Safe Rate Rankings

Best USDA Mortgage Lenders in the US

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.
Total Lenders2386
Total Loans3,560,099
Median Rate Spread0.20%
the US Market Insights
  • Guild Mortgage Company is Safe Rate's top-ranked USDA lender in the US, leading on pricing, pullthrough, USDA product expertise, and local knowledge.
  • There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In the US, Truist Bank and Plains Commerce Bank scores highest on USDA pricing while First Community Mortgage and Flat Branch Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
  • United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #2 in the US, 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.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in the US

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RankLenderOverallPricingProductPull ThroughPlaceAvg FeesRate Spread# of LoansAction
1
GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
$3,553Fees
0.387%Above
58,550
2
UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,828Fees
0.185%Above
285,901
3
FLAT BRANCH MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
$1,570Fees
0.401%Above
13,335
4
ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,079Fees
0.294%Above
14,849
5
NEWREZ LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,479Fees
0.382%Above
32,880
6
FIRST COMMUNITY MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Exceptional
$2,818Fees
0.429%Above
9,840
7
Truist Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Exceptional
Exceptional
Sound
$802Fees
0.078%Above
13,874
8
Plains Commerce Bank
BankWholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Sound
$2,989Fees
0.278%Above
11,610
9
Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
$2,384Fees
0.287%Above
18,786
10
CMG MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
$2,940Fees
0.289%Above
46,733
11
KIND LENDING, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,761Fees
0.348%Above
13,399
12
Fifth Third Bank, National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Sound
$542Fees
0.263%Above
10,811
13
Ameris Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
$2,801Fees
0.172%Above
11,244
14
Equity Prime Mortgage LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
$3,519Fees
0.812%Above
9,354
15
U.S. Bank National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Sound
$283Fees
0.033%Above
37,416
16
Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
$3,279Fees
0.479%Above
17,073
17
LOWER, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,834Fees
0.450%Above
15,793
18
PLAZA HOME MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,801Fees
0.380%Above
11,165
19
AMERICAN FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,206Fees
0.608%Above
9,656
20
Bell Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Strong
Exceptional
$2,876Fees
0.274%Above
7,696
21
GUARANTEED RATE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
$2,477Fees
0.229%Above
51,353
22
Flagstar Bank, N.A.
BankDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Sound
$2,572Fees
0.351%Above
23,726
23
PRIMELENDING, A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
$3,445Fees
0.321%Above
21,082
24
VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
$3,102Fees
0.063%Above
7,432
25
FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$3,254Fees
0.445%Above
61,160
26
Sierra Pacific Mortgage Company, Inc.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Strong
$3,577Fees
0.263%Above
7,145
27
UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Mediocre*
Exceptional
Strong
$2,996Fees
0.562%Above
23,240
28
The Huntington National Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Sound
$415Fees
0.374%Above
18,842
29
CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Strong
$3,469Fees
0.467%Above
11,689
30
LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Sound
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Sound
$2,582Fees
0.136%Above
57,340
31
AMERICAN PACIFIC MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$4,289Fees
0.552%Above
17,767
32
Regions Bank
BankDirect
Sound
Acceptable
Exceptional
Sound
$1,948Fees
0.333%Above
10,811
33
DAS Acquisition Company, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$2,766Fees
0.587%Above
7,507
34
CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$3,549Fees
0.497%Above
86,295
35
MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$2,921Fees
0.343%Above
51,046
36
AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD MORTGAGE ACCEPTANCE COMPANY LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$3,961Fees
0.505%Above
8,262
37
Mortgage Research Center, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Acceptable
Exceptional
Sound
$1,956Fees
0.540%Above
60,588
38
NEW AMERICAN FUNDING, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$3,182Fees
0.556%Above
37,119
39
EVERETT FINANCIAL, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$4,249Fees
0.678%Above
13,110
40
NFM, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Acceptable
Strong
Sound
$3,705Fees
0.346%Above
16,100
41
PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
$4,134Fees
0.531%Above
8,466
42
Luminate Home Loans, Inc.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Sound
$4,167Fees
0.581%Above
7,561
43
MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Sound
Sound
Acceptable
$2,029Fees
0.181%Above
11,542
44
BAY EQUITY LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Sound
Sound
Acceptable
$2,852Fees
0.180%Above
9,468
45
FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Sound
Sound*
Sound
Mediocre
$2,402Fees
0.164%Above
37,313
46
THE LOAN STORE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Sound
Acceptable*
Sound
Acceptable
$2,398Fees
0.284%Above
16,835
47
GUARANTEED RATE AFFINITY, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Acceptable
Acceptable
Sound
Acceptable
$2,588Fees
0.279%Above
12,743

Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in the US?+

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 the US), 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 the US?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 2,386 lenders originated a combined 3,560,099 loans in the US. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in the US?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in the US is 0.20%. 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 the US'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 40 Points)

10
Pricing
Rate and fee competitiveness (25%)
10
Pull Through
Reliability in closing loans (25%)
10
Product
Specialization in the loan type (25%)
10
Place
Local market expertise (25%)

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.