How large are the loans mortgage shoppers request compared with household income in each state?
Over the 12 months to 2026-10-08, refinance shoppers' median requested loan was highest relative to state median household income in Hawaii (5.56×) and lowest in Iowa (2.40×); purchase shoppers' median requested loan was highest relative to state median household income in Hawaii (4.98×) and lowest in Illinois (2.60×). This compares FreeRateUpdate shoppers' requested loans with Census household income; it is an aggregate comparison, not any borrower's debt-to-income ratio.
Last updated October 8, 2026Refinance: requested loan compared with median household income, by state
Median requested loan on FreeRateUpdate refinance requests: the first-mortgage balance the shopper reported plus any cash out requested, divided by the state's median household income.
| Rank | State | Median requested loan | Median household income (margin of error) | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $558,000 | $100,389 (±$1,121) | 5.56× |
| 2 | California | $468,000 | $99,122 (±$310) | 4.72× |
| 3 | Nevada | $351,000 | $78,260 (±$596) | 4.49× |
| 4 | Idaho | $332,500 | $77,800 (±$743) | 4.27× |
| 5 | Montana | $306,000 | $72,509 (±$761) | 4.22× |
| 6 | Utah | $400,000 | $95,166 (±$774) | 4.20× |
| 7 | Oregon | $340,000 | $83,011 (±$573) | 4.10× |
| 8 | Washington | $396,000 | $98,141 (±$414) | 4.04× |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $351,000 | $87,796 (±$1,209) | 4.00× |
| 10 | Arizona | $317,500 | $79,964 (±$407) | 3.97× |
| 11 | Colorado | $378,000 | $95,470 (±$578) | 3.96× |
| 12 | New York | $333,000 | $85,974 (±$402) | 3.87× |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $400,000 | $103,960 (±$527) | 3.85× |
| 14 | Florida | $286,520 | $74,568 (±$284) | 3.84× |
| 15 | New Mexico | $240,000 | $64,059 (±$808) | 3.75× |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $400,000 | $109,870 (±$1,937) | 3.64× |
| 17 | Tennessee | $250,000 | $69,595 (±$429) | 3.59× |
| 18 | South Carolina | $245,000 | $69,324 (±$570) | 3.53× |
| 19 | New Jersey | $360,000 | $103,556 (±$513) | 3.48× |
| 20 | Wyoming | $261,000 | $76,176 (±$1,168) | 3.43× |
| 21 | North Carolina | $247,500 | $72,388 (±$324) | 3.42× |
| 22 | Maine | $255,000 | $74,733 (±$795) | 3.41× |
| 23 | Delaware | $288,000 | $84,954 (±$1,251) | 3.39× |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $335,000 | $99,031 (±$1,123) | 3.38× |
| 25 | South Dakota | $252,500 | $75,081 (±$888) | 3.36× |
| 26 | Georgia | $257,082 | $77,353 (±$407) | 3.32× |
| 27 | Alaska | $306,000 | $92,788 (±$1,232) | 3.30× |
| 28 | Vermont | $260,000 | $81,203 (±$1,339) | 3.20× |
| 29 | Connecticut | $306,000 | $95,781 (±$732) | 3.19× |
| 29 | Mississippi | $180,000 | $56,447 (±$539) | 3.19× |
| 29 | Texas | $250,000 | $78,476 (±$263) | 3.19× |
| 32 | Virginia | $295,000 | $93,170 (±$458) | 3.17× |
| 33 | Alabama | $200,000 | $63,999 (±$399) | 3.13× |
| 34 | Kentucky | $195,000 | $63,726 (±$429) | 3.06× |
| 35 | Maryland | $315,000 | $103,678 (±$597) | 3.04× |
| 36 | Arkansas | $180,000 | $60,773 (±$467) | 2.96× |
| 36 | Louisiana | $180,000 | $60,756 (±$408) | 2.96× |
| 38 | North Dakota | $225,000 | $76,657 (±$1,163) | 2.94× |
| 39 | Minnesota | $261,000 | $89,062 (±$409) | 2.93× |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $189,000 | $65,039 (±$439) | 2.91× |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $225,000 | $77,485 (±$455) | 2.90× |
| 42 | West Virginia | $170,000 | $59,608 (±$691) | 2.85× |
| 43 | Missouri | $200,000 | $70,702 (±$325) | 2.83× |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $216,000 | $77,971 (±$342) | 2.77× |
| 45 | Nebraska | $210,000 | $76,475 (±$633) | 2.75× |
| 46 | Indiana | $197,500 | $71,957 (±$352) | 2.74× |
| 47 | Michigan | $198,000 | $72,875 (±$293) | 2.72× |
| 48 | Kansas | $198,000 | $74,275 (±$475) | 2.67× |
| 49 | Ohio | $189,000 | $71,389 (±$321) | 2.65× |
| 50 | Illinois | $216,000 | $83,390 (±$362) | 2.59× |
| 51 | Iowa | $180,000 | $75,059 (±$418) | 2.40× |
Purchase: requested loan compared with median household income, by state
Median requested loan on FreeRateUpdate purchase requests: the loan implied by the shopper's purchase-price and down-payment answers, divided by the state's median household income.
