Scoring Methodology
How KitnaLoan.in calculates city-level loan market scores. Published openly so users and researchers can evaluate our approach.
Homebuyer Score (0–100)
Answers the question: "Should I buy a home in this city?" Combines affordability, investment potential, and lender access into a single score.
Affordability
Average loan ticket ÷ (annual household income). Lower ratio = more affordable = higher score. Normalized across all 20 cities.
Infrastructure
Composite of metro connectivity (+30), IT hub proximity (+20), Smart City status (+20), airport distance, and upcoming projects. Captures long-term livability.
Rental Yield
Annual rental income ÷ property value. Higher yield = better investment signal. Cities with 3%+ yield score well.
Lender Network
Absolute count of bank branches + NBFCs in the city. More lenders = more competition = better rates for borrowers.
Price Stability
Moderate 1-year price growth (7–10%) scores highest. Extreme growth (>15%) or stagnation (<3%) both signal risk.
Broker Opportunity Score (0–100)
Answers: "Should I focus my loan business in this city?" For DSAs, brokers, and channel partners evaluating market opportunity.
Market Size
Population × average home loan ticket size. Larger market = more potential customers.
Approval Rate
City-level home loan approval rate. Higher approval = easier conversions for brokers.
Low Competition
Inverse of bank branch density per capita. Cities with fewer branches per resident have more room for independent brokers.
Avg Ticket Size
Higher average loan = higher DSA commission per deal. Normalized across all cities.
Growth Trajectory
Combination of 1-year price growth, Smart City investment, and upcoming infrastructure signals future demand.
Personal Loan Scores (0–100)
Personal loans are income-driven, not property-driven. Scores reflect ease of approval and market opportunity, not real estate factors.
👤 Applicant Score
Measures how easy it is for a resident of this city to get a personal loan. Weighted by income level (30%), employment stability (25%), lender options (20%), approval ease (15%), digital access (10%).
📊 Market Score
Measures opportunity for brokers/DSAs in personal loan business. Weighted by market demand (25%), approval rate (25%), avg ticket (20%), low competition (20%), growth potential (10%).
How Normalization Works
All scores are normalized across the 20 cities in our dataset using min-max normalization. This means a score of 100 means "best in our dataset" and 0 means "lowest in our dataset" — not an absolute measure. As we add more cities, scores will recalibrate. We recalculate scores automatically whenever city data is updated.
Limitations & Disclaimers
Scores are informational tools, not financial advice. Underlying data is estimated from publicly available sources (NHB RESIDEX, RBI DBIE, Census of India) and updated periodically. Individual loan eligibility depends on your personal CIBIL score, income documents, and the specific lender's policy — city scores do not guarantee personal approval.
Data Sources and Methodology
A field-by-field breakdown of where every number on this site comes from, and its limitations.
Population Data
Source: Census of India 2011 (Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner).
Method: 2011 census figures extrapolated using state-level growth rates from provisional 2024 estimates where available.
Limitation: India's 2024 census is delayed. All population figures are estimates.
Property Prices
Source: NHB RESIDEX (National Housing Bank), quarterly residential property price index.
Coverage: 50 cities tracked directly. Other cities: estimated from regional price trends and NHB state-level data.
Update frequency: Quarterly, within 30 days of NHB publication.
Home Loan Approval Rates
Source: Proprietary estimate based on city income profile, employment structure, bank branch density, and aggregated lender data.
Important: These are indicative estimates. Actual approval rates vary by applicant profile, lender, and time period. No bank or regulator publishes city-level approval rate data publicly.
Average Loan Ticket Size
Source: RBI DBIE (Database on Indian Economy), district-level credit data.
Supplement: NHB annual report on housing finance.
Update frequency: Annual.
Interest Rates
Source: Direct from bank rate cards, updated within 48 hours of RBI policy announcements.
Note: These are starting rates for best-profile borrowers. Actual rates depend on individual credit profile.
Bank Branch Count
Source: RBI Master Office file, updated annually.
Income Data
Source: NSS (National Sample Survey), state per-capita income reports, extrapolated to city level using urbanization factors.
Limitation: Income data has significant estimation error at city level.
Our Commitment
We update data after every RBI policy meeting (every 2 months) and after each NHB RESIDEX quarterly publication. Last updated: July 2026.