FHA Loan Limits 2026 Calculator
Find out if your 2026 home purchase fits within FHA loan limits. Enter county type and unit count to see the maximum FHA-insurable loan amount for your area.
What Are FHA Loan Limits for 2026?
FHA loan limits are the maximum mortgage amount the Federal Housing Administration will insure. For 2026, the baseline 1-unit limit in low-cost counties is $524,225, and the ceiling in high-cost counties is $1,209,750 (HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-24). Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands have a special exception ceiling of $1,814,625. Limits are higher for 2-4 unit properties (duplex, triplex, fourplex).
The actual limit in your county is determined by HUD using 115% of the area median home price, subject to the national floor and ceiling. Look up your county at hud.gov's FHA Mortgage Limits page. Source: HUD.gov FHA Mortgage Limits 2026. Last updated: May 2026.
2026 FHA Loan Limit Table by Unit Count
| Property Type | Low-cost Floor | High-cost Ceiling | Special (AK/HI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-unit (single-family) | $524,225 | $1,209,750 | $1,814,625 |
| 2-unit (duplex) | $671,200 | $1,548,975 | $2,322,720 |
| 3-unit (triplex) | $811,275 | $1,872,225 | $2,808,000 |
| 4-unit (fourplex) | $1,008,300 | $2,326,875 | $3,489,950 |
FHA vs Conventional: When to Choose FHA in 2026
FHA loans are best when (1) your FICO is 580-680 and you need 3.5% down, (2) you have non-traditional credit or recent credit events (FHA allows 2-year-post-bankruptcy and 3-year-post-foreclosure), or (3) you're using gift funds for the entire down payment. Conventional is better when your FICO is 700+ and you can put 5-20% down — you'll avoid lifetime mortgage insurance.
Critical FHA cost: mortgage insurance premium (MIP) runs for the life of the loan if you put down less than 10%. Even if your home equity reaches 20%, you cannot remove FHA MIP — you must refinance to conventional. This is the single biggest reason buyers refinance out of FHA once their credit and equity improve.
How to Increase Your FHA Approval Odds
FHA approval depends on three pillars: debt-to-income ratio (max 43% typical, 50% with compensating factors), FICO score (580+ for 3.5% down), and reserves (1-3 months of mortgage payments in savings post-closing). Manufactured home FHA loans require additional title 1 chattel rules. Multi-unit FHA loans require owner-occupancy of at least one unit for at least 12 months. Source: HUD Handbook 4000.1.