Guide · Homebuying
Connecticut FHA loan limits for 2026, by planning region
Every Connecticut planning region'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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On this page
- Where is Fairfield County? Connecticut's planning regions
- 2026 FHA loan limits by planning region in Connecticut
- Limits for 3- and 4-unit homes
- How HUD set these limits
- What the limit means for your home price and payment
- Buying above the limit with an FHA loan
- How to check your planning region yourself
- Frequently asked questions
The short answer: In Connecticut, the 2026 FHA loan limit for a one-unit home ranges from $541,287 in 7 planning regions to $977,500 in Western Connecticut Planning Region and Greater Bridgeport Planning Region. 2 of the state's 9 planning regions sit above the national floor of $541,287. Capitol Planning Region, the state's most populous planning region, has a one-unit limit of $541,287 ($693,050 for two units).
Key takeaways
- 2 Connecticut planning regions are above the $541,287 floor; none reaches the $1,249,125 national ceiling. The highest limit is $977,500.
- 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.
- 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.
- 2 Connecticut planning regions 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
$977,500highest Connecticut limit
2 of 9planning regions above the floor
$541,287Capitol Planning Region limit
FHA loan limits are set area by area 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 9 Connecticut planning regions 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 planning region in the FHA loan calculator, or compare FHA with conventional and VA in the FHA vs. conventional vs. VA calculator.
Where is Fairfield County? Connecticut's planning regions
Connecticut's eight counties stopped working as governments in 1960, and the Census Bureau now uses the state's nine planning regions as county equivalents (approved in June 2022). HUD's 2026 FHA file follows them, so you won't find Fairfield, Hartford or New Haven County in it: look up the planning region of the town instead. The two regions at $977,500, Greater Bridgeport and Western Connecticut, form HUD's Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury metro area, which takes in Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury and Greenwich. Every other region is at the $541,287 floor, including the Capitol region around Hartford and South Central Connecticut around New Haven. One trap: Shelton, once part of Fairfield County, is in the Naugatuck Valley region (HUD's Waterbury-Shelton area), so its limit is $541,287, not $977,500.
2026 FHA loan limits by planning region in Connecticut
These 2 planning regions have one-unit limits above the $541,287 floor, highest first. The small text is the metro area HUD uses: planning regions in the same area share one limit.
| Planning region | 1 unit | 2 units |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Bridgeport Planning Region Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $977,500 | $1,251,400 |
| Western Connecticut Planning Region Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $977,500 | $1,251,400 |
All other Connecticut planning regions (7): $541,287 for one unit, $693,050 for two, $837,700 for three and $1,041,125 for four units. They are Capitol Planning Region, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Northwest Hills Planning Region, South Central Connecticut Planning Region, and Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region.
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 Connecticut maps to these higher limits:
| 1-unit limit | 3 units | 4 units |
|---|---|---|
| $977,500 (2 planning regions) | $1,512,650 | $1,879,850 |
| $541,287 (7 planning regions) | $837,700 | $1,041,125 |
Highest 2026 FHA one-unit limits in Connecticut
By HUD metro area (or planning region 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 planning region's limit is 115% of the median sale price HUD uses for its metro area. For the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury area, HUD's median sale price is $850,000; 115% of that is $977,500, which is the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region limit. That is why every planning region 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 planning regions $541,287 limit | $560,919 ($19,632 down) | $3,638 (MIP 0.55%) |
| Western Connecticut Planning Region $977,500 limit | $1,012,953 ($35,453 down) | $6,731 (MIP 0.75%) |
2 Connecticut planning regions 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 planning region where the property is, not where you live now. If you are shopping across area lines, check each planning region 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 $1,050,000 home in Western Connecticut Planning Region: the base loan can be at most $977,500, so you need $72,500 down (6.9%). Principal, interest and first-year MIP come to about $6,691 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 planning regions ($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 area. 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 planning region yourself
- Open HUD's FHA mortgage limits lookup.
- Choose FHA Forward, limit year CY2026 and the state Connecticut, 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 Connecticut for 2026?
It depends on the planning region: $541,287 for a one-unit home in 7 planning regions, up to $977,500 in Western Connecticut Planning Region and Greater Bridgeport Planning Region. For two units the range is $693,050 to $1,251,400. The limits apply to FHA case numbers assigned from January 1, 2026.
What is the FHA loan limit in Fairfield County, CT?
HUD no longer lists Fairfield County. Most of its towns are now in the Greater Bridgeport and Western Connecticut planning regions, where the 2026 limit is $977,500 for one unit and $1,251,400 for two. Shelton is the exception: it is in the Naugatuck Valley region, at $541,287. Western Connecticut also includes a few towns that used to be in Litchfield County, so always check the region of the town.
What is the Capitol Planning Region FHA loan limit?
$541,287 for one unit, $693,050 for two, $837,700 for three and $1,041,125 for four units in 2026. With the minimum 3.5% down, that supports a price of up to about $560,919.
Can I get an FHA loan above the limit?
Not for the base loan: it must stay at or below the planning region limit. You can still buy a pricier home by putting more down. A $1,050,000 home in Western Connecticut Planning Region needs $72,500 down (6.9%) to keep the base loan at $977,500. 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.
Limits from HUD's CY2026 FHA forward limits file, pulled October 13, 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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