Our analysis of 2025 HMDA data. Rates are medians on loans actually opened.
Why HELOCs were denied in Washington, DC-MD
First reason lenders gave, share of denials with a reason reported.
Denial rate by debt-to-income
Washington, DC-MD HELOC applications, 2025.
| Debt-to-income | Decisions | Denied |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20% | 462 | 52% |
| 20% to 29% | 982 | 29% |
| 30% to 35% | 985 | 30% |
| 36% to 42% | 1,492 | 29% |
| 43% to 49% | 1,756 | 31% |
| 50% to 60% | 1,180 | 53% |
| Over 60% | 1,369 | 94% |
If you were denied a HELOC in Washington, DC-MD
3 of the six major home equity investment providers list Maryland, District of Columbia as a service area: CHEIFS, Point, Unison. 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 7.63% at today’s prime rate.
State rules: Maryland, District of Columbia.
Other metro areas in Maryland
Frederick, MD (36%) · Baltimore, MD (38%) · Hagerstown, MD-WV (38%) · Lexington Park, MD (33%) · Salisbury, MD (42%) · All 358 metro areas
Questions
What is the HELOC denial rate in Washington, DC-MD?
Lenders denied 46.5% of the 8,468 HELOC applications they decided in the Washington, DC-MD metro area in 2025, above the national rate of 32.9%, according to federal HMDA data.
Why do HELOCs get denied in Washington, DC-MD?
The most common first reason lenders gave was debt-to-income ratio (35% of denials with a reason reported).
What is a typical HELOC rate in Washington, DC-MD?
The median starting rate on HELOCs opened in the Washington, DC-MD area in 2025 was 8.00%. HELOC rates move with the prime rate, which has changed by -0.37 points since, so a similar loan today would start around 7.63%. 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.
HEI Calculator
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Point, Hometap, Unlock, Unison, Splitero and CHEIFS side by side, with reviews and head-to-heads.
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