PlainLender
2024 data HMDA 2024 disclosure official source

Watauga County

1,720 mortgage applications, 14.8% denial rate. Verify FIPS 37189 with U.S. Census Bureau →

PlainLender home → About this data

North Carolina · FIPS 37189

Local mortgage market. Watauga County, North Carolina saw 1,720 HMDA-reported mortgage applications in 2024. Lenders originated 979 of those loans and denied 254, producing a denial rate of 14.8% and an approval (origination) rate of 56.9%. The average loan amount was $349,547 at an average note rate of 7.14%, with applicants self-reporting average annual income of $36K. 192 distinct institutions reported mortgage activity in this county.

Borrower leverage and affordability signal. The loan-to-income ratio averages 9.7x, meaning typical borrowers took on mortgages of about 9.7 times their annual income. That ratio is a rough affordability signal: higher multiples imply tighter monthly budgets and greater exposure to rate or income shocks. See our methodology for how to read the denial rate against a local applicant pool.

FIPS 37189 · CFPB HMDA 2024 Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset. See our disclaimer before acting on this data.

1,720
Applications
979
Originated
14.8%
Denial Rate
56.9%
Approval Rate
$349,547
Avg Loan Amount
7.14%
Avg Interest Rate
$36K
Avg Applicant Income
9.7x
Loan-to-Income Ratio

Nearby Lenders in Watauga County

Top HMDA-reporting lenders active in this county. Compare any two side-by-side for rates, denial rates, and loan mix.

# Lender Originated Market Share
1 State Employees' Credit Union 165 16.9%
2 Rocket Mortgage 85 8.7%
3 Movement Mortgage, LLC 45 4.6%
4 First Ciitizens Bank and Trust 41 4.2%
5 Truist Bank 35 3.6%
Compare State Employees' Credit Union vs Rocket Mortgage →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mortgage applications were filed in Watauga County?
In the 2024 HMDA reporting year, 1,720 mortgage applications were filed in Watauga County, North Carolina. Of these, 979 were originated (approved and funded), while 254 were denied, resulting in a denial rate of 14.8%.
What is the mortgage denial rate in Watauga County?
The mortgage denial rate in Watauga County is 14.8%. The approval (origination) rate is 56.9%, reflecting originated loans as a share of all applications.
What is the average mortgage loan amount in Watauga County?
The average mortgage loan amount in Watauga County is $349,547. The average interest rate is 7.136%. The average applicant income is $36K.
What is the loan-to-income ratio in Watauga County?
The average loan-to-income ratio in Watauga County is 9.7x, meaning borrowers took on loans averaging 9.7 times their annual income. This reflects average borrower profiles for mortgages processed in this county.
Who are the top mortgage lenders in Watauga County?
The top mortgage lenders in Watauga County by origination volume are State Employees' Credit Union, Rocket Mortgage, Movement Mortgage, LLC. In total, 192 lenders reported mortgage activity in this county.
Where does this mortgage data come from?
This data comes from the CFPB HMDA 2024 Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset, a mandatory federal disclosure dataset covering all mortgage applications filed with HMDA-reporting institutions. County boundaries are identified by FIPS codes.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) 2024. County FIPS codes per U.S. Census Bureau standards.

Data from FFIEC / CFPB HMDA Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset (2024). Provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Every figure on PlainLender is rendered directly from CFPB HMDA federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on CFPB HMDA federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.