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Use the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) Conforming Loan Limit Values page, select the calendar year in which the mortgage will be acquired, and open the county table or map. Find your county or county-equivalent jurisdiction, then read the column for one, two, three, or four housing units. For 2026, the table—not the national baseline—is the controlling figure for your location and property type.
What you need to look up
A conforming loan limit is the maximum loan amount that fits within the annual acquisition framework used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. FHFA publishes the limits by county or county-equivalent area and by property size: one, two, three, or four units. The applicable amount depends on three facts:
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- Calendar year: use the schedule for the year in which the mortgage is acquired by the Enterprises, not automatically the year you began shopping.
- County or county-equivalent: use the jurisdiction where the property is located. The schedule includes independent cities, boroughs, and other county-equivalent areas.
- Number of units: select the column for one, two, three, or four units. A duplex, triplex, and fourplex do not use the one-unit column.
The official starting point is FHFA’s Conforming Loan Limit Values page. It provides the current-year links, prior schedules, and a map. Use the downloadable table to verify the exact amount before relying on the map or a search-engine summary.
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2026 figures at a glance
FHFA’s 2026 schedule applies to mortgages that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac acquire during calendar year 2026. These are the principal one-unit figures announced by FHFA:
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| Area or rule | 2026 one-unit amount | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Most of the United States: baseline | $832,750 | National baseline before any high-cost adjustment. |
| High-cost areas in the District of Columbia and states other than Alaska and Hawaii: ceiling | $1,249,125 | Highest one-unit limit permitted under the standard high-cost formula in those jurisdictions. |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands: baseline under special statutory provisions | $1,249,125 | Special statutory baseline for one-unit properties; use the county-equivalent table for the actual location. |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands: ceiling under special statutory provisions | $1,873,675 | Special statutory one-unit ceiling; the applicable local row may be lower. |
FHFA reported that the standard one-unit baseline rose by $26,250 from 2025. In its November 25, 2025 announcement, the agency attributed the increase to a 3.26% year-over-year rise in its nominal, seasonally adjusted, expanded-data House Price Index from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025. The announcement is available at FHFA’s 2026 conforming-limit release.
“In most of the United States, the 2026 CLL value for one-unit properties will be $832,750, an increase of $26,250 from 2025.” — Federal Housing Finance Agency, November 25, 2025
Those figures are reference points, not substitutes for the county row. A high-cost county can have a local amount between the baseline and ceiling, while a special-statute jurisdiction follows its own statutory levels. Two-, three-, and four-unit amounts must also be read from the matching unit columns.
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1. Confirm the applicable calendar year
Start by identifying when the mortgage is expected to be acquired by the Enterprises. The 2026 file is explicitly for acquisitions during calendar year 2026. If your transaction crosses into another year, do not assume the 2026 number remains valid; open FHFA’s schedule for the relevant acquisition year.
Annual schedules can change because FHFA recalculates limits from housing-price data and statutory rules. A web page that displays a dollar amount without a year is incomplete for decision-making. Record the year beside the amount in your notes or loan worksheet.
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2. Identify the property’s county or county-equivalent area
Use the property address, not your mailing address or the county where your lender is located. Locate the jurisdiction in FHFA’s table. Depending on the state or territory, the row may be labeled a county, parish, borough, census area, independent city, or another county-equivalent jurisdiction.
Independent cities deserve particular attention because they may not appear under the surrounding county’s name. If the address is near a boundary, verify the legal jurisdiction with the property’s tax record, appraisal order, or county assessor rather than relying on a nearby city name.
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Classify the property as one, two, three, or four units according to the dwelling configuration used for the mortgage. A single-family home is generally a one-unit property; a legally configured duplex has two units; and so on. Do not select a unit count based only on the number of bedrooms, kitchens, or occupants.
Unit classification can affect underwriting as well as the limit. Confirm how the appraiser, lender, and local records describe the property when an accessory dwelling unit, converted space, or mixed configuration makes the count unclear. A property with more than four units is outside the one- through four-unit conforming schedule described here and requires a different financing analysis.
4. Open the 2026 county table
Download FHFA’s official 2026 county loan-limit table. Find the county or county-equivalent row, then move across to the column labeled for one-, two-, three-, or four-unit properties. The value at that intersection is the applicable 2026 county limit.
FHFA also provides a map on its data page. The map is useful for orientation, especially when comparing neighboring areas, but the table is the better verification tool because it displays the exact jurisdiction name, unit columns, and dollar amount together.
5. Save the result with its qualifications
Write down the jurisdiction, unit count, calendar year, and dollar amount as one record. For example: “2026, Orange County, California, one unit — $1,249,125.” Keeping all four fields together prevents a common error: carrying a county’s one-unit amount into a two-unit purchase or carrying a prior year’s figure into a new transaction.
If the proposed loan is close to the threshold, send the table row or a screenshot to your lender and ask the lender to confirm that the property classification and acquisition timing match the loan program. FHFA’s number is the agency threshold; it is not an approval notice.
Examples of how county and unit choices change the result
Washington County, Alabama
FHFA’s 2026 table lists a one-unit limit of $832,750 for Washington County, Alabama. That example shows the standard baseline in a county that is not listed at a higher local one-unit amount. A buyer of a two-, three-, or four-unit property must still use the corresponding column in the same row; the one-unit example cannot be carried over.
Orange County, California
Orange County, California, is listed at the 2026 one-unit ceiling of $1,249,125. This illustrates why the national baseline is not a reliable answer to “What is my county’s limit?” A high-cost county may have a higher local limit, but the actual amount remains tied to the county row and unit count.
