Find your county's 2026 Conventional & FHA loan limits
Select a state and county to see the maximum conventional (conforming) and FHA loan amounts for 1-4 unit properties for 2026.
| Property | Conforming | FHA |
|---|
Conforming limits sourced from FHFA's 2026 county dataset. FHA limits are sourced directly from HUD's CY2026 Forward Mortgage Limits dataset, with cross-reference available via the HUD lookup tool. The 2026 FHA floor is $541,287 and the ceiling is $1,249,125 (1-unit); Limits apply to FHA case numbers assigned and conventional loans delivered on or after January 1, 2026. Final loan approval depends on credit, income, debt, down payment, and program guidelines.
2026 Loan Limits at a Glance
Each loan program uses its own limit. The same county can have different maximum amounts depending on which mortgage program you use:
| Program | 2026 Baseline (1-unit) | 2026 High-Cost (1-unit) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional (Conforming) | $832,750 | Up to $1,249,125 | FHFA |
| FHA | $541,287 (floor) | Up to $1,249,125 (ceiling) | HUD |
| VA (full entitlement) | No limit | No limit | VA (Blue Water Navy Act) |
| VA (partial entitlement) | $832,750 | Up to $1,249,125 | VA references FHFA |
| Jumbo | Above $832,750 | Above $1,249,125 | Private lender programs |
Understanding 2026 Loan Limits
Loan limits are the maximum mortgage amounts that government backed and government sponsored loan programs will fund. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets the limits for conforming loans (conventional mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchase from lenders) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets the limits for FHA loans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not set its own loan limits but references the FHFA conforming limit for partial entitlement borrowers. Both FHFA and HUD update their limits annually based on changes in U.S. home prices.
For 2026, the baseline conforming loan limit for a one unit property is $832,750, up 3.26% from $806,500 in 2025. The FHA floor (the minimum FHA loan limit, which applies to most U.S. counties) is $541,287. In high-cost areas, both conforming and FHA limits rise to a ceiling of $1,249,125 for one-unit properties. Limits are higher for 2, 3, and 4-unit properties, and special exception areas in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands can carry higher limits.
Conventional, FHA, or VA: Which Limit Applies to You?
The right limit depends on the loan program you're using:
Conventional (Conforming)
If you're applying for a conventional loan that gets delivered to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the FHFA conforming limit applies. Most homebuyers with strong credit (620+) and at least 3-5% down use conventional financing.
FHA
If you're applying for an FHA loan with a lower down payment (3.5%) and more flexible credit guidelines, the HUD FHA limit applies. FHA is often the right fit for first-time buyers or borrowers with imperfect credit.
VA
If you're a qualifying veteran or service member with full VA entitlement, there's no loan limit. You can borrow as much as a lender will approve based on income and credit. With partial entitlement, the FHFA conforming limit applies.
Alpine Mortgage works with all three programs and helps borrowers structure their loan around the option that fits their situation. Get a custom quote to compare your options.
VA Loan Limits in 2026
VA loans work differently from conventional and FHA loans. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 eliminated VA loan limits for borrowers with full entitlement starting January 1, 2020. Today, VA loan limits only apply to veterans with partial entitlement and even those limits reference the FHFA conforming loan amounts rather than a separate VA specific loan limit.
Full Entitlement vs Partial Entitlement
You have full VA entitlement if:
- You've never used your VA loan benefit, OR
- You previously had a VA loan but paid it off completely and sold the property, or
- Your previous VA loan was paid off and your full entitlement has been restored
With full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit. The amount you can borrow is determined by income, credit, debt-to-income, and lender underwriting standards and not by a county loan limit. Many lenders offer VA loans into the seven figures for qualifying borrowers.
You have partial entitlement if:
- You currently have an active VA loan you're still paying on, OR
- You paid off a previous VA loan but kept the home, OR
- You had a previous VA loan that went to short sale or foreclosure
With partial entitlement the VA references the FHFA conforming loan limit for your county to calculate maximum zero-down loan amount. Borrowers can still get a VA loan above the limit but typically need to make a down payment to cover 25% of the difference between the loan amount and the county limit.
Jumbo Loans: When Your Loan Exceeds Conforming Limits
If your loan amount exceeds the conforming limit for your county, it's classified as a jumbo loan. Jumbo loans aren't purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, so they're held on the lender's balance sheet or sold to private investors. This means:
Stricter Credit Requirements
Most jumbo lenders require 700+ FICO (740+ for best rates). Conforming loans can sometimes be approved at 620 FICO with strong compensating factors.
Larger Down Payment
Jumbo loans typically require 10-20% down depending on loan amount and program. Some specialty programs allow as little as 10% down with no PMI for qualifying borrowers.
More Cash Reserves
Lenders typically require 6-12 months of cash reserves for jumbo loans, vs 0-6 months for conforming. Reserves can be in savings, retirement accounts or other liquid assets.
For borrowers near the conforming threshold, increasing the down payment to stay under the conforming limit can sometimes save 0.25-0.50% on the rate, improve approval odds, and reduce reserve requirements. Alpine can help you compare both structures to see which works better for your scenario.
What These Numbers Mean For Your Home Purchase
Loan limits affect how you should structure your home purchase. A few practical considerations:
- If your loan amount falls below the conforming baseline ($832,750): You can use conventional, FHA, or VA financing in any county. The right choice depends on credit, down payment, and other factors rather than loan size.
- If you're between $832,750 and $1,249,125: Whether you can use conforming or need a jumbo depends on your county. High cost counties allow conforming up to $1,249,125; baseline counties require jumbo for amounts above $832,750.
- If your loan exceeds $1,249,125: You'll need a jumbo loan regardless of county. Plan for stronger credit, larger down payment and more reserves.