| Rank | State | Median requested loan | Median household income (margin of error) | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $500,000 | $100,389 (±$1,121) | 4.98× |
| 2 | California | $440,000 | $99,122 (±$310) | 4.44× |
| 3 | Idaho | $337,750 | $77,800 (±$743) | 4.34× |
| 4 | Nevada | $337,750 | $78,260 (±$596) | 4.32× |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $364,688 | $87,796 (±$1,209) | 4.15× |
| 6 | Montana | $300,000 | $72,509 (±$761) | 4.14× |
| 7 | Wyoming | $313,625 | $76,176 (±$1,168) | 4.12× |
| 8 | Utah | $386,000 | $95,166 (±$774) | 4.06× |
| 9 | Oregon | $330,000 | $83,011 (±$573) | 3.98× |
| 10 | Washington | $386,000 | $98,141 (±$414) | 3.93× |
| 11 | New Mexico | $250,900 | $64,059 (±$808) | 3.92× |
| 12 | Colorado | $373,750 | $95,470 (±$578) | 3.91× |
| 13 | Arizona | $300,000 | $79,964 (±$407) | 3.75× |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $385,000 | $103,960 (±$527) | 3.70× |
| 15 | New York | $313,625 | $85,974 (±$402) | 3.65× |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $400,100 | $109,870 (±$1,937) | 3.64× |
| 17 | Florida | $270,000 | $74,568 (±$284) | 3.62× |
| 18 | North Carolina | $260,000 | $72,388 (±$324) | 3.59× |
| 18 | Tennessee | $250,000 | $69,595 (±$429) | 3.59× |
| 20 | South Dakota | $263,250 | $75,081 (±$888) | 3.51× |
| 21 | South Carolina | $241,250 | $69,324 (±$570) | 3.48× |
| 22 | Alaska | $320,000 | $92,788 (±$1,232) | 3.45× |
| 22 | New Jersey | $357,275 | $103,556 (±$513) | 3.45× |
| 24 | Texas | $270,200 | $78,476 (±$263) | 3.44× |
| 25 | Delaware | $289,500 | $84,954 (±$1,251) | 3.41× |
| 26 | Mississippi | $190,000 | $56,447 (±$539) | 3.37× |
| 27 | Georgia | $260,000 | $77,353 (±$407) | 3.36× |
| 28 | Maine | $245,000 | $74,733 (±$795) | 3.28× |
| 29 | Maryland | $337,750 | $103,678 (±$597) | 3.26× |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $247,000 | $77,485 (±$455) | 3.19× |
| 31 | Louisiana | $193,000 | $60,756 (±$408) | 3.18× |
| 32 | Alabama | $202,602 | $63,999 (±$399) | 3.17× |
| 33 | Connecticut | $300,000 | $95,781 (±$732) | 3.13× |
| 34 | North Dakota | $239,250 | $76,657 (±$1,163) | 3.12× |
| 35 | Virginia | $289,500 | $93,170 (±$458) | 3.11× |
| 36 | Kentucky | $193,000 | $63,726 (±$429) | 3.03× |
| 36 | Nebraska | $231,600 | $76,475 (±$633) | 3.03× |
| 38 | Arkansas | $182,000 | $60,773 (±$467) | 2.99× |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $193,000 | $65,039 (±$439) | 2.97× |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $289,500 | $99,031 (±$1,123) | 2.92× |
| 41 | Vermont | $234,000 | $81,203 (±$1,339) | 2.88× |
| 42 | West Virginia | $171,000 | $59,608 (±$691) | 2.87× |
| 43 | Missouri | $200,000 | $70,702 (±$325) | 2.83× |
| 44 | Minnesota | $250,900 | $89,062 (±$409) | 2.82× |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $220,000 | $77,971 (±$342) | 2.82× |
| 46 | Ohio | $193,000 | $71,389 (±$321) | 2.70× |
| 47 | Kansas | $200,000 | $74,275 (±$475) | 2.69× |
| 48 | Indiana | $193,000 | $71,957 (±$352) | 2.68× |
| 49 | Iowa | $198,000 | $75,059 (±$418) | 2.64× |
| 50 | Michigan | $192,000 | $72,875 (±$293) | 2.63× |
| 51 | Illinois | $217,125 | $83,390 (±$362) | 2.60× |
How is this measured?
Each figure is the median requested loan on FreeRateUpdate requests from shoppers in that state over the trailing 12 months, divided by the state's median household income. Refinance and purchase are ranked separately. Requests the form recorded with its own untouched default values, home-equity and personal-loan requests, requests flagged as default entries, and amounts outside $30,000 to $5,000,000 are excluded. A state needs at least 100 requests in the window before it is ranked.
Household income is the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey median household income (acs/acs5, 2024, table B19013), shown with its margin of error. The ratio divides one median by another. It describes shoppers in aggregate and is not a debt-to-income ratio, an affordability measure, or a statement about any individual borrower.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.