Howard County, MO: mortgages, home buyers & loan limits
What buyers in Howard County actually borrowed, earned and paid in 2025, from the official Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records — plus the 2026 conforming and FHA loan limits.
HMDA 2025 data released June 23, 2026 · Loan limits for calendar year 2026
In 2025, lenders reported 70 home-purchase mortgages for owner-occupied, single-family homes in Howard County, MO. The median buyer borrowed $205,000 on a home valued at $215,000 and reported a household income of $85,000.
Buyers financed a median 96.5% of the home's value (roughly 3.5% down).
Lenders denied 16.3% of completed home-purchase applications.
Key facts about Howard County mortgages
- Home buyers' median income ($85,000) is 27% lower than the U.S. median ($116,000).
- FHA loans made up 10.0% of purchase mortgages, versus 21.1% nationally.
- USDA rural loans financed 5.7% of purchases.
- 26.7% of buyers put at least 20% down (financed 80% or less), compared with 38.5% nationally.
- 17.0% of first-lien purchase mortgages were for investment properties.
- 15.1% of single-family purchase mortgages financed manufactured homes.
- The most common age bracket among borrowers was 25–34 (28.6% of purchase loans).
- 56.5% of purchase mortgages had a single borrower with no co-applicant.
2026 loan limits in Howard County
| Property | Conforming 2026 | vs 2025 | FHA 2026 | vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 unit | $832,750 | +$26,250 | $541,287 | +$17,062 |
| 2 units | $1,066,250 | +$33,600 | $693,050 | +$21,850 |
| 3 units | $1,288,800 | +$40,650 | $837,700 | +$26,425 |
| 4 units | $1,601,750 | +$50,500 | $1,041,125 | +$32,825 |
2026 limits for Howard County, MO: conforming (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac) from FHFA; FHA forward-mortgage limits from HUD. FHA limit is at the national floor for low-cost areas. Loans above the conforming limit are "jumbo" loans.
All Missouri counties: Missouri 2026 loan limits. FHFA and HUD normally announce the next year's limits in late November.
Who bought homes in Howard County
Home-purchase mortgages for owner-occupied, single-family (1–4 unit) site-built homes, first liens, originated in 2025.
Values are medians; "middle half" is the 25th to 75th percentile.
Loan type
What the homes were for
All first-lien, closed-end purchase mortgages, including second homes and investors.
Borrower age
Debt-to-income ratio
Monthly debts (including the new payment) as a share of income, as used in underwriting.
What borrowing cost in Howard County
Medians for 2025 home-purchase loans. Total loan costs are section D of the Loan Estimate/Closing Disclosure (lender and third-party loan charges, excluding taxes, prepaids and escrow). FHA and VA costs include the upfront mortgage insurance premium or VA funding fee, so compare like with like.
| Measure | Howard County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-year fixed rate · conventional | — | 6.625% | 6.625% |
| 30-year fixed rate · FHA | — | 6.500% | 6.250% |
| 30-year fixed rate · VA | — | 6.250% | 6.125% |
| 15-year fixed rate · conventional | — | 5.990% | 5.875% |
| Rate spread vs. APOR · conventional | — | +0.24 pts | +0.13 pts |
| Total loan costs · conventional | — | $3,710 | $5,570 |
| Total loan costs · FHA | — | $8,150 | $11,310 |
| Total loan costs · VA | — | $4,530 | $6,490 |
| Origination charges (all loan types) | — | $1,450 | $1,860 |
| Borrowers paying discount points | — | 37.9% | 51.3% |
| Points paid, when paid (% of loan) | — | 0.48% | 0.87% |
| Borrowers receiving lender credits | — | 31.7% | 33.1% |
| Adjustable-rate mortgages | 2.9% | 5.8% | 7.4% |
| Jumbo loans (above conforming limit) | 2.9% | 1.3% | 3.8% |
Medians are shown only when at least 30 loans report the field. Rates are those reported at closing; market rates changed during 2025, which the rate spread (APR minus the average prime offer rate on the lock date) adjusts for.
