loan costs (section D).
Check a quote for Stearns County
Is my Loan Estimate high?
Compare your origination charges and total loan costs with 2025 loans of the same type and size in Minnesota and Stearns County.
Monthly payment calculator
Principal, interest, property tax (1.00% typical effective rate here) and insurance, with Stearns County defaults.
Typical effective property-tax rate 1.00% = median real estate taxes ÷ median home value, U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Purchase loans | Median loan | Buyer income | Conforming limit | FHA limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meeker County, MN | 30 mi | 185 | $235,000 | $87,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Benton County, MN | 31 mi | 403 | $265,000 | $87,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Kandiyohi County, MN | 34 mi | 325 | $235,000 | $90,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Morrison County, MN | 36 mi | 260 | $235,000 | $83,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Todd County, MN | 38 mi | 178 | $185,000 | $71,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Pope County, MN | 41 mi | 68 | $205,000 | $80,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Stearns County?
$832,750 for a one-unit home (FHFA). Two- to four-unit limits are $1,066,250, $1,288,800, $1,601,750. Loans above the limit are jumbo loans and are not eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit in Stearns County?
$541,287 for a one-unit home (HUD). This is the national floor for low-cost areas.
How much do home buyers in Stearns County earn?
The median household income reported on 2025 home-purchase mortgages was $88,000; the middle half of buyers reported $64,000 to $128,000.
What mortgage rate did buyers in Stearns County get in 2025?
The median rate on 30-year fixed conventional purchase loans was 6.625%; FHA borrowers paid a median 6.50%. These are rates locked during 2025; check today's rates with several lenders.
How often are mortgage applications denied in Stearns County?
5.3% of completed home-purchase applications were denied in 2025; the most common stated reason was debt-to-income ratio.
Sources: FFIEC/CFPB HMDA 2025 public loan/application register (Snapshot as of June 1, 2026); FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits; HUD 2026 FHA forward-mortgage limits; U.S. Census Bureau. Figures describe typical 2025 loans, not your offer. Methodology