2026 California Conforming Loan Limits

Conforming loan limits are the maximum loan amounts that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are willing to purchase from lenders. Loans that fall within these limits are known as conforming loans and typically offer more favorable interest rates and terms compared to non-conforming or jumbo loans. Conforming loan limits are set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and are adjusted annually to reflect changes in the housing market.

The FHFA determines conforming loan limits based on the House Price Index (HPI), which measures the average change in home prices across the country. The conforming loan limit is set at 115% of the median home price in a given area, subject to a floor and a ceiling. In California, conforming loan limits are divided into two main categories:

• Standard Conforming Loan Limits. These limits apply to most counties in the state and represent the baseline for conforming mortgages.
• Intermediate Tier Conforming Loan Limits. Seven California counties carry intermediate tier limits between the baseline and the ceiling, with the exact limit calculated from each county's local median home price. These counties include Monterey, Napa, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma and Ventura.
• High Cost Area Conforming Loan Limits. These limits are higher than the standard limits and are applicable in counties with significantly higher median home prices, such as Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.

For a 1 unit home (single family) the limits in California range from a standard limit of $832,750 up to a high cost limit of $1,249,125. Conforming loans also has different loan limits based on the number of units in the home. Below are the 2026 conforming loan limits for 1- 4 unit properties in CA for each county.

County	1 Unit	2 Units	3 Units	4 Units
ALPINE, AMADOR, BUTTE, CALAVERAS, COLUSA, DEL NORTE, EL DORADO, FRESNO, GLENN, HUMBOLDT, IMPERIAL, INYO, KERN, KINGS, LAKE, LASSEN, MADERA, MARIPOSA, MENDOCINO, MERCED, MODOC, MONO	$832,750	$1,066,250	$1,288,800	$1,601,750
NEVADA, PLACER, PLUMAS, RIVERSIDE, SACRAMENTO, SAN BERNARDINO, SAN JOAQUIN, SHASTA, SIERRA, SISKIYOU, SOLANO, STANISLAUS, SUTTER, TEHAMA, TRINITY, TULARE, TUOLUMNE, YOLO, YUBA	$832,750	$1,066,250	$1,288,800	$1,601,750
SANTA BARBARA	$941,850	$1,205,750	$1,457,450	$1,811,300
SONOMA	$897,000	$1,148,350	$1,388,050	$1,725,050
MONTEREY	$994,750	$1,273,450	$1,539,350	$1,913,000
SAN LUIS OBISPO	$1,000,500	$1,280,850	$1,548,250	$1,924,100
NAPA	$1,017,750	$1,302,900	$1,574,900	$1,957,250
VENTURA	$1,035,000	$1,325,000	$1,601,600	$1,990,450
SAN DIEGO	$1,104,000	$1,413,350	$1,708,400	$2,123,100
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

Look up 2026 loan limits for any US county

Use our calculator below to see exact 2026 conforming and FHA loan limits for any United States county.

2026 conforming loan limits in California high cost ceiling counties

Ten California counties qualify for the FHFA's high cost ceiling designation in 2026, the maximum statutory limit available anywhere in the continental United States. These counties are concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz) and the Los Angeles basin (Los Angeles and Orange). The 2026 high cost conforming limit rose to $1,249,125 for one unit properties, up from $1,209,750 in 2025.

Los Angeles County loan limits

Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the United States with sustained residential demand across the Westside, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay, and Eastside neighborhoods. The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one unit LA County property is $1,249,125, with multi-unit limits increasing to $2,402,625 for a four unit property. Multi-family properties in LA, particularly duplexes and small apartment buildings, frequently have transactions in the multi-unit conforming tiers. Communities like Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Pacific Palisades and Calabasas typically see transactions well above the conforming limit, while areas like Long Beach, Lakewood, San Pedro, Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena have a mix of transactions both above and below the limit.

Orange County loan limits

Orange County has experienced sustained price appreciation across both coastal and inland communities. The 2026 Orange County conforming loan limit is $1,249,125 for a one unit property, $1,599,375 for 2 unit, $1,933,200 for 3 unit, and $2,402,625 for 4 unit properties. Affluent coastal cities like Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, San Clemente and Dana Point regularly transact above the conforming limit while communities further inland in Irvine, Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda and Mission Viejo have a wider mix of price points.

San Francisco County loan limits

San Francisco is among the highest priced residential markets in the United States, with the elevated conforming limit allowing more buyers to qualify for conventional financing in a market where median single family home prices exceed $1.6 million. The 2026 San Francisco conforming loan limit is $1,249,125 for one unit properties, with the same multi-unit increase that applies to all California ceiling counties.

San Mateo and Santa Clara County loan limits

The Peninsula and Silicon Valley counties carry the high cost ceiling due to consistently elevated home prices supported by the technology industry. The 2026 conforming loan limit in both San Mateo and Santa Clara is $1,249,125 for one unit properties. Communities like Palo Alto, Atherton, Hillsborough, Los Altos Hills, Saratoga and Los Gatos see transactions well above the ceiling and typically require jumbo financing.

2026 conforming loan limits in California intermediate tier counties

Seven California counties carry intermediate tier conforming loan limits in 2026, with each county's limit set based on 115% of its local FHFA-determined median home price. These limits fall between the baseline ($832,750) and the high cost ceiling ($1,249,125) and reflect local housing markets that are higher relative to most of California but not at Bay Area or LA basin levels.

The 2026 intermediate tier limits are: San Diego County at $1,104,000, Ventura County at $1,035,000, Napa County at $1,017,750, San Luis Obispo County at $1,000,500, Monterey County at $994,750, Santa Barbara County at $941,850 and Sonoma County at $897,000. The multi-unit limits scale proportionally within each county.