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Special statutory jurisdictions
Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have special statutory provisions. Their 2026 one-unit baseline and ceiling differ from the standard amounts used in most states and the District of Columbia. Use the appropriate county-equivalent or territorial row rather than applying a mainland baseline or ceiling by analogy.
Why limits differ from county to county
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act framework establishes a national baseline and permits higher limits in high-cost areas, subject to a ceiling. FHFA’s 2026 methodology addendum explains that the agency uses median home values estimated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Federal Housing Administration. It compares county median values within metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas and uses the highest value to determine the local area limit.
You do not need to reproduce that calculation to find your number. The methodology explains why neighboring counties can have different limits and why a county can move between the baseline and the ceiling from one year to the next. The published schedule is the operative consumer lookup.
What the limit does—and does not—tell you
What it tells you
- Whether the planned principal balance falls within the dollar threshold used in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conforming framework for the specified year, jurisdiction, and unit count.
- Which FHFA county schedule entry you should use when discussing a conventional conforming loan with a lender.
- When a proposed balance is above that threshold and should be evaluated as a jumbo or other nonconforming loan.
What it does not tell you
- Whether you qualify. Income, credit history, assets, debt-to-income ratio, reserves, employment, occupancy, and other program rules still apply.
- Whether a lender will offer a particular product, rate, fee structure, loan term, or maximum amount.
- How much cash you need. The limit applies to the loan amount, while the purchase price, down payment, closing costs, prepaid items, and reserves are separate calculations.
- Whether a specific accessory dwelling unit or mixed-use arrangement receives a one- or multiple-unit classification. The lender and appraiser must resolve that issue under applicable underwriting rules.
A loan above the applicable conforming limit is commonly called a jumbo loan. That label describes the relationship to the agency threshold; it does not guarantee that a lender will approve the loan or that jumbo financing will be more expensive. Pricing, documentation, reserves, appraisal requirements, and product availability are lender- and transaction-specific.
How to use the result when planning a mortgage
If the planned loan is comfortably below the limit
Give the lender the exact FHFA row and confirm the unit count. Then continue with ordinary qualification questions: credit, income, assets, debt obligations, occupancy, property condition, and the lender’s maximum loan-to-value rules. Being below the county limit removes one agency-threshold issue; it does not create an automatic approval.
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If the planned loan is close to the limit
Ask the lender to calculate the final loan amount after credits, financed closing costs, points, subordinate financing, and any other balance that the lender counts toward the program limit. Small changes in the final principal balance can determine whether the loan remains within the applicable threshold. Have the lender verify the acquisition year as well as the property’s legal unit count.
If the planned loan exceeds the limit
Discuss both sides of the decision with a qualified lender:
- Whether a smaller first mortgage, larger down payment, or separate financing can bring the conforming balance below the threshold.
- Whether a jumbo product is available for the property, borrower profile, occupancy, and requested amount.
- How rates, points, reserve requirements, appraisal rules, documentation, and closing timing differ between the available options.
- Whether changing the transaction structure would create tax, legal, or title consequences that require advice from the appropriate professional.
Do not treat the county table as a recommendation to borrow up to its maximum. The right loan amount depends on a sustainable payment and the rest of your financial plan.
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| Mistake | Why it causes an error | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using the national baseline for every county | High-cost counties can have a higher local amount. | Read the exact county row in the annual FHFA table. |
| Using the prior year’s schedule | Limits are published by acquisition year and can change annually. | Confirm the calendar year before copying any dollar figure. |
| Selecting the wrong unit column | Two- through four-unit properties have separate limits. | Match the column to the legally and appraiser-recognized unit count. |
| Looking up the lender’s county | The limit follows the property’s jurisdiction. | Use the property address and county-equivalent area. |
| Relying only on the map | Map labels can be difficult near boundaries and may not show every table detail. | Use the map to orient yourself, then verify the amount in the PDF table. |
| Assuming the limit equals personal borrowing capacity | Qualification depends on borrower, property, and lender criteria. | Ask the lender for a full eligibility and affordability review. |
| Applying mainland rules to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands | These jurisdictions have special statutory baseline and ceiling amounts. | Use the applicable territorial or state row and the special figures in the 2026 schedule. |
A printable verification checklist
- Note the mortgage acquisition year.
- Copy the complete property address.
- Confirm the county or county-equivalent jurisdiction.
- Confirm whether the property has one, two, three, or four units.
- Open FHFA’s schedule for that year.
- Locate the jurisdiction row in the official table.
- Read the matching unit-count column.
- Record the dollar amount together with the year, jurisdiction, and unit count.
- Give the result to the lender if the planned balance is near or above the threshold.
Where to verify future years
FHFA’s Conforming Loan Limit Values page is the durable bookmark for this task. It links to the current schedule, prior years, and the map. When a new annual schedule is released, replace saved figures rather than assuming the 2026 amount continues unchanged. For the 2026 calculation and statutory treatment, consult the 2026 methodology addendum; for the official announcement and year-over-year context, consult FHFA’s November 25, 2025 release.
Bottom line
To find the conforming loan limit for your county, use FHFA’s schedule for the mortgage’s acquisition year, identify the property’s county or county-equivalent area, and read the column for its one- through four-unit classification. For 2026, the standard one-unit baseline is $832,750, but your county may have a higher local limit and special statutory jurisdictions use different levels. Treat the result as an agency-framework threshold, then have a lender evaluate qualification, pricing, and the best financing path.
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