Licensed in all 58 California counties · NMLS #377740
📞 949-379-5320 Today's Rates

Programs · 6 min read

California Conforming Loan Limits 2026: Every County

By Mike Basti ·
california-conforming-loan-limits-2026

The 2026 conforming loan limit set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency is $832,750 for one-unit properties in standard California counties — a $26,250 increase from the 2025 limit of $806,500. In high-cost California counties, the limit rises to a maximum of $1,249,125 for one-unit properties. Loans above these limits are classified as jumbo loans with different underwriting standards. The new limits took effect January 1, 2026, and apply to all conventional loans originated this year.

What the 2026 limits mean for California buyers

Buyers in standard-cost counties (Fresno, Sacramento, Riverside, Bakersfield, most Central Valley and Inland Empire areas) can now finance up to $832,750 through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That's an extra $26,250 in conforming buying power compared to 2025. Buyers in the highest-cost counties — Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Benito, and Santa Cruz — can finance up to $1,249,125 conventionally, while intermediate counties such as San Diego ($1,104,000), Ventura ($1,035,000), and Napa ($1,017,750) fall between the baseline and the ceiling. Above the limit, you cross into jumbo loan territory with typically 0.10-0.25% higher rates and stricter underwriting.

2026 conforming loan limits by California county

Here is every California county whose 2026 one-unit conforming limit is above the $832,750 baseline, per the FHFA. Ten counties reach the statewide ceiling of $1,249,125; seven fall in an intermediate high-balance tier; the remaining 41 counties are at the $832,750 baseline.

County2026 conforming limit (1-unit)
Alameda$1,249,125
Contra Costa$1,249,125
Los Angeles$1,249,125
Marin$1,249,125
Orange$1,249,125
San Benito$1,249,125
San Francisco$1,249,125
San Mateo$1,249,125
Santa Clara$1,249,125
Santa Cruz$1,249,125
San Diego$1,104,000
Ventura$1,035,000
Napa$1,017,750
San Luis Obispo$1,000,500
Monterey$994,750
Santa Barbara$941,850
Sonoma$897,000

$832,750 baseline (all other counties): Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba.

Figures are for one-unit (single-family) properties; 2–4 unit limits are higher. Loans above your county limit are jumbo loans. Confirm your exact county limit with a Save Financial advisor at 949-379-5320.

Why the increase — and what's next

Conforming limits are set as a percentage of the national median home price (currently around 115% of the conforming baseline). Because California home prices grew approximately 3.3% in 2025 despite high rates, the FHFA increased limits proportionally. The 2027 limits will be announced in November 2026; expect another modest increase if home prices remain stable through 2026.

How to use this if you're shopping

If your purchase price will exceed the conforming limit in your county, you have three options: (1) Increase your down payment to keep the loan under the limit — saves you the jumbo rate premium. (2) Use a high-balance conforming loan if you're in a high-cost county — pricing is between standard conforming and jumbo. (3) Accept the jumbo rate — Save Financial typically beats bank jumbo quotes using wholesale pricing on equivalent profiles. Call us at 949-379-5320 to compare scenarios in 60 seconds.

About this article: Save Financial publishes weekly California mortgage market updates. We are a California-licensed mortgage lender (NMLS #377740, DRE #01875766) serving all 58 counties. For a real, personalized rate quote, apply online or call 949-379-5320.

Lock today's rate in 60 seconds.

No SSN, no credit pull, no obligation. Just a real quote from a real California loan officer.

Get Pre-Approved Call 949-379-5320

How do California conforming limits compare to other states?

California has more high-cost counties than any other state. While the baseline 2026 conforming limit nationwide is $832,750, fourteen California counties qualify for the maximum high-balance limit of $1,249,125 — nearly 50% above baseline. Only Hawaii, parts of New York, parts of Massachusetts, and Washington D.C. metro areas match this ceiling.

What this means in practice: a buyer purchasing a $1.2M home in Los Angeles County can use a high-balance conforming loan with conventional pricing. The same buyer purchasing in Sacramento (where the limit is the baseline $832,750) would need a jumbo loan above that price — typically with stricter credit and reserve requirements and slightly higher rates.

What are the 2026 California county-level loan limits?

California has 58 counties split across three tiers:

Tier2026 Limit (1-unit)California Counties
High-cost (max ceiling)$1,249,125Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz
Intermediate (high-balance)$897,000–$1,104,000San Diego $1,104,000, Ventura $1,035,000, Napa $1,017,750, San Luis Obispo $1,000,500, Monterey $994,750, Santa Barbara $941,850, Sonoma $897,000
Standard$832,750Sacramento, Fresno, Kern (Bakersfield), Riverside, San Bernardino, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Tulare, and most inland CA counties

The exact high-balance limit varies by county based on local median home prices. The FHFA publishes county-by-county tables annually each November.

What does a real scenario look like at the new limits?

Scenario: A couple in Orange County is buying a $1.4M home with 15% down ($210,000). Their loan amount is $1,190,000.

  • Under the 2025 limit ($1,149,825 high-balance), they would have needed a jumbo loan for the $1.19M loan amount — typically 0.125–0.375% higher rate plus stricter credit and reserve requirements.
  • Under the 2026 limit ($1,249,125 high-balance), the same $1.19M loan fits within high-balance conforming. They get conventional pricing, more lenient credit standards, and a faster underwriting timeline.
  • Monthly payment difference: On a 30-year fixed at today's rates, the conforming-vs-jumbo rate spread of 0.25% saves them roughly $200/month — about $72,000 over the full term.

Why did the FHFA raise the limits for 2026?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency adjusts conforming loan limits annually based on the FHFA Home Price Index. When national home prices rise, the limits rise proportionally to keep the conforming-loan market accessible. The 2026 increase of approximately 5% reflects the FHFA HPI's year-over-year change measured between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025.

High-cost area limits use a multiplier (1.5x) of the baseline, capped by local median home prices. California's coastal counties consistently hit that ceiling, so they all share the same high-balance limit despite vastly different median prices (San Francisco median ~$1.5M vs. Los Angeles median ~$950K).

How should you use this if you're shopping?

Three practical takeaways:

  • Check your county's limit first. Before assuming you need a jumbo loan, confirm whether your target loan amount fits the high-balance conforming bucket. The pricing and underwriting difference is significant.
  • If you're near the limit, structure deliberately. A buyer financing $1,215,000 might want to put $5,000 more down to land at $1,210,000 and qualify for conforming pricing. Save Financial runs these scenarios as part of pre-approval.
  • Don't conflate FHA limits with conforming limits. FHA has its own limit structure ($524,225 baseline / $1,249,125 high-cost) that's separate from conventional conforming.

QUICK ANSWER

This article answers the question above based on the latest California mortgage market data. Save Financial publishes weekly market analysis written by California-licensed loan officers — no clickbait, no hype, just the numbers and what they mean for borrowers. For a custom rate quote based on your specific scenario, start here or call (949) 379-5320.

Share this article

Found this useful? Pass it on.

If this helped you make sense of your options, send it to someone who needs it — a friend buying their first place, a family member weighing a refinance, a colleague comparing lenders.

Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Email

Tip: highlight any sentence in the article to share it as a quote.

Useful links