California mortgages and home buyers, 2025
Incomes, down payments, rates, loan costs, denials and lenders across California's 58 counties, from official HMDA records.
HMDA 2025 data released June 23, 2026
In 2025, lenders reported 205,767 home-purchase mortgages for owner-occupied, single-family homes in California. The median buyer borrowed $575,000 on a home valued at $715,000 and reported a household income of $175,000.
Buyers financed a median 80% of the home's value (roughly 20% down), paid a median 6.625% on 30-year fixed conventional loans and faced median conventional loan costs of $7,920.
Lenders denied 8.9% of completed home-purchase applications.
Key facts
- Home buyers' median income ($175,000) is 51% higher than the U.S. median ($116,000).
- Median conventional loan costs ($7,920) were 42% higher than the U.S. median ($5,570).
- 51.7% of buyers put at least 20% down (financed 80% or less), compared with 38.5% nationally.
- The most common age bracket among borrowers was 35–44 (32.6% of purchase loans).
- 44.4% of purchase mortgages had a single borrower with no co-applicant.
- The most-cited reason for denial was debt-to-income ratio (39.7% of denials with a stated reason).
Conforming limits in California range from $832,750 to $1,249,125 for a one-unit home in 2026. See every California county's 2026 FHA and conforming loan limits.
California counties compared
Click a column to sort. Medians shown with at least 30 loans.
| County | Purchase loans | Median loan | Buyer income | Down payment | 30-yr rate | Loan costs | Denial rate | FHA limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | 8,325 | $805,000 | $255,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $7,620 | 7.3% | $1,249,125 |
| Alpine County | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $736,000 |
| Amador County | 342 | $365,000 | $120,000 | 10.0% | 6.625% | $5,600 | 7.1% | $541,287 |
| Butte County | 1,408 | $345,000 | $116,000 | 10.0% | 6.625% | $5,860 | 6.8% | $541,287 |
| Calaveras County | 412 | $365,000 | $129,000 | 9.7% | 6.625% | $6,600 | 9.6% | $541,287 |
| Colusa County | 102 | $355,000 | $121,000 | 5.0% | 6.625% | $6,940 | 8.6% | $541,287 |
| Contra Costa County | 7,646 | $645,000 | $200,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $7,850 | 7.3% | $1,249,125 |
| Del Norte County | 114 | $345,000 | $110,000 | 5.0% | 6.625% | $6,100 | 8.6% | $541,287 |
| El Dorado County | 1,825 | $515,000 | $175,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $6,400 | 7.5% | $764,750 |
| Fresno County | 5,895 | $395,000 | $117,000 | 5.0% | 6.624% | $7,630 | 9.8% | $541,287 |
| Glenn County | 144 | $315,000 | $107,000 | 5.0% | 6.625% | $7,190 | 7.6% | $541,287 |
| Humboldt County | 649 | $365,000 | $117,000 | 10.0% | 6.625% | $8,220 | 5.9% | $541,287 |
| Imperial County | 747 | $375,000 | $112,000 | 3.5% | 6.625% | $9,150 | 9.0% | $541,287 |
| Inyo County | 69 | $455,000 | $146,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $6,050 | 8.9% | $541,287 |
| Kern County | 6,679 | $365,000 | $111,000 | 4.0% | 6.625% | $7,410 | 9.7% | $541,287 |
| Kings County | 1,135 | $365,000 | $105,000 | 3.5% | 6.500% | $7,190 | 7.1% | $541,287 |
| Lake County | 406 | $305,000 | $112,000 | 5.0% | 6.750% | $5,760 | 8.7% | $541,287 |
| Lassen County | 172 | $225,000 | $94,000 | 3.5% | 6.875% | $6,200 | 6.6% | $541,287 |
| Los Angeles County | 33,298 | $715,000 | $209,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $9,960 | 10.4% | $1,249,125 |
| Madera County | 1,723 | $415,000 | $123,000 | 5.0% | 6.500% | $7,260 | 11.9% | $541,287 |
| Marin County | 1,388 | $985,000 | $329,000 | 25.0% | 6.624% | $8,010 | 6.2% | $1,249,125 |
| Mariposa County | 90 | $355,000 | $119,000 | 5.0% | 6.625% | $6,720 | 19.7% | $541,287 |
| Mendocino County | 340 | $405,000 | $128,000 | 10.0% | 6.625% | $6,440 | 9.2% | $546,250 |
| Merced County | 1,588 | $395,000 | $114,000 | 4.7% | 6.625% | $7,560 | 9.0% | $541,287 |
| Modoc County | 32 | $195,000 | $82,000 | 5.0% | — | — | 12.8% | $541,287 |
| Mono County | 70 | $455,000 | $173,000 | 20.1% | 6.750% | $6,410 | 12.3% | $776,250 |
| Monterey County | 1,409 | $655,000 | $185,000 | 15.0% | 6.625% | $8,380 | 9.4% | $994,750 |