San Diego County loan limits

San Diego is the largest of California's intermediate tier counties and carries the highest intermediate tier limit at $1,104,000 for a one unit property. Multi-unit limits increase to $2,123,100 for a four unit property. Coastal San Diego communities like La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe and Coronado regularly transact above the conforming limit. Inland and East County communities have a wider mix of price points relative to the limit.

2026 conforming loan limits in California baseline counties

Forty one California counties carry the standard baseline conforming loan limit in 2026. These counties span the Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada foothills, Northern California and the Inland Empire, including major population centers like Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Fresno, Kern (Bakersfield) and San Joaquin (Stockton). Median home prices fall below the threshold that would trigger an intermediate or high cost designation. Like every U.S. county, these counties benefit from the 2026 increase from $806,500 to $832,750 for one unit properties. Multi-unit limits are similarly higher: 2 unit at $1,066,250; 3 unit at $1,288,800; 4 unit at $1,601,750.

Riverside and San Bernardino counties together form the Inland Empire, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, with substantial new home construction and active resale markets. Sacramento County, the state capital region, has seen price appreciation but remains at baseline. Even in baseline California counties the FHA loan limit in 2026 remains at the floor of $541,287 for one unit properties which is well below the $832,750 conforming limit. This makes conforming loans the more flexible option for most California homebuyers in baseline counties.

When does a California mortgage become a jumbo loan?

A California mortgage becomes a jumbo loan the moment it exceeds the conforming loan limit for the county where the property is located. Because California has nine different conforming tiers in 2026, the jumbo threshold varies significantly by county:

• In high cost ceiling counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz): any one unit mortgage above $1,249,125 is jumbo.
• In San Diego County: any one unit mortgage above $1,104,000 is jumbo.
• In Ventura County: any one unit mortgage above $1,035,000 is jumbo.
• In Napa County: any one unit mortgage above $1,017,750 is jumbo.
• In San Luis Obispo County: any one unit mortgage above $1,000,500 is jumbo.
• In Monterey County: any one unit mortgage above $994,750 is jumbo.
• In Santa Barbara County: any one unit mortgage above $941,850 is jumbo.
• In Sonoma County: any one unit mortgage above $897,000 is jumbo.
• In baseline California counties (all 41 other counties including Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Fresno, Kern): any one unit mortgage above $832,750 is jumbo.

Jumbo loan rates in California

Jumbo mortgage rates in California can be higher than conforming rates and sometimes price better than conforming for borrowers with strong credit, larger down payments and substantial reserves. California has one of the most competitive jumbo lending markets in the country given the volume of high balance transactions in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. For current pricing, see our California mortgage rates page.

Should you look at jumbo or conforming?

If your mortgage amount is just above the conforming limit for your California county, several strategies may help bring you back within conforming territory:

• Increase your down payment. An additional $20,000-$50,000 down can be the difference between a jumbo and conforming loan, and conforming pricing may save you more than the opportunity cost of the additional cash.
• Consider a piggyback (80/10/10) structure. A first mortgage at the conforming limit plus a second mortgage or HELOC for the gap can preserve conforming pricing on the larger loan.

If your mortgage is well above the conforming limit jumbo financing is typically the cleaner path. Alpine Mortgage works with multiple wholesale jumbo investors and can show you both options to determine which structure is best for your specific scenario.

Because jumbo loans aren't purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, lenders either keep them on their balance sheet or sell them to private investors. Jumbo guidelines therefore tend to be stricter than conforming guidelines, but the differences are smaller than many borrowers expect.

2025 vs. 2026 California conforming loan limit changes

Limit Type	2025 (1-Unit)	2026 (1-Unit)	Change
Baseline counties	$806,500	$832,750	+$26,250 (+3.3%)
High cost ceiling counties	$1,209,750	$1,249,125	+$39,375 (+3.3%)
Intermediate tier counties	Varies	Varies	Generally +3-5%

The 2026 baseline conforming limit increased $26,250 (about 3.3%) from $806,500 to $832,750, a smaller increase than recent years, reflecting moderating home price appreciation nationally. The high cost ceiling limit increased by $39,375 from $1,209,750 to $1,249,125, reaching the new 150% statutory ceiling. California's intermediate tier counties also saw increases with each county's specific limit recalculated based on its local FHFA-determined median home price.

Unlike high cost counties in New York and New Jersey, California's 10 ceiling counties were not subject to the FHFA hold harmless rule in 2026. Local home price growth in 2025 was sufficient to push these counties to the new statutory ceiling meaning the conforming limit and the FHA limit are aligned at $1,249,125 for one unit properties in California ceiling counties.

Conforming versus FHA loan limits in California

Conforming and FHA loan limits sound similar but apply to different loan programs and are set by different agencies. The right limit depends on which loan program you're using:

• Conforming limits apply to conventional mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These are the limits described on this page.
• FHA limits apply to mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration, which are typically used by borrowers with smaller down payments, lower credit scores, or other underwriting flexibility needs.

In California, the conforming and FHA limits are aligned in the 10 high cost ceiling counties (both at $1,249,125 for one unit properties) and in the seven intermediate tier counties (where conforming and FHA both follow the same local median based calculation). In baseline counties, the conforming limit of $832,750 is well above the FHA floor of $541,287, so the two programs serve different parts of the market.

If you're researching FHA limits specifically, see our dedicated 2026 California FHA Loan Limits page, which covers FHA floor counties, intermediate tier counties and the FHA ceiling counties.

For a side-by-side comparison of both limits in any California county, our 2026 Conventional & FHA Loan Limits Calculator displays both at once.

How to get pre-approved for a California conventional loan

Getting pre-approved for a conventional 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.

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