Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in Akron

Updated June 4, 2026

Rankings are a starting point, not a verdict. Safe Rate recommends speaking with 2-3 lenders to find the right fit for your home loan!

⚖️ The 4 PsRankings are calculated based on observed lender differences on closed loans across Pricing, Pull-through, Product, and Place.

🛡️ No Pay to PlayLenders cannot buy their way to the top. Rankings are 100% earned.

📊 HMDA 2024Built using publicly available originated loan data from the federal government.

🎯 Peer BenchmarkedPerformance is normalized and benchmarked against peer institutions.

Market

Total Lenders87

Total Loans7,638

Median Rate Spread0.40%

Akron Market Insights

The Huntington National Bank is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in Akron, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in Akron: Bank: The Huntington National Bank (#1). Credit union: Navy Federal Credit Union (#7). Mortgage company: Rocket Mortgage (#2).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Akron, Navy Federal Credit Union and Us Bank National Association scores highest on pricing while Reliance First Capital and Rocket Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #5 in Akron, serving as the platform behind many independent local brokers who live and work in the community. A local broker knows the neighborhoods, the local market, and is personally invested in your outcome. Real estate agents often prefer referring local brokers for their accessibility and responsiveness, qualities that matter when a deal is moving fast. Pricing and experience can vary by broker.
Popular names in Akron: Rocket Mortgage (#2) and Crosscountry Mortgage (#18).

Explore Rankings by Type

By Loan Product

Lenders often score differently for different loan products. Get tailored rankings by selecting your product type.

FHA Loans Conventional Loans VA Loans Jumbo Loans

By Institution Type

Some consumers only want to work with a credit union, bank, or focused mortgage company. See our rankings here!

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

Shopping for a mortgage? Click the heart icon to save lenders to My Home and make comparison painless.

Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	The Huntington National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$450Fees	0.501%Above	687
2	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,596Fees	0.482%Above	763
3	Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$778Fees	0.160%Above	202
4	First Commonwealth Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,288Fees	0.134%Above	92
5	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,447Fees	0.279%Above	259
6	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$801Fees	0.536%Above	64
7	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$977Fees	0.410%Below	45
8	First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Lakewood BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,059Fees	0.199%Above	93
9	KeyBank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,729Fees	0.019%Above	75
10	RELIANCE FIRST CAPITAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Exceptional	Strong	—	—	46
11	Civista Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$922Fees	0.012%Above	22
12	Seven Seventeen Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,664Fees	0.063%Above	49
13	RUOFF MORTGAGE COMPANY, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$2,189Fees	0.392%Above	239
14	Fifth Third Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$741Fees	0.424%Above	159
15	Citizens Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,554Fees	0.101%Above	104
16	HOWARD HANNA FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$2,390Fees	0.304%Above	267
17	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,082Fees	0.310%Above	200
18	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,564Fees	0.710%Above	987
19	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,573Fees	0.412%Above	358
20	PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$51Fees	0.192%Above	69
21	Nations Lending Corporation Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,066Fees	0.429%Above	91
22	Premier Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,518Fees	0.287%Above	57
23	First National Bank of Pennsylvania BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,123Fees	0.082%Above	46
24	Independent Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$882Fees	0.079%Above	23
25	Union Savings Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	$976Fees	0.082%Above	22
26	The Farmers National Bank of Canfield BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,082Fees	0.223%Above	28
27	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	$3,830Fees	0.835%Above	173
28	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,444Fees	0.277%Above	126
29	FIRST OHIO HOME FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Sound	Strong	—	—	82
30	WEST PENN FINANCIAL SERVICE CENTER, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,300Fees	0.418%Above	42
31	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$2,177Fees	0.278%Above	50
32	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$2,916Fees	0.685%Above	41
33	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$708Credit	0.514%Above	145
34	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$1,160Fees	0.012%Above	44
35	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$2,333Fees	0.699%Above	45
36	First Financial Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,576Fees	0.361%Above	41
37	Synergy One Lending, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,095Fees	0.554%Above	172
38	UNION CAPITAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,315Fees	0.430%Above	67
39	MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	$2,446Fees	0.493%Above	43
40	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Sound	Strong	Sound	Sound	$2,012Fees	0.028%Above	23
41	NFM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,404Fees	0.739%Above	47
42	POLARIS HOME FUNDING CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	$3,997Fees	0.744%Above	78
43	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$2,923Fees	0.690%Above	36
44	Dollar Bank, Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$588Fees	0.282%Above	22
45	GVC MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Sound	$2,711Fees	0.638%Above	38
46	GoodLeap, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	$3,931Fees	0.414%Above	25
47	PRIMELENDING, A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$2,911Fees	0.681%Above	22
48	NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	$3,251Fees	0.579%Above	50
49	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Sound	Sound	$2,301Fees	0.632%Above	49
50	AMERICAN PACIFIC MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Sound	$4,042Fees	0.916%Above	36

