The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the 2026 conforming loan limits for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The baseline limit for single-family properties in most U.S. counties is $832,750 -- a continuation of the upward adjustments driven by sustained home price appreciation. In high-cost areas, the ceiling reaches $1,249,125 for single-family homes.
What Is a Conforming Loan Limit?
A conforming loan limit is the maximum loan amount eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that provide liquidity to the U.S. mortgage market. Loans at or below the limit are called conforming loans and typically carry lower interest rates and more favorable terms than jumbo loans, which exceed the limit. The FHFA sets limits annually under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, adjusting them based on changes in the FHFA House Price Index (HPI).
2026 Conforming Loan Limits by Property Type
The limits apply per property and vary by the number of units:
- 1-unit (single-family): $832,750 baseline / $1,249,125 high-cost ceiling
- 2-unit: $1,066,250 baseline / $1,599,375 high-cost ceiling
- 3-unit: $1,288,800 baseline / $1,933,200 high-cost ceiling
- 4-unit: $1,601,750 baseline / $2,402,625 high-cost ceiling
High-Cost Area Limits
High-cost areas are counties where 115% of the local median home value exceeds the baseline limit. The FHFA designates these annually. Most high-cost designations are concentrated in metropolitan areas along both coasts -- including counties in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Hawaii -- as well as Alaska and Hawaii, which have separate statutory ceilings. Buyers in these markets can access conforming loan rates on loans up to the higher limit, which is significant given that jumbo rates are typically 0.25 to 0.50 percentage points higher than conforming rates.
What the New Limits Mean for Buyers
The increase in the baseline limit expands access to conforming mortgage financing for buyers in higher-priced markets who previously would have needed a jumbo loan. A borrower purchasing a $900,000 home in a baseline-limit county with a 20% down payment ($180,000) would have a loan amount of $720,000 -- below the 2026 $832,750 limit and therefore conforming-eligible. In prior years when the limit was lower, the same transaction would have required jumbo financing.
For borrowers, the practical benefit is access to the broader pool of lenders and investors that participate in the conforming market, generally resulting in lower rates and more competitive loan terms. Lenders are also more likely to offer automated underwriting, faster approvals, and standard documentation requirements for conforming loans.
FHA and VA Loan Limits
While the FHFA sets conforming limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) set their own limits. FHA loan limits for 2026 are also tied to FHFA HPI data, with the national floor at $541,287 (65% of the baseline conforming limit) and the ceiling at $1,249,125 in high-cost areas. VA loans do not have a maximum loan amount for eligible veterans with full entitlement -- the 2020 Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act eliminated VA loan limits for borrowers with full entitlement.
How to Check Your County's Limit
County-specific conforming loan limits are published annually by the FHFA and are available on the FHFA website. Buyers should check the limit for the specific county of the property being purchased, not the county where they reside, as limits are assigned based on property location.
Use our Mortgage Calculator to model your payment at different loan amounts and see how staying within the conforming limit affects your monthly costs compared to a jumbo loan scenario.
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), "FHFA Announces Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026," November 2025. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) FHA Mortgage Limits for 2026.