Approvals and denials
Howard County: 14 of 86 completed home-purchase applications were denied (16.3%).
Denial rate
| Application | Howard County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home purchase | 16.3% | 6.5% | 8.5% |
| Conventional | 16.2% | 5.4% | 7.1% |
| FHA | — | 9.2% | 12.5% |
| VA | — | 6.9% | 8.0% |
| USDA | — | 9.9% | 12.5% |
| Refinance | 6.0% | 13.3% | 17.9% |
| Cash-out refinance | 32.4% | 31.5% | 33.6% |
Denial rate = denied ÷ (originated + approved but not accepted + denied). Withdrawn and incomplete applications are excluded. Differences between places reflect who applies, not only lender behavior.
Refinancing in Howard County
Top mortgage lenders in Howard County
34 lenders originated at least one home-purchase or refinance loan here in 2025. The table ranks them by loan count; pricing columns compare conventional purchase loans only.
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Denial rate | 30-yr rate* | Spread* | Costs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commercial Trust Company of Fayette | 33 | 24.3% | 4.2% | — | — | — |
| 2 | Exchange Bank of Missouri | 32 | 23.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | Flat Branch Mortgage, Inc. | 9 | 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | BTC Bank | 7 | 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Rocket Mortgage, LLC | 6 | 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Regional Missouri Bank | 5 | 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) | 5 | 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | DAS Acquisition Company, LLC | 5 | 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | The Central Trust Bank | 3 | 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Pennymac Loan Services, LLC | 3 | 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | The Callaway Bank | 2 | 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | River Region Credit Union | 2 | 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Freedom Mortgage Corporation | 2 | 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Alliant Bank | 2 | 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | The Loan Store, Inc. | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | AmeriHome Mortgage Company, LLC | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | R G Federal Credit Union | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Planet Home Lending, LLC | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | Top Flite Financial, Inc. | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Guild Mortgage Company | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Veterans United Home Loans | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Mid America Bank | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Servion, Inc. | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | Newrez LLC | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | The Bank of Missouri | 1 | 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
Lenders in Howard County, MO. Loans = home-purchase, refinance and cash-out originations (2025); share = share of those loans here; denial rate = home-purchase applications. *Medians for conventional home-purchase loans, shown with at least 20 loans; spread = APR minus the average prime offer rate at rate lock (percentage points); costs = total loan costs (section D).
Check a quote for Howard County
Is my Loan Estimate high?
Compare your origination charges and total loan costs with 2025 loans of the same type and size in Missouri and Howard County.
Monthly payment calculator
Principal, interest, property tax (0.77% typical effective rate here) and insurance, with Howard County defaults.
Typical effective property-tax rate 0.77% = median real estate taxes ÷ median home value, U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Purchase loans | Median loan | Buyer income | Conforming limit | FHA limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper County, MO | 21 mi | 154 | $225,000 | $86,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Randolph County, MO | 23 mi | 243 | $185,000 | $76,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Boone County, MO | 23 mi | 1,834 | $275,000 | $103,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Saline County, MO | 27 mi | 187 | $155,000 | $67,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Chariton County, MO | 30 mi | 39 | $155,000 | $70,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Moniteau County, MO | 36 mi | 127 | $225,000 | $89,000 | $832,750 | $541,287 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Howard County?
$832,750 for a one-unit home (FHFA). Two- to four-unit limits are $1,066,250, $1,288,800, $1,601,750. Loans above the limit are jumbo loans and are not eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit in Howard County?
$541,287 for a one-unit home (HUD). This is the national floor for low-cost areas.
How much do home buyers in Howard County earn?
The median household income reported on 2025 home-purchase mortgages was $85,000; the middle half of buyers reported $56,000 to $135,000.
How often are mortgage applications denied in Howard County?
16.3% of completed home-purchase applications were denied in 2025.
Sources: FFIEC/CFPB HMDA 2025 public loan/application register (Snapshot as of June 1, 2026); FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits; HUD 2026 FHA forward-mortgage limits; U.S. Census Bureau. Figures describe typical 2025 loans, not your offer. Methodology