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Jumbo Loan Limit Calculator: Is Your Loan Conforming or Jumbo?

Enter your loan amount and your county's conforming limit to see whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy the loan, or whether you are in jumbo territory.

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Jumbo loan check

Your numbers

Results

Your loan type Jumbo loan

In plain words

A $900,000 loan with a county limit of $832,750 falls in this group: Jumbo loan. Amount above the limit: $67,250.

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Key figures

  • Your loan typeJumbo loan
  • Amount above your county's limit$67,250
  • Borrow less to reach the baseline$67,250
  • Borrow less to reach your county limit$67,250
  • 2026 baseline limit$832,750
Your number next to common limits
Loan amount$900,0002026 baseline limit$832,750Your county's one-unit conforming limit$832,750High-cost ceiling$1,249,125
View chart as table
Loan amount
Loan amount$900,000
2026 baseline limit$832,750
Your county's one-unit conforming limit$832,750
High-cost ceiling$1,249,125

Loan amount and status

ScenarioLoan amountYour loan type
Your numbers$900,000Jumbo loan
At the baseline limit$832,750Conforming loan
At your county limit$832,750Conforming loan

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the loan amount you plan to borrow, not the home price.
  2. Leave the limit at the national baseline, or look up your county on FHFA's conforming loan limit map and enter its one-unit limit.
  3. Read whether the loan is conforming, high-balance or jumbo.
  4. If it is jumbo, read how much it is over the limit to see how much more down payment would bring it under.

Whether your mortgage is conforming or jumbo shapes almost everything about it: the down payment, the credit score you need, the cash reserves a lender wants and how the loan is priced. The line between them is the conforming loan limit that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets each year. This jumbo loan limit calculator tells you which side of that line your loan falls on.

How this jumbo loan limit calculator works

The calculator compares your loan amount with two numbers: the 2026 national baseline limit for a one-unit home, $832,750, and the limit you enter for your county. It then sorts the loan into one of three groups:

Conforming: loan ≤ national baseline

High-balance conforming: baseline < loan ≤ county limit

Jumbo: loan > county limit, and amount over = loan − county limit

The limit box starts at the baseline. If your home is in a high-cost county, FHFA sets a higher limit there, and you should enter it. FHFA sets those limits where 115% of the local median home value is above the baseline, capped at a ceiling of $1,249,125 for one unit.

Worked examples

Example 1: a $900,000 loan in a standard county

A buyer needs a $900,000 loan on a single-family home in a county that uses the national baseline of $832,750.

  1. Is $900,000 at or below $832,750? No.
  2. Is it at or below the county limit, also $832,750? No.
  3. Result: jumbo loan, $67,250 over the limit.

Putting another $67,250 down would bring the loan to $832,750, making it conforming.

Example 2: the same loan in a high-cost county

Now the home is in a county where FHFA’s one-unit limit is the full $1,249,125.

  1. $900,000 is above the $832,750 baseline.
  2. But it is at or below the $1,249,125 county limit.
  3. Result: high-balance conforming loan, $0 over the limit.

In the same county, a $1,400,000 loan would be jumbo, $150,875 over the limit, while a $700,000 loan would be an ordinary conforming loan in any county.

What your result means

ResultWho can buy the loanWhat it usually means for you
ConformingFannie Mae or Freddie MacStandard rules: down payment from 3% on some programs, PMI if under 20% down
High-balance conformingFannie Mae or Freddie MacMostly the same rules; some programs and pricing differ
JumboThe lender or private investorsLender-set rules; often larger down payments, higher credit scores and more cash reserves

A jumbo result does not mean you cannot get the loan. It means the lender, not Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, sets the requirements, and they vary widely. Our jumbo loan guide explains the typical requirements and how they compare with conforming loans.

