FHA loan limits for 2026 have changed — and the number that matters is the one for your specific county. The national floor and ceiling give you a range, but where you're buying sets your actual cap. For 2026, HUD set the FHA floor at $541,287 and the national ceiling at $1,249,125 for a single-family home, per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's annual limit announcement. Most Colorado and Florida buyers fall somewhere within that range.

If you're looking at FHA loans as a path to homeownership, knowing your county's limit before you shop saves a lot of frustration. This guide breaks down how those limits work, lets you look up your county directly, and explains what to do if the home you want goes over the cap.

How FHA Loan Limits Are Determined

HUD sets FHA loan limits once a year. They base each county's limit on local median home prices, tied to the conforming loan limits that the Federal Housing Finance Agency publishes. The floor equals 65% of the national conforming loan limit. The ceiling equals 150% of that same limit.

When conforming limits go up, FHA limits follow. That's why the 2026 floor climbed from $524,225 to $541,287 — a roughly 3.26% increase over 2025, driven by rising home prices nationally.

High-cost counties get limits above the floor. HUD uses the median home price in each county to decide if it qualifies for a higher limit, up to the national ceiling. Counties that don't hit the threshold stay at the floor. FHA loans remain one of the most widely used low-down-payment options for U.S. homebuyers — particularly first-timers, who accounted for more than 83% of FHA forward purchase mortgages in FY 2025, according to HUD's Annual Report to Congress.

One thing we see buyers mix up regularly: a higher county limit doesn't make approval easier. It just means the loan amount HUD will back goes higher. Your credit score, income, and debt load still determine whether you qualify. The limit and the approval are two different questions.

2026 FHA Loan Limits: The Numbers That Matter

The table below shows the 2026 FHA loan limits by property size for both floor and ceiling areas. According to HUD's 2026 FHA loan limit announcement, a 4-unit property in a high-cost area can qualify for an FHA loan up to $2,402,625 — a figure most buyers don't know exists.

These limits cap the loan amount — not the home's sale price. The home can cost more than the FHA limit. But the FHA-backed portion of your loan can't exceed your county's maximum. If the home costs more, you cover the gap with a larger down payment or a different loan type.

Look Up Your County's 2026 FHA Loan Limit

Select your state and county below to see the 2026 FHA limits for 1–4 unit properties. We built this tool around the two states we serve — Colorado and Florida. Per HUD's 2026 county-level data, nearly 30 of Colorado's 64 counties have FHA limits above the national floor, ranging from $541,650 in El Paso County to $1,249,125 in Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin counties. In Florida, 16 of 67 counties sit above the floor, with Monroe County (the Florida Keys) holding the state's highest limit at $990,150.

Whether you're working with our Colorado mortgage team or our Florida mortgage team, this gives you a fast starting point before we run full numbers together.

FHA Loan Limits for 2-4 Unit Properties

Most buyers use FHA for a single-family home. But FHA also covers duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes — as long as you live in one unit as your primary residence. This opens up limits that most buyers never consider.

Here's what that looks like in a real market. A buyer in Denver metro has a 2026 FHA limit of $862,500 for a single-family home. That same buyer could borrow up to $1,658,700 for a fourplex in the same county, per HUD's 2026 county-level data. They live in one unit and rent out the other three. In many cases, the rental income from the other units can also help qualify for the loan — which is something we walk buyers through when this strategy makes sense for them.

The rules are strict. You have to move in within 60 days of closing. You can't use FHA to buy a property you won't occupy. And the property still has to meet FHA's condition standards. But for buyers who want to own a home and reduce their monthly housing cost with rental income, the multi-unit FHA path is one of the most underused options out there.

What to Do When Your Home Price Exceeds the FHA Limit

This comes up often. A buyer finds the right home, checks their county's FHA limit, and realizes the purchase price is above it. That doesn't end the conversation. It changes it.

You have three real paths forward:

• Bring a larger down payment. You can still use FHA if the home costs more than the county limit. But you'll need to cover the gap between the FHA cap and the purchase price on top of your regular down payment. At that point, FHA often loses its cost advantage over other options.
• Move to a conventional loan. A conventional loan goes up to the conforming loan limit — $832,750 in most U.S. counties for 2026, per the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Conventional loans require stronger credit but carry no upfront mortgage insurance premium.
• Use a jumbo loan. If the purchase price exceeds both the FHA limit and the conforming loan limit, a jumbo loan covers the difference. Jumbo loans have stricter income and reserve requirements, but they're a straightforward solution in high-price markets like Eagle County, Summit County, or Miami's coastal neighborhoods.

We work through this comparison regularly with buyers. The right answer depends on your credit score, down payment, and how the monthly payment compares across loan types. Exceeding the FHA limit isn't a dead end — it's a fork in the road.

Frequently Asked Questions About FHA Loan Limits