Editorial Team · Updated January 1, 2026
FHA loan limits for 2026 range from a national floor of $541,287 to a ceiling of $1,249,125 for a one-unit home. Your county's limit lands somewhere in that band, based on local home prices.
The floor covers most of the country; the ceiling applies in the most expensive markets. Both are tied directly to the conforming loan limit, so when that rises, FHA's limits rise with it.
The Federal Housing Administration sets a low-cost floor and a high-cost ceiling, then fills in every county between them according to its median home price.
| Area | 2026 limit | Set at |
|---|---|---|
| Low-cost (floor) | $541,287 | 65% of conforming |
| High-cost (ceiling) | $1,249,125 | 150% of conforming |
FHA pegs its floor at 65% of the national baseline conforming limit and its ceiling at 150% of it. With the 2026 conforming baseline at $832,750, that puts the floor at $541,287 and the ceiling at $1,249,125. Counties between the two get a limit equal to 115% of their area median home price, capped at the ceiling.
Because the limits ride on the conforming figure, the same 3.26% increase that lifted conforming limits for 2026 also lifted FHA's. The new limits apply to FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026.
Most counties sit at the floor; high-cost metros sit at or near the ceiling; many land in between. Because it is set locally, the only way to be sure is to look up the specific county and property size — HUD publishes a free lookup tool. Two-to-four-unit homes carry higher limits than the one-unit figures above.
FHA's ceiling matches the conforming high-cost ceiling, but its floor sits well below the conforming baseline — so in lower-cost areas FHA caps borrowing more tightly than a conventional loan would. FHA's appeal is not a higher limit but a lower barrier to entry: down payments from 3.5% and more forgiving credit, in exchange for mortgage insurance premiums.
The one-unit floor rose from $524,225 in 2025 to $541,287 in 2026, and the ceiling from $1,209,750 to $1,249,125 — the same 3.26% step that moved the conforming limits.
Estimate an FHA payment including upfront and annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP).
Include private mortgage insurance in your payment and find out exactly when PMI drops off.
Turn a down-payment percentage into dollars and see whether you clear the 20% PMI threshold.
It depends on the county. The national floor is $541,287 and the ceiling is $1,249,125 for a one-unit home; your county's limit falls within that range based on local prices.
The FHA floor is 65% of the baseline conforming limit and the ceiling is 150% of it, so FHA limits move whenever conforming limits change.
No. Above the FHA ceiling you would need a conventional or jumbo loan; FHA will not insure a loan larger than the limit for your county.
They apply to FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026.