What is the 2026 conforming loan limit?

Per FHFA press release 26 November 2025, the 2026 conforming loan limit (baseline) is $806,500 for one-unit properties. The high-cost ceiling is $1,209,750. The limits took effect 1 January 2026. Two-unit, three-unit, four-unit, and Alaska/Hawaii/Guam/USVI have higher tiers.

How does the conforming limit affect FHA vs conventional choice?

Loans above the conforming limit become jumbo loans, which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not buy. Jumbo loans typically require 10 to 20 percent down and 720+ FICO. FHA has its own ceiling at $1,209,750 in high-cost counties so it can finance loans up to that amount. If your loan is between the conforming limit and the FHA high-cost ceiling, FHA may be the only government-backed option.

Where do I find my county conforming limit?

FHFA publishes the full county list at fhfa.gov/data/maps-tools/conforming-loan-limits. Look up your county to see the one-unit limit. Most counties are at the baseline ($806,500); high-cost counties have higher limits up to the ceiling.

2026 Conforming Loan Limit by County

FHFA set the 2026 conforming loan limit at $806,500 for one-unit properties on 26 November 2025. High-cost counties go up to $1,209,750. Above that you are in jumbo territory.

2026 limits at a glance

Property type	Baseline limit	High-cost ceiling	AK/HI/Guam/USVI
1-unit	$806,500	$1,209,750	$1,209,750
2-unit	$1,032,650	$1,548,975	$1,548,975
3-unit	$1,248,150	$1,872,225	$1,872,225
4-unit	$1,551,250	$2,326,875	$2,326,875

Source: FHFA press release 26 November 2025. Effective 1 January 2026.

How county limits are calculated

FHFA sets the county limit at 115 percent of the local median home price, capped at the high-cost ceiling and floored at the baseline. Counties with median prices above the baseline trigger the elevated limit. The full county-by-county list is at FHFA conforming loan limits map.

Sample county limits 2026

County, State	1-unit conforming	Tier
Santa Clara, CA (San Jose)	$1,209,750	Ceiling
San Francisco, CA	$1,209,750	Ceiling
Los Angeles, CA	$1,089,300	Elevated
Orange, CA	$1,149,825	High
Honolulu, HI	$1,209,750	Ceiling
New York, NY (Manhattan)	$1,209,750	Ceiling
King, WA (Seattle)	$977,500	Elevated
Fairfax, VA	$1,149,825	High
DC	$1,149,825	High
Travis, TX (Austin)	$806,500	Baseline
Harris, TX (Houston)	$806,500	Baseline
Miami-Dade, FL	$806,500	Baseline
Maricopa, AZ (Phoenix)	$806,500	Baseline

What happens above the conforming limit

Loans above the conforming limit are jumbo. Jumbo lenders typically require 10 to 20 percent down, 720+ FICO, 6 to 12 months of reserves, and full income documentation. Rates are usually within 0.10 to 0.30 percent of conforming at strong credit profiles. FHA loans up to the FHA ceiling ($1,209,750 high-cost) remain government-backed and may be the only government option in high-cost areas for buyers above the conforming limit.

Rate disclaimer

County limits are updated annually by FHFA. Confirm your county at the FHFA tool linked above. Consult a licensed loan officer.

Sources

FHFA 2026 conforming loan limit press release (26 Nov 2025): fhfa.gov press release
FHFA county-by-county lookup: fhfa.gov/conforming-loan-limits
HUD FHA county limit lookup: entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/hicostlook.cfm