| Napa County | 620 | $665,000 | $212,000 | 20.0% | 6.624% | $7,700 | 6.9% | $1,017,750 |
| Nevada County | 873 | $445,000 | $156,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $5,780 | 6.5% | $649,750 |
| Orange County | 12,538 | $805,000 | $243,000 | 21.9% | 6.625% | $9,110 | 10.0% | $1,249,125 |
| Placer County | 4,737 | $545,000 | $174,000 | 20.0% | 6.500% | $6,040 | 6.9% | $764,750 |
| Plumas County | 136 | $315,000 | $120,000 | 10.0% | 6.750% | $6,380 | 8.3% | $541,287 |
| Riverside County | 18,689 | $535,000 | $149,000 | 7.0% | 6.625% | $7,890 | 10.6% | $690,000 |
| Sacramento County | 12,042 | $465,000 | $141,000 | 12.8% | 6.624% | $6,030 | 8.2% | $764,750 |
| San Benito County | 513 | $675,000 | $179,000 | 10.0% | 6.575% | $7,440 | 6.3% | $1,249,125 |
| San Bernardino County | 13,281 | $485,000 | $137,000 | 5.0% | 6.625% | $8,080 | 9.0% | $690,000 |
| San Diego County | 17,413 | $725,000 | $202,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $8,710 | 8.9% | $1,104,000 |
| San Francisco County | 3,442 | $925,000 | $304,000 | 25.0% | 6.500% | $7,680 | 6.3% | $1,249,125 |
| San Joaquin County | 5,990 | $515,000 | $148,000 | 10.0% | 6.500% | $6,760 | 9.4% | $678,500 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 1,472 | $645,000 | $193,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $6,260 | 6.8% | $1,000,500 |
| San Mateo County | 3,597 | $1,095,000 | $356,000 | 25.0% | 6.500% | $7,990 | 6.7% | $1,249,125 |
| Santa Barbara County | 1,644 | $635,000 | $187,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $7,270 | 7.6% | $941,850 |
| Santa Clara County | 8,998 | $1,135,000 | $358,000 | 25.0% | 6.500% | $5,510 | 6.9% | $1,249,125 |
| Santa Cruz County | 1,056 | $765,000 | $242,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $6,610 | 5.5% | $1,249,125 |
| Shasta County | 1,445 | $335,000 | $110,000 | 5.0% | 6.750% | $6,410 | 5.6% | $541,287 |
| Sierra County | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $541,287 |
| Siskiyou County | 254 | $255,000 | $98,000 | 5.0% | 6.625% | $5,750 | 7.7% | $541,287 |
| Solano County | 3,540 | $525,000 | $155,000 | 10.0% | 6.625% | $7,250 | 9.0% | $685,400 |
| Sonoma County | 2,813 | $605,000 | $182,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $7,580 | 5.8% | $897,000 |
| Stanislaus County | 3,399 | $425,000 | $123,000 | 5.0% | 6.625% | $7,410 | 8.8% | $545,100 |
| Sutter County | 547 | $405,000 | $117,000 | 10.0% | 6.625% | $6,550 | 11.2% | $541,287 |
| Tehama County | 367 | $305,000 | $98,000 | 5.0% | 6.750% | $6,860 | 6.7% | $541,287 |
| Trinity County | 59 | $285,000 | $91,000 | 5.0% | 6.875% | $6,510 | 4.6% | $541,287 |
| Tulare County | 3,090 | $365,000 | $105,000 | 3.5% | 6.575% | $8,250 | 6.2% | $541,287 |
| Tuolumne County | 404 | $335,000 | $119,000 | 10.0% | 6.750% | $5,400 | 4.7% | $541,287 |
| Ventura County | 4,366 | $685,000 | $195,000 | 20.0% | 6.625% | $8,530 | 8.1% | $1,035,000 |
| Yolo County | 1,158 | $495,000 | $159,000 | 20.0% | 6.599% | $5,990 | 6.6% | $764,750 |
| Yuba County | 1,061 | $435,000 | $118,000 | 5.0% | 6.375% | $6,300 | 10.3% | $541,287 |
Who bought homes in California
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 California
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 | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 30-year fixed rate · conventional | 6.625% | 6.625% |
| 30-year fixed rate · FHA | 6.125% | 6.250% |
| 30-year fixed rate · VA | 6.124% | 6.125% |
| 15-year fixed rate · conventional | 5.750% | 5.875% |
| Rate spread vs. APOR · conventional | +0.09 pts | +0.13 pts |
| Total loan costs · conventional | $7,920 | $5,570 |
| Total loan costs · FHA | $17,220 | $11,310 |
| Total loan costs · VA | $8,600 | $6,490 |
| Origination charges (all loan types) | $2,350 | $1,860 |
| Borrowers paying discount points | 47.2% | 51.3% |
| Points paid, when paid (% of loan) | 0.78% | 0.87% |
| Borrowers receiving lender credits | 39.8% | 33.1% |
| Adjustable-rate mortgages | 14.4% | 7.4% |
| Jumbo loans (above conforming limit) | 11.8% | 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
California: 20,727 of 233,780 completed home-purchase applications were denied (8.9%).
