2026 Conforming Loan Limits: Baseline, High-Cost Areas, and What Counts as Jumbo

These figures apply to Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-backed conventional loans. FHA and VA loan limits are set separately and don't automatically match the conforming limits, though they're influenced by the same underlying home-price data.

The conforming loan limit isn't one number — it's a formula that produces a different limit depending on where you're buying and how many units the property has.

Because the baseline moves every year with home prices, the ceiling moves with it automatically — it's fixed by law at 150% of whatever the baseline is, so a year with a large baseline increase produces a correspondingly large ceiling increase too. For 2026, that's exactly what happened: a 3.26% national home-price increase produced the $26,250 baseline increase and pushed the high-cost ceiling in step with it.

Staying at or under your county's conforming limit generally gets you: broader lender competition (any lender who sells to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac can originate the loan), typically lower rates than jumbo financing, and standardized underwriting through Fannie Mae's Desktop Underwriter or Freddie Mac's Loan Product Advisor.

Borrow above the limit, and the loan becomes a jumbo loan — non-conforming, held or securitized differently by the lender, and usually underwritten with stricter requirements: larger down payments (often 10-20%+), higher credit score minimums, and larger cash reserve requirements after closing. Jumbo rates can run slightly higher or, in some rate environments, comparably close to conforming rates — it varies by lender and market conditions, so it's worth a direct rate comparison rather than assuming jumbo is always more expensive.

What is the 2026 conforming loan limit?

$832,750 for a one-unit home in most U.S. counties, up from $806,500 in 2025. In designated high-cost counties, the limit rises to a ceiling of $1,249,125. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands use their own baseline of $1,249,125.

How do I find my specific county's limit?

FHFA publishes an exact figure for every U.S. county each year, since not every high-cost county sits at the full ceiling. Check FHFA's published county list or interactive map (linked in the sources below) rather than assuming either the baseline or the ceiling applies to your specific county.

What happens if my loan amount is above the conforming limit?

It becomes a jumbo loan — non-conforming financing that isn't eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Jumbo loans typically require a larger down payment, a higher credit score, and larger post-closing cash reserves than a conforming loan of the same size.

Do conforming loan limits change every year?

Yes. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act requires FHFA to adjust the baseline annually based on the change in the FHFA House Price Index. Limits have increased every year since 2016; they cannot legally decrease even in years when home prices fall.

Are FHA and VA loan limits the same as conforming loan limits?

No, though they move together directionally. FHA and VA loan limits are calculated separately and published on their own schedules, generally influenced by the same underlying home-price data but not identical dollar-for-dollar to the conforming limits above.