2026 Conforming and FHA Loan Limits for California Counties

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

For 2026, the conforming loan limit for a one-unit home is $832,750 in most of the country and up to $1,249,125 in high-cost counties, and seven of the counties we serve (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz) sit at that ceiling. FHA limits for a one-unit home run from the national floor of $541,287 (Lake County) up to the same $1,249,125 ceiling. Both sets of limits apply to the loan amount, not the purchase price, and both reset for the new calendar year.

The table below lists every county Diamond Real Estate Group serves, built from the FHFA 2026 county list and HUD’s CY2026 FHA forward limits file.

What a loan limit is (and what it isn’t)

A conforming loan limit is the largest loan Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets the figure each year. A loan at or under the limit for its county and unit count is "conforming." A loan above it is usually called a jumbo loan and is underwritten to the lender’s own rules (that is industry usage, not an FHFA term).

An FHA limit is the largest mortgage the Federal Housing Administration will insure in a county, set by HUD.

Three points buyers often miss:

• The limit caps the loan, not the price. A buyer purchasing a $1,000,000 home in Sonoma County with a $200,000 down payment needs an $800,000 loan, which is under Sonoma’s $897,000 conforming limit.
• Limits go by the county where the property sits, not where you live or work.
• Unit count matters. Two-, three- and four-unit properties have higher limits, which is important for buyers looking at a duplex or fourplex (see our guide to financing 2–4 unit properties).

2026 one-unit limits by county

Conforming figures apply to loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac acquire in calendar year 2026 (FHFA). FHA figures apply to FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026 (HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23). Check the current figure with FHFA or HUD before you write an offer, because a new year’s limits replace these.

2026 limits for 2–4 unit properties

Counties with the same limits are grouped together. Where the FHA figure matches the conforming figure, the table shows one number.

Sources: FHFA 2026 county list; HUD CY2026 FHA forward limits.

Why some counties are "high-cost"

FHFA starts with a national baseline. For 2026 that baseline is $832,750 for a one-unit home, up $26,250 from 2025, an increase FHFA tied to its House Price Index (FHFA news release, November 25, 2025).

In a county where 115% of the local median home value is above the baseline, the limit rises with the local median. It is capped at 150% of the baseline, which is the $1,249,125 ceiling. That’s why the counties we serve fall into three groups:

• At the ceiling: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz.
• Between baseline and ceiling: San Diego ($1,104,000), Napa ($1,017,750), Monterey ($994,750) and Sonoma ($897,000).
• At the baseline: El Dorado, Lake, Mendocino, Placer, Sacramento, Solano and Yolo.

FHFA sets a limit by metro area. Counties in the same metro area share a figure, so El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo match.

How FHA limits differ

HUD’s limits follow similar math with a different floor. For 2026 the FHA one-unit floor is $541,287, which is 65% of the $832,750 conforming baseline, and the ceiling is $1,249,125, which is 150% of it (HUD ML 2025-23). Between those two, a county’s FHA limit is based on 115% of its median price.

In practice, the FHA limit in a lower-cost county can sit well below the conforming limit. Sacramento’s FHA one-unit limit is $764,750, but its conforming limit is $832,750. Lake County’s FHA limit is the $541,287 floor. In the high-cost Bay Area counties, the two limits match.

What these limits mean for a buyer

Conventional buyers. With a down payment that brings the loan at or under your county’s conforming limit, you’re in conforming territory. A larger loan is a jumbo, which typically comes with its own down payment, reserve and credit rules set by the lender. Your loan officer can show you how each option prices out; we don’t quote rates.

FHA buyers. In counties where FHA limits are under the conforming limit, such as Solano, Mendocino and Lake, a buyer’s price range with FHA financing can be narrower than with a conventional loan. Know your county’s FHA cap before you start touring.

VA buyers. VA borrowers with full entitlement aren’t held to a county loan limit. A buyer with remaining (partial) entitlement uses the FHFA one-unit limit for the county to work out how much VA will guarantee (VA loan limits). That’s why the conforming column above matters for VA buyers too.

Assistance programs. CalHFA and local down payment programs set their own income and price limits, which are separate from these loan limits. Ask your lender which limit is binding for the program you’re using.

In escrow. If your loan amount falls near a limit, a low appraisal or a change in down payment can push you from one loan type to another. Our guides to the loan contingency and the appraisal contingency explain how to protect yourself while the loan is underwritten.

What changes each January

• Conforming limits are announced by FHFA in advance and apply to loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac acquire during the calendar year. The 2026 values were announced on November 25, 2025, based on house price growth from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025 (FHFA).
• FHA limits are issued by HUD in a mortgagee letter. The 2026 limits came out December 11, 2025, and apply to case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026 (HUD ML 2025-23).
• What to do: If you plan to close in early 2027, ask your lender which year’s limit applies to your loan. Look up your county on FHFA’s conforming loan limit page and HUD’s FHA mortgage limits lookup once the 2027 figures are posted.

Local context for the counties we serve

Loan limits are one input. Property type, HOA approval, and septic or well systems on rural parcels also affect which loan fits. For county-specific buying notes, start with our Sonoma County, Napa County, Marin County, Sacramento County and Placer County pages, or see our financing overview.

Questions people ask

What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in California?

It depends on the county. For a one-unit home it ranges from the $832,750 baseline to the $1,249,125 high-cost ceiling. Among the counties we serve, Sonoma is $897,000, Monterey $994,750, Napa $1,017,750 and San Diego $1,104,000 (FHFA county list).

What is the FHA loan limit in Sonoma County for 2026?

$897,000 for a one-unit home, the same as the conforming limit. For two to four units it’s $1,148,350, $1,388,050 and $1,725,050 (HUD CY2026 file).

Does the loan limit cap the price I can pay?

No. It caps the loan amount. You can buy a home priced above the limit if your down payment keeps the loan at or under it. Otherwise, you’d need a jumbo loan.

Why is Sacramento’s FHA limit lower than its conforming limit?

FHA bases a county’s limit on 115% of its median price, between a $541,287 floor and a $1,249,125 ceiling. For Sacramento that works out to $764,750. The conforming limit can’t drop below the $832,750 national baseline (HUD ML 2025-23).

Do VA loans have a limit in California?

With full entitlement, VA doesn’t apply a county loan limit; your lender still decides how much you qualify for. With remaining entitlement, VA uses the county’s FHFA one-unit limit to figure your guaranty (VA).

When do the 2027 limits come out?

FHFA announced the 2026 limits on November 25, 2025, and HUD followed on December 11, 2025. Check FHFA and HUD for the 2027 figures, and confirm with your lender which year applies to your closing.

Is a duplex limit higher than a single-family limit?

Yes. In the Bay Area ceiling counties, the 2026 two-unit limit is $1,599,375 for both conforming and FHA loans (FHFA, HUD). Ask your lender about occupancy and rental-income rules for multi-unit loans.

Sources & notes

1. FHFA: Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026 (news release, Nov. 25, 2025): baseline, ceiling, method.
2. FHFA: 2026 full county loan limit list: county figures for 1–4 units.
3. FHFA conforming loan limit data page.
4. HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23: 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage Loan Limits: FHA floor, ceiling, effective date.
5. HUD CY2026 FHA forward limits data file and HUD FHA mortgage limits lookup: county FHA figures.
6. VA: VA home loan limits: entitlement and use of FHFA limits.

The Sonoma example in the opening section is hypothetical arithmetic, not a quote. General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Updated November 2026. Primary sources are linked in this guide.

Related: Loan contingency in California · Financing 2–4 unit properties · Who pays closing costs · Buy with Diamond