2026 FHA Loan Limits in California by County

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) determines the maximum loan amount borrowers can qualify for when seeking an FHA loan. These FHA loan limits can vary by county and are based on the median home prices in each county. FHA loan limits are adjusted annually based on housing market changes. In California, FHA loan limits fall into two main categories:

• Standard Loan Limits. These limits apply to most counties in the state and serve as a baseline for FHA mortgages.
• High Cost Area Loan Limits. These limits are higher than the standard limits and apply to counties with significantly higher median home prices, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange, Alameda, Marin, San Benito, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.

For a 1 unit home (single family) the limits in California range from a standard limit of $541,287 up to a high cost limit of $1,249,125. FHA also has different loan limits based on the number of units in the home. Below are the 2026 FHA loan limits for 1- 4 unit properties in CA for each county.

County	1 Unit	2 Units	3 Units	4 Units
ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, LOS ANGELES, MARIN, ORANGE, SAN BENITO, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN MATEO, SANTA CLARA, SANTA CRUZ	$1,249,125	$1,599,375	$1,933,200	$2,402,625
AMADOR, BUTTE, CALAVERAS, COLUSA, DEL NORTE, FRESNO, GLENN, HUMBOLDT, IMPERIAL, INYO, KERN, KINGS, LAKE, LASSEN	$541,287	$693,050	$837,700	$1,041,125
MADERA, MARIPOSA, MERCED, MODOC, PLUMAS, SHASTA, SIERRA, SISKIYOU, SUTTER, TEHAMA, TRINITY, TULARE, TUOLUMNE, YUBA	$541,287	$693,050	$837,700	$1,041,125
ALPINE	$736,000	$942,200	$1,138,900	$1,415,400
EL DORADO, PLACER, SACRAMENTO, YOLO	$764,750	$979,000	$1,183,400	$1,470,700
MENDOCINO	$546,250	$699,300	$845,300	$1,050,500
MONO	$776,250	$993,750	$1,201,200	$1,492,800
MONTEREY	$994,750	$1,273,450	$1,539,350	$1,913,000
NAPA	$1,017,750	$1,302,900	$1,574,900	$1,957,250
NEVADA	$649,750	$831,800	$1,005,450	$1,249,550
RIVERSIDE	$690,000	$883,300	$1,067,750	$1,326,950
SAN BERNARDINO	$690,000	$883,300	$1,067,750	$1,326,950
SAN DIEGO	$1,104,000	$1,413,350	$1,708,400	$2,123,100
SAN JOAQUIN	$678,500	$868,600	$1,049,950	$1,304,850
SAN LUIS OBISPO	$1,000,500	$1,280,850	$1,548,250	$1,924,100
SANTA BARBARA	$941,850	$1,205,750	$1,457,450	$1,811,300
SOLANO	$685,400	$877,450	$1,060,600	$1,318,100
SONOMA	$897,000	$1,148,350	$1,388,050	$1,725,050
STANISLAUS	$545,100	$697,800	$843,500	$1,048,300
VENTURA	$1,035,000	$1,325,000	$1,601,600	$1,990,450

Look up 2026 loan limits for any US county

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2026 FHA loan limits in California high cost counties

Thirty of California's 58 counties qualify for a higher FHA loan limit in 2026, more than any other state in the country. California's high cost counties span seventeen distinct FHA tiers reflecting wide variation in local median home prices, from Stanislaus County at $545,100 to the ten Bay Area and Los Angeles counties at the FHA ceiling of $1,249,125. The remaining 28 California counties carry the standard FHA floor of $541,287.

Bay Area and Los Angeles ceiling counties

Ten California counties share the 2026 FHA ceiling at $1,249,125 for a one unit property. The five Bay Area ceiling counties are San Francisco, San Mateo (Daly City, San Mateo, Redwood City, South San Francisco, Burlingame, Foster City), Santa Clara (San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino), Alameda (Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, San Leandro, Pleasanton, Livermore), and Marin (San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito, Larkspur). Contra Costa County (Concord, Richmond, Antioch, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill) is also at the ceiling, along with the adjacent inland counties of San Benito (Hollister, San Juan Bautista) and Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Capitola, Scotts Valley). In Southern California, Los Angeles County (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Pomona, Torrance, Pasadena, Burbank) and Orange County (Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo) are both at the ceiling. Multi-unit limits in all ten counties go up to $1,599,375 (2 unit), $1,933,200 (3 unit), and $2,402,625 (4 unit).

