LoanMate research · October 8, 2026
State of MA Rates — October 2026
The advertised price of borrowing still depends heavily on which lender a Massachusetts shopper asks. Across seven widely used loan products, the gap can mean thousands — or more than $120,000.
LoanMate.ai verified 1,588 advertised rate observations from 124 lenders — including 75 Massachusetts banks and credit unions on our master coverage list — against the lenders' own published rate pages between September 27 and October 8, 2026.
The gap between the cheapest and priciest advertised conventional 30-year fixed purchase mortgage in Massachusetts is one percentage point: 6.50% to 7.50%. On a $500,000 loan, that is:
$3,160 vs. $3,496
Same loan. Same state. Different lender.
The numbers
| Product | Lenders compared | Lowest advertised | Median | Highest advertised | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-yr fixed purchase (conventional) | 20 | 6.50% (BankGloucester) | 7.12% | 7.50% (DCU) | 1.00 pt |
| 15-yr fixed purchase (conventional) | 43 | 5.75% (Metro Credit Union) | 6.50% | 7.50% (BrightBridge CU) | 1.75 pts |
| 5/1 ARM | 7 | 5.63% (Naveo Credit Union) | 5.75% | 6.50% (Webster First) | 0.88 pt |
| HELOC (ongoing rate) | 24 | 5.13% (Methuen Co-operative Bank) | 6.75% | 8.65% (Guaranteed Rate) | 3.53 pts |
| Auto loan, new (60 mo APR) | 29 | 3.99% (Hanscom FCU) | 5.74% | 8.50% (Greenfield Cooperative Bank) | 4.51 pts |
| Auto loan, used (60 mo APR) | 29 | 4.39% (Hanscom FCU) | 6.50% | 9.75% (Reading Cooperative Bank) | 5.36 pts |
| Personal loan, unsecured (all terms, APR) | 55 | 6.30% (Upstart) | 10.85% | 15.50% (Washington Savings Bank) | 9.20 pts |
All figures are the lowest advertised rate per lender for a standard conventional profile; fixed-mortgage rows exclude FHA, VA, jumbo, and specialty-program rates. See Methodology below.
Three things Massachusetts shoppers should know
The spread is the story — but watch which spread.
The 30-year purchase spread measured one point on this pull, while HELOC (3.53 points), auto (4.51–5.36 points), and unsecured personal (9.20 points) spreads held wide and stable. The single highest-value financial move most borrowers can make this month is still comparing more than one lender — especially outside the 30-year fixed.
Credit unions and community banks keep winning the bottom of the table.
The lowest advertised rates in nearly every category come from Massachusetts credit unions and community banks — BankGloucester (30-yr fixed, 6.50%), Metro Credit Union (15-yr fixed, 5.75%), Methuen Co-operative Bank (HELOC, 5.13%), and Hanscom FCU (new auto 3.99% APR and used auto 4.39% APR, both with stacked discounts).
Watch the intro-rate trap on HELOCs.
Eleven lenders are advertising introductory HELOC rates as low as 3.99% (Regions Bank, first 6 billing cycles) and 5.24% (Align Credit Union) — but ongoing rates run as high as 8.65%. The intro rate is not the rate you will pay for most of the draw period. Always ask what the rate becomes after the intro period ends.
Dollar translations
6.50% → $3,160/mo
7.50% → $3,496/mo
Shopping the full market saves up to $120,864 over the life of the loan.
3.99% APR → $644/mo
8.50% APR → $718/mo
Shopping saves up to $4,419.
6.30% APR → $458/mo
15.50% APR → $524/mo
Shopping saves up to $2,350.
Methodology
- Every figure was verified against the lender's own publicly advertised rate page — no third-party aggregators and no estimates. Verification dates: September 27–October 8, 2026; rows are carried forward only while the lender's page still shows them.
- Each lender contributes its lowest advertised rate for the product. Fixed-mortgage rows are conventional-conforming only: FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, and specialty-program rates are excluded, as are rows flagged stale against the lender's own effective date. Lenders publish different assumptions — credit score, loan-to-value, loan amount, and points. We report the best conventional case each lender advertises and link every number to its source page.
- Personal-loan figures pool all unsecured terms per lender (12–72 months) and use APR, the primary advertised number for that product.
- Introductory and ongoing rates are never mixed: HELOC intro offers are reported separately from ongoing HELOC rates.
Coverage note: The October 5 refresh was heavily robots.txt-blocked — 66 of 121 lender pages — so purchase-mortgage coverage is thinner than October 1. Spreads computed on thinner coverage can move between refreshes.
Independence: No lender paid for placement. Rankings and findings are never influenced by compensation. LoanMate.ai does not sell leads or consumer data.
Read the full LoanMate methodology. The dataset snapshot is available to journalists on request.
About LoanMate.ai
LoanMate.ai is an independent comparison site for loan interest rates — mortgages, HELOCs, home equity loans, auto loans, personal loans, and credit cards — built on daily-verified, lender-published data. No lead-selling. No pay-to-rank. Date the rate. Play the field.
Media contact: Pat@loanmateai.com