Updated for 2026 · Early 2027 limits inside
California loan limits by ZIP code & county
Loan limit lookup
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Conforming and FHA limits for all 58 counties, one to four units, with the exact amount where jumbo pricing starts. Type a ZIP and you have your number — then see what you actually qualify for.
Baseline
$832,750
41 of 58 counties
High-cost ceiling
$1,249,125
10 counties
FHA floor
$541,287
28 counties
For real estate agents
Bookmark this page — it is updated when FHFA and HUD publish, and early limits go up the day a lender honors them. Want the official 2027 limits sent to you the day they are announced?
Available now · ahead of the official 2027 announcement
Early 2027 conforming limits: up to $847,440
FHFA has not released 2027 yet. As of September 16, 2026, we can place conventional and VA loans above today's $832,750 baseline through a lending partner, in all 41 California counties at the baseline. A loan that was a jumbo last month may now price as conforming.
1 unit
$847,440
Conventional and VA · was $832,750
2 units
$1,085,059
Conventional · was $1,066,250
3 units
$1,311,535
Conventional · was $1,288,800
4 units
$1,630,005
Conventional · was $1,601,750
Early limits are a lender program based on estimates, not official FHFA figures, and apply to baseline-limit counties. They are available through a specific lending partner, can change or end without notice, and are subject to that lender's credit approval, underwriting and program guidelines. FHA limits are unchanged until HUD publishes. This is not an offer or commitment to lend. Not all applicants will qualify.
The full table
All 58 California counties
Every 2026 conforming and FHA limit in the state, one to four units. Filter by name or tier, and tap any county to load it into the lookup at the top of the page.
| County | Conforming | FHA |
|---|---|---|
| AlamedaCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Alpine | $832,750 | $736,000 |
| Amador | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Butte | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Calaveras | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Colusa | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Contra CostaCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Del Norte | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| El Dorado | $832,750 | $764,750 |
| Fresno | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Glenn | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Humboldt | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Imperial | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Inyo | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Kern | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Kings | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Lake | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Lassen | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Los AngelesCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Madera | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| MarinCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Mariposa | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Mendocino | $832,750 | $546,250 |
| Merced | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Modoc | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Mono | $832,750 | $776,250 |
| MontereyMid-tier | $994,750 | $994,750 |
| NapaMid-tier | $1,017,750 | $1,017,750 |
| Nevada | $832,750 | $649,750 |
| OrangeCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Placer | $832,750 | $764,750 |
| Plumas | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Riverside | $832,750 | $690,000 |
| Sacramento | $832,750 | $764,750 |
| San BenitoCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| San Bernardino | $832,750 | $690,000 |
| San DiegoMid-tier | $1,104,000 | $1,104,000 |
| San FranciscoCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| San Joaquin | $832,750 | $678,500 |
| San Luis ObispoMid-tier | $1,000,500 | $1,000,500 |
| San MateoCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Santa BarbaraMid-tier | $941,850 | $941,850 |
| Santa ClaraCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Santa CruzCeiling | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Shasta | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Sierra | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Siskiyou | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Solano | $832,750 | $685,400 |
| SonomaMid-tier | $897,000 | $897,000 |
| Stanislaus | $832,750 | $545,100 |
| Sutter | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Tehama | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Trinity | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Tulare | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| Tuolumne | $832,750 | $541,287 |
| VenturaMid-tier | $1,035,000 | $1,035,000 |
| Yolo | $832,750 | $764,750 |
| Yuba | $832,750 | $541,287 |
Conforming limits: Federal Housing Finance Agency, 2026. FHA limits: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2026. VA has no county limit with full entitlement. Figures are for general information and are reissued each year.
What a conforming limit actually decides
It decides which rulebook prices your loan. At or under the limit, your mortgage can be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which is what makes conventional pricing, 3% down programs and the published adjustment grids available to you. A dollar over it and the loan is a jumbo, priced by individual investors who each set their own terms — usually a larger down payment, more reserves in the bank, and a tighter credit profile. Neither is better; they are different products. What catches people out is that the line moves by county, so the same $900,000 loan is an ordinary conforming loan in Irvine and a jumbo in Fresno.
Why the FHA number is different from the conforming number
Two agencies, two formulas. FHFA sets the conforming limit for Fannie and Freddie; HUD sets the FHA limit as a band around that national figure, from a floor of $541,287 up to the same $1,249,125 ceiling, keyed to the median price in each county or metro. They draw the boundaries differently, so the two numbers routinely disagree. Riverside and San Bernardino are the clearest example in the state: both sit at the conforming baseline of $832,750 while carrying an FHA limit of $690,000. If you are shopping there with an FHA pre-approval, that lower number is your real ceiling — more than $140,000 below the conventional one.