San Diego County FHA limits

San Diego County (San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Vista, Encinitas, La Mesa, Santee) carries its own 2026 FHA tier at $1,104,000 for a one unit property, the second highest in California after the ceiling counties. Multi-unit limits in San Diego are $1,413,350 (2 unit), $1,708,400 (3 unit), and $2,123,100 (4 unit). San Diego's median home prices sit below the Bay Area and LA/Orange but well above any other California region, supporting a dedicated FHA tier between the ceiling and the rest of Southern California.

Ventura and Santa Barbara County FHA limits

Ventura County (Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ventura, Moorpark, Santa Paula, Fillmore) and Santa Barbara County (Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria, Solvang) each have their own 2026 FHA tier. Ventura's one unit limit is $1,035,000, with multi-unit going up to $1,990,450 (4 unit). Santa Barbara's one unit limit is $941,850, with multi-unit going up to $1,811,300 (4 unit). Both counties' median home prices reflect their position on the Southern California coast between Los Angeles and the Central Coast, with Ventura closer to LA Metro pricing and Santa Barbara closer to Central Coast pricing.

Central Coast FHA limits (Monterey, San Luis Obispo)

Monterey County (Salinas, Seaside, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel-by-the-Sea, King City) carries a 2026 FHA limit of $994,750 for a one unit property, with multi-unit limits going up to $1,913,000 (4 unit). San Luis Obispo County (San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Atascadero, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay) carries its own tier at $1,000,500 for a one unit property, with multi-unit limits going up to $1,924,100 (4 unit). Both Central Coast counties have median home prices supported by retirement demand, second-home buyers, and constrained coastal housing supply.

Wine Country FHA limits (Napa, Sonoma)

Napa County (Napa, American Canyon, Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville) and Sonoma County (Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Cloverdale) sit in separate FHA tiers despite being adjacent. Napa's 2026 one unit FHA limit is $1,017,750, with multi-unit going up to $1,957,250 (4 unit). Sonoma's one unit limit is $897,000, with multi-unit going up to $1,725,050 (4 unit). Both counties carry higher FHA limits than the rest of Northern California outside the Bay Area ceiling, reflecting Wine Country home prices that have remained high through multiple housing cycles.

Sacramento Metro FHA limits

The four Sacramento Metro counties share the 2026 FHA limit of $764,750 for a one unit property: Sacramento (Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Galt), Placer (Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Auburn, Granite Bay, Loomis), El Dorado (Placerville, South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park), and Yolo (Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento). Multi-unit limits in all four counties are $979,000 (2 unit), $1,183,400 (3 unit), and $1,470,700 (4 unit). Sacramento Metro has been one of California's faster-growing regions over the past decade, and the dedicated FHA tier reflects local median home prices above the state floor but well below the coastal high cost areas.

Inland Empire FHA limits (Riverside, San Bernardino)

Riverside County (Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Indio, Palm Desert, Hemet, Cathedral City) and San Bernardino County (San Bernardino, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Victorville, Rialto, Hesperia, Chino, Upland) share the 2026 FHA limit of $690,000 for a one unit property. Multi-unit limits in both counties are $883,300 (2 unit), $1,067,750 (3 unit), and $1,326,950 (4 unit). The Inland Empire serves as the affordable alternative to LA/Orange County for many California buyers, and the combined population of the two counties makes this one of the largest FHA-eligible housing markets in the state.

Other intermediate tier counties

Seven additional California counties carry FHA limits between the floor and the Sacramento Metro tier, each in its own single county tier. Mono County (Mammoth Lakes, Bridgeport) is at $776,250, supported by Eastern Sierra ski resort home prices. Alpine County (Markleeville), California's least populated county, is at $736,000 due to limited housing stock and resort area demand near Kirkwood and Bear Valley. Solano County (Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Dixon, Benicia) is at $685,400, reflecting its position in the broader Bay Area commuter shed. San Joaquin County (Stockton, Tracy, Manteca, Lodi, Lathrop) is at $678,500, supported by demand from Bay Area commuters moving inland for affordability. Nevada County (Grass Valley, Nevada City, Truckee) is at $649,750, with Truckee driving the higher tier through Lake Tahoe-adjacent home prices. Mendocino County (Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits) is at $546,250. Stanislaus County (Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Patterson, Riverbank) is at $545,100, just above the FHA floor.

