A conforming loan is one Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac can buy, which means its amount is at or under the limit FHFA sets for the county. For 2026 the one-unit limit is $832,750 in most of the country and $1,209,750 in New York City. A loan above your county's limit is a jumbo loan, which lenders price and underwrite under their own rules.
2026 conforming loan limits (one unit)
- Baseline, most US counties
- $832,750
- Up $26,250 from 2025
- High-cost ceiling
- $1,249,125
- 150% of the baseline
- NYC (all five boroughs)
- $1,209,750
- FHFA 2026 county list
- Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, USVI
- $1,249,125
- Baseline there; ceiling $1,873,675
How the check works
- Pick the limit: the baseline for your unit count, or the higher limit for a high-cost county. Limits are set per county and rise with the number of units.
- Compare your loan amount: at or under the baseline is conforming. Above the baseline but within the county limit is high-balance conforming. Above the county limit is jumbo.
- Down payment to stay conforming: the price minus the county limit. If you can put that much down, your loan fits under the limit.
| Units | Baseline | High-cost ceiling | NYC metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $832,750 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| 2 | $1,066,250 | $1,599,375 | $1,548,975 |
| 3 | $1,288,800 | $1,933,200 | $1,872,225 |
| 4 | $1,601,750 | $2,402,625 | $2,326,875 |
The NYC metro column applies to the five boroughs and to Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, plus 12 New Jersey counties in the same metro area.
Worked example
You are buying a $1,250,000 condo in Brooklyn with a $1,000,000 loan. That is above the $832,750 baseline but under Brooklyn's $1,209,750 limit, so it is a high-balance conforming loan with $209,750 of room. To keep the loan under the county limit you need at least $40,250 down (3.2%). To stay under the baseline you would need $417,250 down (33.4%).
The same $1,000,000 loan on a house in a county at the $832,750 baseline would be $167,250 over the limit, which makes it a jumbo loan.
Things to know
- It is the loan, not the price. A bigger down payment can turn a jumbo loan into a conforming one.
- Multi-unit limits need the whole building. The CFPB notes the property must have no more than four units and you must buy the entire building; buying one condo unit uses the regular one-unit limit.
- Limits change every year. FHFA announced the 2026 limits on November 25, 2025. If you will close in 2027, check for the new limits before you lock.
- Conventional loans only. Government-backed loans such as FHA and VA follow their own rules, so check those separately.
Next steps
Work out your down payment with how much down payment you need, see what you can borrow with the home affordability calculator, and price the full monthly cost in the mortgage calculator.