Program rules that change the answer

Program2026 one-unit limitNotes
Conventional (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac)$832,750 baseline; up to $1,249,125 in high-cost areasAlaska, Hawaii, Guam and the US Virgin Islands have special higher limits
FHA$541,287 floor to $1,249,125 ceiling, by countyLook up your county on HUD’s limits page
VANo limit with full entitlementLenders may still cap loan size
JumboNo agency limitLender sets maximum loan size and rules

Limits for two- to four-unit homes are higher in every program. Limits change every January, so check the year your loan will close. See the conventional loan guide for the other conforming rules.

Ways to bring a loan under the limit

If your result is jumbo by a small amount, you may have options:

  1. Put more down. The amount-above figure is exactly how much extra down payment would make the loan conforming, as in Example 1.
  2. Add a second mortgage. Some buyers keep the first mortgage at the limit and borrow the rest on a separate second loan. Check the combined loan-to-value and both payments before choosing this route.
  3. Negotiate the price. A lower price lowers the loan amount at the same down payment percentage.
  4. Check the county again. Make sure you used the limit for the county where the home sits, not a nearby city’s county.

Compare the total cost of each option, not just whether it avoids the jumbo label.

Assumptions

  • One-unit property; the default limit is FHFA’s 2026 national baseline.
  • The loan amount is the first mortgage only. A second mortgage does not count toward the conforming limit.
  • The calculator does not look up your county; you enter its limit yourself.
  • Financed fees, such as mortgage insurance financed into the loan, count as part of the loan amount.

Common mistakes

  • Comparing the home price to the limit. Only the loan amount matters.
  • Using last year’s limit. Limits usually rise each year, and a loan that was jumbo last year may be conforming now.
  • Assuming a high-cost county without checking. Neighboring counties can have very different limits; look up the exact county on FHFA’s map.
  • Forgetting multi-unit limits. A duplex or fourplex has a higher limit than a single-family home.

Limits of this estimate

This tool only sorts the loan by size. Approval still depends on credit, income, debts, reserves and the property. If your loan is close to the line, ask a lender how a slightly bigger down payment or a second mortgage would change your options, and use the loan-to-value calculator to see how each choice affects your LTV. To estimate the monthly cost of a loan this size, use the mortgage payment calculator.

For context, the national average 30-year fixed rate was 7.40% as of October 15, 2026 (Freddie Mac). FHA, VA and USDA rates are set by each lender and often differ.Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, via FRED

Frequently asked questions

What is the conforming loan limit for 2026?

FHFA set the 2026 baseline limit for one-unit homes at $832,750. In high-cost areas the limit is higher, up to a ceiling of $1,249,125. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the US Virgin Islands have special higher limits.

What makes a loan a jumbo loan?

A jumbo loan is a mortgage above the conforming limit for the county where the home is. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cannot buy it, so lenders set their own rules for credit, down payment and reserves.

What is a high-balance loan?

A high-balance loan is above the national baseline but within the higher limit for a high-cost county. It is still a conforming loan, so it follows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules, though some pricing and options can differ.

Is the limit based on the home price or the loan amount?

The loan amount. A $1,000,000 home with $200,000 down has an $800,000 loan, which is under the 2026 baseline.

Do 2-4 unit properties have higher limits?

Yes. FHFA publishes higher limits for two-, three- and four-unit homes. This calculator uses one-unit limits, so look up the multi-unit figure on FHFA's site if you are buying one.

Can I avoid a jumbo loan?

Often, by putting more down so the loan falls under the limit, or by using a second mortgage for the amount above it. The amount-above figure tells you how large that gap is.

Do FHA and VA loans use the same limits?

No. FHA has its own county limits, which for 2026 range from $541,287 to $1,249,125 for one unit. VA has no loan limit for borrowers with full entitlement, though lenders still apply their own caps.

Sources

  1. FHFA Announces Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026Federal Housing Finance Agency · as of October 2026
  2. Conforming Loan Limit ValuesFederal Housing Finance Agency · as of October 2026
  3. FHFA Conforming Loan Limit Values FAQsFederal Housing Finance Agency · as of October 2026
  4. Mortgagee Letter 2025-23: 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage LimitsUS Department of Housing and Urban Development · as of October 2026