Guide · Homebuying
California FHA loan limits for 2026, by county
Every California county's 2026 FHA limit for 1 to 4 units, what it means for your price at 3.5% down, and what to do above the limit.
By the CalcLedger editorial team · Updated October 2026 · 8 min read · Examples use illustrative rates · How we calculate
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The short answer: In California, the 2026 FHA loan limit for a one-unit home ranges from $541,287 in 28 counties to $1,249,125 in 10 counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, and Santa Clara. 30 of the state's 58 counties sit above the national floor of $541,287. Los Angeles County, the state's most populous county, has a one-unit limit of $1,249,125 ($1,599,375 for two units).
Key takeaways
- Most of California is either at the national floor ($541,287) or priced into a metro-area limit; 10 counties are at the $1,249,125 ceiling.
- The limit caps the base loan, not the price. With 3.5% down, a $541,287 limit supports a home of up to about $560,919, and Los Angeles County's $1,249,125 limit about $1,294,430.
- The 1.75% upfront premium can be financed on top of the limit, so your total loan can be slightly higher than the number in the table.
- 23 California counties have a one-unit limit above $726,200, so a buyer who borrows near the limit there pays the higher MIP rate: 0.75% a year with less than 5% down, instead of 0.55%.
$541,287one-unit floor
$1,249,125highest California limit
30 of 58counties above the floor
23counties above the $726,200 MIP threshold
FHA loan limits are set county by county every year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). They decide how big an FHA loan can be, which in practice decides how expensive a home you can buy with FHA's low 3.5% minimum down payment. Below are all 58 California counties from HUD's 2026 FHA forward limits data file, then what the numbers mean for your price, payment and down payment.
Try it See your own FHA payment with MIP for a price in your county in the FHA loan calculator, or compare FHA with conventional and VA in the FHA vs. conventional vs. VA calculator.
2026 FHA loan limits by county in California
These 30 counties have one-unit limits above the $541,287 floor, highest first. The small text is the metro area HUD uses: counties in the same area share one limit.
| County | 1 unit | 2 units |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| Contra Costa County San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| Los Angeles County Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| Marin County San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| Orange County Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| San Benito County San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| San Francisco County San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| San Mateo County San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| Santa Clara County San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| Santa Cruz County Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 |
| San Diego County San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $1,104,000 | $1,413,350 |
| Ventura County Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $1,035,000 | $1,325,000 |
| Napa County Napa | $1,017,750 | $1,302,900 |
| San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $1,000,500 | $1,280,850 |
| Monterey County Salinas | $994,750 | $1,273,450 |
| Santa Barbara County Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $941,850 | $1,205,750 |
| Sonoma County Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $897,000 | $1,148,350 |
| Mono County Non-metro | $776,250 | $993,750 |
| El Dorado County Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $764,750 | $979,000 |
| Placer County Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $764,750 | $979,000 |
| Sacramento County Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $764,750 | $979,000 |
| Yolo County Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $764,750 | $979,000 |
| Alpine County Gardnerville Ranchos | $736,000 | $942,200 |
| Riverside County Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $690,000 | $883,300 |
| San Bernardino County Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $690,000 | $883,300 |
| Solano County Vallejo | $685,400 | $877,450 |
| San Joaquin County Stockton-Lodi | $678,500 | $868,600 |
| Nevada County Truckee-Grass Valley | $649,750 | $831,800 |
| Mendocino County Ukiah | $546,250 | $699,300 |
| Stanislaus County Modesto | $545,100 | $697,800 |
All other California counties (28): $541,287 for one unit, $693,050 for two, $837,700 for three and $1,041,125 for four units. They are Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yuba.
Limits for 3- and 4-unit homes
FHA also finances two- to four-unit homes if you live in one of the units. Each one-unit limit level in California maps to these higher limits:
| 1-unit limit | 3 units | 4 units |
|---|---|---|
| $1,249,125 (10 counties) | $1,933,200 | $2,402,625 |
| $1,104,000 (1 county) | $1,708,400 | $2,123,100 |
| $1,035,000 (1 county) | $1,601,600 | $1,990,450 |
| $1,017,750 (1 county) | $1,574,900 | $1,957,250 |
| $1,000,500 (1 county) | $1,548,250 | $1,924,100 |
| $994,750 (1 county) | $1,539,350 | $1,913,000 |
| $941,850 (1 county) | $1,457,450 | $1,811,300 |
| $897,000 (1 county) | $1,388,050 | $1,725,050 |
| $776,250 (1 county) | $1,201,200 | $1,492,800 |
| $764,750 (4 counties) | $1,183,400 | $1,470,700 |
| $736,000 (1 county) | $1,138,900 | $1,415,400 |
| $690,000 (2 counties) | $1,067,750 | $1,326,950 |
| $685,400 (1 county) | $1,060,600 | $1,318,100 |
| $678,500 (1 county) | $1,049,950 | $1,304,850 |
| $649,750 (1 county) | $1,005,450 | $1,249,550 |
| $546,250 (1 county) | $845,300 | $1,050,500 |
| $545,100 (1 county) | $843,500 | $1,048,300 |
| $541,287 (28 counties) | $837,700 | $1,041,125 |
Highest 2026 FHA one-unit limits in California
By HUD metro area (or county outside metro areas), vs. the national floor
High-cost areasNational floor
How HUD set these limits
Under Mortgagee Letter 2025-23, the 2026 floor is 65% of the national conforming loan limit of $832,750 ($541,287), and the ceiling is 150% ($1,249,125). In between, a county's limit is 115% of the median sale price HUD uses for its metro area. For the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad area, HUD's median sale price is $960,000; 115% of that is $1,104,000, which is the San Diego limit. That is why every county in one metro area shows the same number, even if home prices differ between them.