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Akron, OH?+

Safe Rate ranks lenders using the 4 Ps framework, derived entirely from HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) data: Pricing (how competitively a lender prices loans vs. the market benchmark), Pullthrough (how effectively a lender closes applications), Place (the lender's depth of expertise in Akron, OH), and Product (performance on specific loan types). Each lender receives a composite Safe Rate Score from 0–100. No lender pays to appear in the rankings.

What is the Safe Rate Score?+

The Safe Rate Score is a 0–100 composite index measuring a lender's performance across Pricing, Pullthrough, Place, and Product. Scores of 80 or above earn Champion status; scores of 60–79 earn Superstar status. All scores are calculated from verified HMDA data — no lender can pay to improve their position.

How many mortgage lenders are active in Akron, OH?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 87 lenders originated a combined 7,638 loans in Akron, OH. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Akron, OH?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Akron, OH is 0.40%. Lenders in Safe Rate's top rankings consistently price below this median, meaning borrowers typically pay less interest over the life of their loan.

What is HMDA data and why does Safe Rate use it?+

HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) is a federal law requiring every mortgage lender to disclose every loan application annually — including rates, amounts, approvals, and denials. Safe Rate uses HMDA because it is government-verified, covers all lenders equally, and cannot be gamed. It is the most objective foundation available for lender rankings.

Does Safe Rate accept payment from lenders to appear in rankings?+

No. Safe Rate rankings are strictly data-driven. No lender can pay to appear in or improve their position in Safe Rate's rankings. The only factor that determines a lender's rank is their verified HMDA performance data.

What is the difference between a bank, credit union, and independent mortgage company?+

Banks and credit unions offer mortgages alongside checking, savings, and other products. Independent Mortgage Companies (IMCs) focus exclusively on originating loans and often offer more product variety and speed. In Akron, OH's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.

How We Rank Lenders

Our rankings use a weighted average of scores across equally-weighted categories to evaluate lenders on a linear, raw performance scale.

Our Point System (Max 30 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (33%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (33%)

Place

Local market expertise (33%)

Data Integrity & Updates

Data is updated quarterly based on the latest HMDA filings and proprietary SafeRate analysis. All metrics are calculated using standardized methodologies to ensure fair comparison across lenders.

⚖️ Licensing & Disclosures

Lender rankings and market statistics are created by Dylan Hall, licensed mortgage loan officer (NMLS #1658740). Safe Rate is a mortgage technology platform; mortgage lending services are provided by PartnerOwn LLC dba Safe Rate Mortgage, a licensed mortgage broker and lender (NMLS #1590949). Safe Rate Mortgage is a lending partner of some of the lenders ranked on this page, and Safe Rate Inc. has software or service customers on this list; however, all rankings are calculated using objective, public Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) datasets, completely independent of any corporate partnerships, client relationships, or compensation.