Last reviewed: 3 October 2026
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Conforming vs. jumbo loan limits
These two terms describe whether a mortgage fits within the loan-size limits that apply to loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy. The limits are set by a federal formula and change every year.
What this term means: conforming loan: a mortgage that satisfies the terms and conditions set by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHFA.[2] Jumbo loan: a loan larger than the maximum amount those bodies will buy.[3]
The two terms side by side
| Conforming loan | Jumbo loan | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A mortgage that satisfies the terms and conditions set by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHFA.[2] | A loan above the maximum amount Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHFA set each year for loans they will buy; the CFPB says loans are allowed to exceed these limits and the larger loans are called jumbo mortgages.[3] |
| Role of the loan-size limit | By law, the CFPB says, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the government-sponsored enterprises) are only allowed to guarantee loans up to a certain amount.[4] | A loan over the applicable limit is outside that limit.[3] |
| Where the limit is looked up | By county, and by number of units. The CFPB points to HUD’s loan-limit tool and the “One-Family” column for a single-family home or condo.[4] | The CFPB says knowing the county loan limit helps you know whether a particular home might require a higher down payment or a jumbo loan instead.[4] |
How FHFA sets the limits each year
FHFA says the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) requires it to adjust the baseline conforming loan limit each year to reflect the change in the average U.S. home price. For 2026 it used its House Price Index: nominal, seasonally adjusted, expanded-data prices increased 3.26 percent on average between the third quarters of 2024 and 2025, so the baseline limit increases by the same percentage.[1]
In areas where 115 percent of the local median home value exceeds the baseline limit, the applicable limit is higher. FHFA says HERA sets the high-cost-area limit as a multiple of the area median home value and caps it at 150 percent of the baseline limit.[1] Special statutory provisions set different limits for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.[1]
The 2026 figures, as FHFA published them
These are the one-unit figures from FHFA’s 25 November 2025 announcement of the values for mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will acquire in 2026. They are dated: FHFA adjusts the baseline each year, so use FHFA’s own pages for any other year.[1]
| Area | One-unit limit for 2026 (FHFA) |
|---|---|
| Baseline, most of the United States | $832,750, an increase of $26,250 from 2025.[1] |
| Ceiling in high-cost areas (150 percent of the baseline) | $1,249,125.[1] |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands | Baseline $1,249,125 and ceiling $1,873,675.[1] |
FHFA says the 2026 values are higher in all but 32 U.S. counties or county equivalents, and publishes a list of 2026 limits for every county, a map, and a methodology addendum.[1] The CFPB pages we read, last reviewed in January and February 2024, quote earlier-year figures (a general limit of $766,550), which are not the 2026 values.[3][4]
Higher limits for two- to four-unit buildings
The CFPB says loan limits are also higher for a home with multiple units, such as a duplex where you plan to live in one unit and rent out the other. The building must have no more than four units, you must buy the entire building to be eligible, and if you buy just one unit in a condo building the regular limits apply.[4] It says some loans in high-cost counties are called “conforming jumbo” loans, because they are part of the conforming program but have a higher limit.[4]
How to verify this yourself
Use FHFA’s list of 2026 conforming loan limits for all counties (linked from the FHFA release in the reference list, and at www.fhfa.gov/CLL), or the HUD loan-limit tool the CFPB describes: choose your state, enter your county, set “Limit Type” to “Fannie/Freddie,” and read the “One-Family” column, or the column for the number of units for a multi-unit property.[1][4] Your Loan Estimate states the loan amount and loan type; see how to read your Loan Estimate. Questions about the 2026 values can be addressed to FHFA at the email address on its release.[1]
What this page does not cover
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. It gives the limits as FHFA published them for 2026 and does not give limits for FHA, VA or other programs, which have their own rules. It does not compare lenders, rates, or the cost of any particular loan, and it does not say which kind of loan a borrower should use; eligibility depends on the borrower’s facts, the property, and the applicable program rules. This page was last reviewed 3 October 2026.