- If you're buying a 2-4 unit property: Loan limits scale up significantly. A 4-unit property in a high cost county can have a conforming limit over $2.4 million, which makes small multi-family investing more accessible.
- If you're a veteran: Full entitlement removes the loan limit constraint entirely, often making VA financing the strongest option for higher-priced homes.
- If you're a first-time buyer: FHA is often more accessible (3.5% down, 580+ FICO) but has lower limits in baseline counties. Compare with conventional 3% down programs.
How Loan Limits Are Set
FHFA's conforming limits follow the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008, which ties limits to the FHFA House Price Index. Each year, FHFA's index measures the change in U.S. home prices over the prior four quarters, and the conforming baseline moves by the same percentage. A "hold-harmless" provision prevents limits from falling: even if local prices decline year-over-year, the limit holds at the prior year's level.
HUD applies a separate but related methodology for FHA limits, anchoring the floor at 65% of the conforming baseline and the ceiling at 150%, with high-cost county limits calculated from local median home prices. Counties earn "high-cost area" designation when 115% of their local median home price exceeds the national conforming baseline. Roughly 100 counties nationwide carry high-cost status, concentrated in coastal California, the New York metropolitan area, the Washington D.C. corridor, parts of Colorado, and a handful of resort markets in Florida and the Mountain West.
Multi-Unit Property Limits
Loan limits scale up for 2-4 unit properties. This makes conforming financing more accessible for house-hackers (live in one unit, rent the others) and small multi-family investors:
| Property Type | 2026 Conforming (Baseline) | 2026 Conforming (High Cost) | 2026 FHA (Floor) | 2026 FHA (Ceiling) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 unit | $832,750 | $1,249,125 | $541,287 | $1,249,125 |
| 2 unit | $1,066,000 | $1,599,000 | $693,050 | $1,599,375 |
| 3 unit | $1,288,800 | $1,933,200 | $837,700 | $1,933,200 |
| 4 unit | $1,601,450 | $2,402,175 | $1,041,125 | $2,402,625 |
The same multi-unit limits apply to VA loans for partial entitlement borrowers. With full VA entitlement there is no limit. For investors looking at 1-4 unit properties with no owner occupancy, financing typically moves to DSCR or other non-QM programs since conforming and FHA require owner occupancy on at least one unit.
2026 vs 2025: What Changed
- Conforming baseline (1 unit): $832,750 in 2026 vs $806,500 in 2025 (+$26,250, or +3.26%)
- FHA floor (1 unit): $541,287 in 2026 vs $524,225 in 2025
- Conforming ceiling (1 unit): $1,249,125 in 2026 vs $1,209,750 in 2025
- 26 high cost counties: Conforming limit held at $1,209,750 due to FHFA's hold-harmless rule, creating a temporary gap between conforming and FHA ceilings in those counties
- Connecticut: All 9 CT counties now participate in planning regions with new limits for 2026
- Six counties moved from baseline to high cost status for 2026
Get a Custom Quote
If you're financing within conforming limits, considering a jumbo loan or exploring VA, FHA or other options, Alpine Mortgage can structure the right loan for your situation.
Or call (201) 488-8809 to speak with an Alpine loan officer today.
Conventional & FHA Loan Limits FAQs
The 2026 baseline conforming loan limit is $832,750 for a one unit property, up from $806,500 in 2025. This baseline applies to the majority of U.S. counties. In high cost areas, the conforming limit rises to either $1,209,750 or $1,249,125 for one unit properties. Two unit, three unit, and four unit properties have progressively higher limits.
The 2026 FHA loan limit ranges from $541,287 (the floor, for low cost counties) to $1,249,125 (the ceiling, for high cost counties) for one unit properties. About two-thirds of U.S. counties use the floor, roughly 100 counties qualify for the ceiling and the remaining counties fall between the two.
Loans larger than the conforming limit are called jumbo loans. Jumbo loans aren't purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac so they're held on the lender's balance sheet or sold to private investors. Jumbo loans typically require stronger credit (often 700+ FICO), larger down payments (often at least 20%) and more cash reserves than conforming loans but they let qualified borrowers finance higher priced homes that fall outside the conforming limits.
FHA won't insure a loan above the local FHA limit. Borrowers above the limit must use conventional or jumbo financing. In high cost areas where the FHA ceiling is $1,249,125, this is rarely a constraint; in lower cost areas where the floor is $541,287 borrowers above the FHA limit often switch to conventional financing which has the higher $832,750 baseline.
FHFA calculates conforming limits using the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) formula. Each year the conforming limit changes by the percentage change in FHFA's House Price Index over the prior four quarters. A hold harmless provision prevents the limit from decreasing in any county. High cost county limits are based on 115% of local median home prices up to a ceiling of 150% of the national baseline.
HUD calculates FHA limits by setting a floor at 65% of the FHFA conforming loan limit and a ceiling at 150% of it. Counties between the floor and ceiling have limits based on 115% of the local median home price, capped by the ceiling. Each fall HUD publishes the limits effective for FHA case numbers assigned beginning January 1 of the following year.
No. Baseline limits apply in most counties but high cost counties have higher limits that are up to 150% of the baseline. Special exception areas in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands can exceed even the high cost ceiling. Our calculator above shows the exact 2026 limits for any U.S. county.
The 2026 baseline conforming limit is $832,750, up from $806,500 in 2025 which is an increase of $26,250 (about 3.3%). The 2026 FHA floor is $541,287, up from $524,225 in 2025. In 26 high cost counties, the conforming limit holds at $1,209,750 due to FHFA's hold harmless rule, creating a $39,375 gap between conforming and FHA ceilings in those areas.