Denial rate
| Application | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Home purchase | 8.9% | 8.5% |
| Conventional | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| FHA | 11.4% | 12.5% |
| VA | 8.7% | 8.0% |
| USDA | 23.8% | 12.5% |
| Refinance | 17.5% | 17.9% |
| Cash-out refinance | 31.5% | 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 California
Top mortgage lenders in California
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Denial rate | 30-yr rate* | Spread* | Costs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) | 47,003 | 14.8% | 9.3% | 6.625% | +0.18 | $8,960 |
| 2 | Rocket Mortgage, LLC | 26,463 | 8.4% | 12.9% | 6.625% | +0.11 | $7,200 |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | 8,682 | 2.7% | 11.0% | 6.500% | −0.07 | $6,030 |
| 4 | U.S. Bank, N.A. | 8,603 | 2.7% | 9.5% | 6.500% | −0.11 | $7,210 |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | 8,294 | 2.6% | 9.3% | 6.250% | −0.27 | $8,160 |
| 6 | CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. | 7,165 | 2.3% | 1.2% | 6.850% | +0.33 | $8,730 |
| 7 | Pennymac Loan Services, LLC | 7,032 | 2.2% | 14.1% | 6.624% | +0.13 | $8,940 |
| 8 | Bank of America, N.A. | 6,144 | 1.9% | 11.9% | 6.250% | −0.35 | $7,500 |
| 9 | Lennar Mortgage, LLC | 5,963 | 1.9% | 8.9% | 5.000% | −0.81 | $6,590 |
| 10 | loanDepot.com, LLC | 5,621 | 1.8% | 9.6% | 6.575% | +0.01 | $7,280 |
| 11 | Ocmbc, Inc. | 5,384 | 1.7% | 5.7% | 6.875% | +0.70 | $14,670 |
| 12 | Citibank, N.A. | 4,788 | 1.5% | 6.2% | 6.250% | −0.28 | $7,990 |
| 13 | Rate | 4,444 | 1.4% | 3.2% | 6.625% | +0.16 | $7,670 |
| 14 | Kind Lending, LLC | 4,339 | 1.4% | 22.0% | 6.625% | +0.28 | $9,090 |
| 15 | The Loan Store, Inc. | 4,214 | 1.3% | 4.8% | 6.625% | +0.18 | $7,580 |
| 16 | Freedom Mortgage Corporation | 3,809 | 1.2% | 15.7% | 6.625% | +0.05 | $8,510 |
| 17 | Newrez LLC | 3,696 | 1.2% | 7.8% | 6.750% | +0.29 | $7,890 |
| 18 | CMG Mortgage, Inc. | 3,476 | 1.1% | 2.0% | 6.625% | +0.16 | $8,770 |
| 19 | New American Funding | 3,131 | 1.0% | 2.5% | 6.750% | +0.32 | $8,480 |
| 20 | Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. | 2,996 | 0.9% | 2.3% | 6.625% | +0.23 | $8,840 |
| 21 | American Pacific Mortgage Corporation | 2,986 | 0.9% | 6.2% | 6.750% | +0.34 | $7,840 |
| 22 | Guild Mortgage Company | 2,921 | 0.9% | 2.1% | 6.625% | +0.23 | $9,030 |
| 23 | Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. | 2,633 | 0.8% | 5.9% | 6.500% | +0.23 | $9,630 |
| 24 | Amwest Funding Corp. | 2,581 | 0.8% | 7.3% | 6.875% | +0.36 | — |
| 25 | DHI Mortgage Company, Ltd. | 2,522 | 0.8% | 11.0% | 5.500% | −0.93 | $4,110 |
Largest lenders in California by 2025 originations. 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).
Metro areas in California
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA · 33,305 purchases
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · 31,970 purchases
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · 17,414 purchases
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA · 19,762 purchases
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley, CA · 15,972 purchases
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA · 12,538 purchases
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · 9,511 purchases
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA · 7,039 purchases
- Fresno, CA · 7,618 purchases
- Bakersfield-Delano, CA · 6,679 purchases
- Stockton-Lodi, CA · 5,990 purchases
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA · 4,366 purchases
- Vallejo, CA · 3,540 purchases
- Modesto, CA · 3,399 purchases
- Visalia, CA · 3,090 purchases
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA · 2,813 purchases
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA · 1,645 purchases
- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA · 1,472 purchases
- Salinas, CA · 1,409 purchases
- San Rafael, CA · 1,388 purchases
- Merced, CA · 1,588 purchases
- Yuba City, CA · 1,608 purchases
- Redding, CA · 1,445 purchases
- Chico, CA · 1,408 purchases
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA · 1,056 purchases
- Hanford-Corcoran, CA · 1,135 purchases
- El Centro, CA · 747 purchases
- Napa, CA · 620 purchases
Source: FFIEC/CFPB HMDA 2025 public LAR; FHFA and HUD 2026 loan limits. Methodology