What the limit means for your home price and payment
FHA requires at least 3.5% down for most buyers, and the base loan (price minus down payment) can't exceed the limit. Divide the limit by 0.965 and you get the most expensive home you can buy with the minimum down payment. The payment column adds principal, interest and first-year MIP on a 30-year loan at an illustrative 6.25% rate, with the 1.75% upfront premium financed; property tax, insurance and HOA dues come on top.
| Where | Max price at 3.5% down | P&I + MIP per month |
|---|---|---|
| Floor counties $541,287 limit | $560,919 ($19,632 down) | $3,638 (MIP 0.55%) |
| Los Angeles $1,249,125 limit | $1,294,430 ($45,305 down) | $8,601 (MIP 0.75%) |
23 California counties have a one-unit limit above $726,200, so a buyer who borrows near the limit there pays the higher MIP rate: 0.75% a year with less than 5% down, instead of 0.55%. HUD sets that threshold in Mortgagee Letter 2023-05 and our FHA loan & MIP calculator applies it automatically.
Tip Your lender checks the limit for the county where the property is, not where you live now. If you are shopping across county lines, check each county in the table above: the same price can need a very different down payment.
Buying above the limit with an FHA loan
You can still use FHA for a home that costs more than the limit allows at 3.5% down: you cover the difference with a bigger down payment. The base loan stays at the limit.
Example A $1,150,000 home in San Diego County: the base loan can be at most $1,104,000, so you need $46,000 down (4.0%). Principal, interest and first-year MIP come to about $7,602 a month at 6.25% with the upfront premium financed.
At that point, compare FHA with a conventional loan: the conforming limit is $832,750 in most counties ($291,463 more than the FHA floor) and is raised in high-cost areas, up to $1,249,125; check FHFA's county list for your county. FHA annual MIP lasts for the life of the loan with less than 10% down (11 years with 10% or more), while conventional PMI can be cancelled once you reach 20% equity. Put both side by side in the FHA vs. conventional vs. VA calculator.
Watch out The table shows 2026 limits. If your FHA case number is assigned in 2027, the 2027 limits apply. HUD usually publishes them in late November or December, so buyers closing early next year should ask the lender which year's limit their case number falls under.
How to check your county yourself
- Open HUD's FHA mortgage limits lookup.
- Choose FHA Forward, limit year CY2026 and the state California, then search.
- Read the one-unit column for a single-family home or condo, or the two- to four-unit columns for a multi-unit home.
For the rest of the country, see the 2026 FHA loan limits hub. For what FHA mortgage insurance costs at each loan size, see FHA MIP explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FHA loan limit in California for 2026?
It depends on the county: $541,287 for a one-unit home in 28 counties, up to $1,249,125 in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Santa Clara County. For two units the range is $693,050 to $1,599,375. The limits apply to FHA case numbers assigned from January 1, 2026.
What is the Los Angeles County FHA loan limit?
$1,249,125 for one unit, $1,599,375 for two, $1,933,200 for three and $2,402,625 for four units in 2026. With the minimum 3.5% down, that supports a price of up to about $1,294,430.
Can I get an FHA loan above the limit?
Not for the base loan: it must stay at or below the county limit. You can still buy a pricier home by putting more down. A $1,150,000 home in San Diego County needs $46,000 down (4.0%) to keep the base loan at $1,104,000. The 1.75% upfront premium can be added on top of the limit.
Does the upfront MIP count toward the FHA limit?
No. HUD Handbook 4155.2 says the upfront premium "is not considered when determining compliance with statutory loan limits" and that "the total mortgage amount may exceed the limit by the financed UFMIP amount."
When do the 2027 FHA loan limits come out?
HUD publishes them after FHFA announces the new conforming limit, usually late November or December. The 2026 limits came out in Mortgagee Letter 2025-23, dated December 11, 2025. We update this page when HUD publishes.
County limits from HUD's CY2026 FHA forward limits file, pulled October 6, 2026. Payment examples are illustrative (6.25%, 30 years); your lender confirms the limit, rate and eligibility.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Mortgagee Letter 2025-23: 2026 nationwide forward mortgage loan limits
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: FHA mortgage limits lookup (county limits)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: CHUMS data files: CY2026 FHA forward limits (county data file and layout)
- Federal Housing Finance Agency: FHFA announces conforming loan limit values for 2026
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Handbook 4155.2, chapter 7: Mortgage insurance premiums (UFMIP refund chart)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Mortgagee Letter 2023-05: FHA annual mortgage insurance premium reduction
Rules, limits and program details are checked against these official sources. Example numbers are calculated by CalcLedger with the formulas on our how we calculate page. Read our editorial policy.
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