Metro dataLast checked September 23, 2026

HELOCs in Helena, MT: denials and rates, 2025

How lenders treated HELOC applications in the Helena, MT metro area in 2025, from federal mortgage data: how many were denied, why, and at what rates.

26%
of HELOC applications denied in 2025 (428 decisions), below the national 32.9%
#296 of 358
metro areas ranked by HELOC denial rate, highest first
7.90%
median starting rate on HELOCs opened in 2025
8.38%
median rate on home equity loans opened in 2025

Our analysis of 2025 HMDA data. Rates are medians on loans actually opened.

Why HELOCs were denied in Helena, MT

First reason lenders gave, share of denials with a reason reported.

Debt-to-income ratio46%
Collateral19%
Credit history17%
Incomplete application8%
Other7%

Denial rate by debt-to-income

Helena, MT HELOC applications, 2025.

Debt-to-incomeDecisionsDenied
20% to 29%728%
30% to 35%7513%
36% to 42%11115%
43% to 49%8121%

If you were denied a HELOC in Helena, MT

3 of the six major home equity investment providers list Montana as a service area: Hometap, Splitero, 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 7.53% at today’s prime rate.

State rules: Montana.

Other metro areas in Montana

Missoula, MT (26%) · Billings, MT (26%) · Bozeman, MT (30%) · All 358 metro areas

Questions

What is the HELOC denial rate in Helena, MT?

Lenders denied 25.7% of the 428 HELOC applications they decided in the Helena, MT metro area in 2025, below the national rate of 32.9%, according to federal HMDA data.

Why do HELOCs get denied in Helena, MT?

The most common first reason lenders gave was debt-to-income ratio (46% of denials with a reason reported).

What is a typical HELOC rate in Helena, MT?

The median starting rate on HELOCs opened in the Helena, MT area in 2025 was 7.90%. HELOC rates move with the prime rate, which has changed by -0.37 points since, so a similar loan today would start around 7.53%. 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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