Columbus
Metropolitan Statistical Area · MSA Code 18020
According to CFPB HMDA 2024 application volume among tracked metros, Columbus ranks #373 of 418.
Mortgage lending activity in the Columbus metro area based on lender filings under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). Data covers all applications received by HMDA-reporting institutions operating in this geography during 2024. Why mortgages get denied walks the denial-reason codes that appear in books like this one.
Metro-area mortgage activity. The Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA code 18020) recorded 3,638 HMDA-reported mortgage applications in 2024. Lenders originated 2,244 of those and denied others at a rate of 13.6%, for an approval (origination) rate of 61.7%. The average loan amount across the MSA was $194,505 at an average note rate of 6.74%. 20 major lenders are tracked for this metro - Centra Credit Union, First Financial Bank, Jackson County Bank lead by origination volume. Among the 418 metros tracked, Columbus ranks #62 by denial rate (the 85th percentile for approval-friendliness), and shares its 5-point denial-rate band with 117 other tracked metros.
What MSA numbers tell you, and what they don't. Metro area boundaries are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and typically span multiple counties, so a single Columbus denial rate averages across urban core, inner suburbs, and outer commuter communities with very different borrower profiles. A 13.6% denial rate at the MSA level can coexist with widely varying individual-lender denial rates; $194,505 average loan size reflects the MSA's property values and the borrower pool that actually applied, not any single neighborhood. This page is informational data reporting, not financial, legal, or mortgage advice.
Lender concentration in Columbus
In Columbus, lead originator Centra Credit Union funded 22.1% of 2,244 originated loans, above the fleet's upper tercile (~12.8% top-1). The top three reporters together hold 38.3% of the book, so a handful of names dominate disclosed volume here.
Metros With a Similar Denial Rate
The metro areas closest to Columbus's 13.6% denial rate among all 418 tracked MSAs.
Metros With Similar Application Volume
Nationwide MSAs nearest to Columbus's 3,638 HMDA applications (deduped against the denial-rate neighbourhood).
Metros With a Similar Average Loan
Nationwide MSAs nearest to Columbus's $194,505 average loan (deduped against denial and volume peers).
Lenders active in the Columbus metro
Centra Credit Union funded 497 of the 2,244 loans originated here, 22.1% of the metro. 20 reporting lenders follow.
| # | Lender | Originated | Applications | Avg Loan | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centra Credit Union | 497 | 610 | $123,918 | 22.1% |
| 2 | First Financial Bank | 238 | 345 | $169,290 | 10.6% |
| 3 | Jackson County Bank | 124 | 162 | $209,691 | 5.5% |
| 4 | German American Bank | 123 | 171 | $167,105 | 5.5% |
| 5 | Rocket Mortgage | 99 | 122 | $202,623 | 4.4% |
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) 2024. Metropolitan Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Data from FFIEC / CFPB HMDA Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset (2024). Provided for informational purposes only; does not constitute financial advice for Columbus borrowers.
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 Columbus 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. Data current as of 2026-08-10. HMDA figures are lender-filed application outcomes for a published reporting year - not creditworthiness scores, rate quotes, Loan Estimates, underwriting decisions, or mortgage advice.