Three ways to stay under the line
Being a little over the limit is a solvable problem more often than people assume. A slightly larger down payment can bring the loan amount under, and the saving on jumbo pricing sometimes pays for the extra cash within a couple of years. A first mortgage right at the limit with a second mortgage or HELOC behind it keeps the big loan agency-priced. And if you are looking at a duplex, triplex or fourplex, the limit is far higher — at the baseline a fourplex conforms up to $1,601,750 — with FHA still allowing 3.5% down as long as you live in one of the units. Which of the three is right depends on your numbers, and it is a ten-minute conversation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in California?
For most California counties the 2026 conforming loan limit on a single-family home is $832,750. Ten counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz — sit at the national high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125, and seven more land in between: San Diego at $1,104,000, Ventura at $1,035,000, Napa at $1,017,750, San Luis Obispo at $1,000,500, Monterey at $994,750, Santa Barbara at $941,850 and Sonoma at $897,000. The Federal Housing Finance Agency sets these county by county and reissues them every year, effective January 1.
Which California counties are at the $832,750 baseline?
41 of California's 58 counties are at the 2026 baseline of $832,750 for a single-family home — among them Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Fresno, Kern, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Placer, Solano and Tulare. In every one of them a loan above $832,750 on a one-unit property is a jumbo, not a high-balance conforming loan, which is a real pricing difference rather than a labelling one. Their FHA limits vary a great deal more: Riverside and San Bernardino are at $690,000, Sacramento and Placer at $764,750, and Fresno and Kern at the $541,287 floor.
Why is my county FHA limit different from the conforming limit?
Because two different agencies set them using two different formulas. FHFA sets the conforming limit for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; HUD sets the FHA limit as a percentage band around that national number, from a floor of $541,287 up to the same $1,249,125 ceiling, based on the median price in each county or metro area. The two agencies draw their boundaries differently, so the numbers routinely disagree. Riverside and San Bernardino are a clear example: both sit at the conforming baseline of $832,750 while carrying an FHA limit of $690,000 — more than $140,000 lower.
What happens if my loan is over the county limit?
It becomes a jumbo loan, which is priced by individual investors rather than by Fannie Mae, and typically asks for a larger down payment, more reserves and a stronger credit profile. It is not a dead end — it is a different product with its own pricing. There are also three ways to stay under the line worth checking first: a slightly larger down payment, a first mortgage at the limit with a second behind it, or a 2-to-4 unit property, where the limit is materially higher.
Do VA loans have a county loan limit?
No. For a veteran with full entitlement there has been no VA county loan limit since January 1, 2020, when the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act took effect. The county number still matters for a borrower with partial entitlement — someone with another VA loan still open, or a prior VA loan that went to foreclosure — because entitlement is calculated against it. Individual lenders can also set their own maximum, which is a lender overlay rather than a VA rule.
Are the limits higher for a duplex, triplex or fourplex?
Considerably. At the 2026 baseline a duplex conforms up to $1,066,250, a triplex to $1,288,800 and a fourplex to $1,601,750, and the same proportions hold in every high-cost county. FHA works the same way and still allows 3.5% down provided you occupy one of the units as your primary residence. This is why a small multi-unit property sometimes finances more easily than a single-family home at the same price.
Can I get a loan above the 2026 conforming limit before the 2027 limits come out?
Yes, in some cases. The official 2027 limits have not been announced yet, but as of September 16, 2026 we can place conventional and VA loans at estimated 2027 limits through one of our lending partners, in any of the 41 California counties at the $832,750 baseline, including Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Fresno and Kern. The early limits are $847,440 for a single-family home, $1,085,059 for a duplex, $1,311,535 for a triplex and $1,630,005 for a fourplex. This is a lender program, not an FHFA figure, so it can change, and every loan is still subject to approval. FHA limits do not move until HUD publishes.
When do the 2026 loan limits change?
They apply to loans through the end of 2026. FHFA normally announces the following year in late November, with HUD publishing the FHA numbers shortly after, and both take effect on January 1. Conventional limits key off the application, FHA off the date the case number is assigned — so at the turn of the year it is worth asking which set your file falls under, because a few weeks can move the answer.
Where do you want to go next?
The limit tells you where jumbo starts. These tell you what to do about it.
Buying
Purchase
What you can borrow, what you need down, and how the limit above fits your price range.
PurchaseRefinancing
Refinance
Rate and term, cash-out, and whether your current loan amount still fits under the county line.
RefinanceSecond mortgage
Why a HELOC
The lever that keeps a first mortgage at the conforming limit instead of tipping it into jumbo.
Why a HELOCPrefer to just talk it through?
Aaron gives you the straight answer — no pressure, no jargon.
Call 916-365-2661