Our analysis of 2025 HMDA data. Rates are medians on loans actually opened.
Why HELOCs were denied in Appleton, WI
First reason lenders gave, share of denials with a reason reported.
Denial rate by debt-to-income
Appleton, WI HELOC applications, 2025.
| Debt-to-income | Decisions | Denied |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20% | 80 | 10% |
| 20% to 29% | 214 | 8% |
| 30% to 35% | 141 | 11% |
| 36% to 42% | 238 | 12% |
| 43% to 49% | 170 | 14% |
| 50% to 60% | 53 | 30% |
| Over 60% | 60 | 80% |
If you were denied a HELOC in Appleton, WI
5 of the six major home equity investment providers list Wisconsin as a service area: CHEIFS, Hometap, Point, Unison, Unlock. See which could fit you.
Compare a HELOC, home equity loan, cash-out refinance, and home equity investment side by side, with your own approval odds, in the home equity options tool. A HELOC like the typical 2025 loan here would start around 7.13% at today’s prime rate.
State rules: Wisconsin.
Other metro areas in Wisconsin
La Crosse, WI-MN (14%) · Milwaukee, WI (25%) · Green Bay, WI (19%) · Madison, WI (15%) · Eau Claire, WI (16%) · Fond du Lac, WI (20%) · All 358 metro areas
Questions
What is the HELOC denial rate in Appleton, WI?
Lenders denied 17.0% of the 966 HELOC applications they decided in the Appleton, WI metro area in 2025, below the national rate of 32.9%, according to federal HMDA data.
Why do HELOCs get denied in Appleton, WI?
The most common first reason lenders gave was debt-to-income ratio (45% of denials with a reason reported).
What is a typical HELOC rate in Appleton, WI?
The median starting rate on HELOCs opened in the Appleton, WI area in 2025 was 7.50%. HELOC rates move with the prime rate, which has changed by -0.37 points since, so a similar loan today would start around 7.13%. Your rate depends on your credit, equity, and lender.
Source: FFIEC / CFPB HMDA data, 2025, second-lien HELOCs and home equity loans with a credit decision, by the metro area HMDA assigns. Metro names: U.S. Census Bureau. Free to use with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Methodology: HELOC denial data.
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