2026 FHA loan limits in California floor counties

Twenty eight California counties carry the standard FHA floor limit in 2026. The floor for a one unit property is $541,287, with multi-unit limits at $693,050 (2 unit), $837,700 (3 unit), and $1,041,125 (4 unit). These limits cover the entirety of California's Central Valley outside Stanislaus and San Joaquin, the agricultural and resource-economy counties of the North Coast and Far North, the Sierra Nevada counties outside Mono and Alpine, and the desert counties of Southeastern California.

Central Valley floor counties

California's Central Valley counties at the FHA floor in 2026 include Fresno (Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Reedley, Selma), Kern (Bakersfield, Delano, Ridgecrest, Tehachapi), Kings (Hanford, Lemoore, Corcoran, Avenal), Tulare (Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Dinuba, Lindsay), Merced (Merced, Los Banos, Atwater, Livingston), Madera (Madera, Chowchilla), and the smaller agricultural counties of Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Yuba, and Butte. Median home prices in Central Valley markets stay below the threshold that would trigger an FHA tier above the floor, leaving the $541,287 limit well above local medians for nearly all single family transactions.

North Coast, Far North, and Eastern California floor counties

Northern California floor counties include Humboldt (Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, McKinleyville), Del Norte (Crescent City), Lake (Clearlake, Lakeport), Trinity, Siskiyou (Yreka, Mount Shasta), Modoc, Lassen (Susanville), Shasta (Redding, Anderson), Tehama (Red Bluff, Corning), Plumas (Quincy), and Sierra. Eastern California floor counties include Inyo (Bishop, Lone Pine) and Mariposa (Mariposa, Yosemite Valley access). The Mother Lode counties of Amador (Jackson, Sutter Creek), Calaveras (Angels Camp, San Andreas), and Tuolumne (Sonora, Twain Harte) are also at the floor.

Southeastern California floor counties

Imperial County (El Centro, Calexico, Brawley, Holtville) is California's only Southeastern desert county at the floor, anchored by the agricultural economy of the Imperial Valley. Imperial's median home prices remain among the lowest in California, leaving substantial room under the FHA cap for most purchases.

What happens if your California purchase exceeds the FHA loan limit?

If your purchase price requires a loan that exceeds the FHA limit for your California county, FHA financing isn't an option for the full amount. Common alternatives include:

• Conventional conforming loan. The 2026 California conforming loan limit ranges from $832,750 in baseline counties up to $1,249,125 in the Bay Area, LA/Orange, and other high cost counties. Conventional financing reaches significantly further than FHA in most California counties. Conventional loans require 3-5% minimum down for first time buyers with a 620+ credit score, or 20% down to avoid mortgage insurance. See our 2026 California Conforming Loan Limits page for full conforming county details.
• Jumbo loan. If your purchase exceeds both FHA and conforming limits, jumbo financing is the next option. Jumbo requirements are typically stricter (700+ credit score, 10-20% down, lower DTI), but rates often price competitively with conforming for strong borrowers. California has one of the largest jumbo markets in the country, concentrated in the Bay Area, LA Westside, Orange County coast, and San Diego coast.
• Larger down payment. Increasing your down payment can bring your loan amount within the FHA or conforming limit. In the Inland Empire, Sacramento Metro, Central Valley, and other floor or mid-tier counties, a larger down payment can keep FHA financing as an option on most California purchases.

How to get pre-approved for a California FHA loan

Getting pre-approved for a FHA mortgage is quick and easy with our Online Loan Application. After completing the application, you will receive instructions on how to upload your documents. For a list of documents you will need to upload, see our Pre-approval Document Checklist.

Ready to get started on your CA FHA loan?

Whether you're a first-time buyer, refinancing an existing FHA loan, or considering an FHA 203(k) renovation loan, Alpine Mortgage is ready to help. The next step depends on where you are in the process:

Or call (201) 488-8809 to speak with a California FHA loan originator today.

California FHA Loan Limits FAQs