Fort Bend County Loan Limits 2026 (Richmond, TX)
All 2026 limits for Fort Bend County (Richmond area, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands MSA) in one place: FHA, conforming, VA, and Texas VLB. Plus how the 1.65% effective property tax rate affects your monthly payment math.
Fort Bend County 2026 loan limits are: FHA 1-unit $541,287 (standard-cost designation), conforming 1-unit $832,750 (statewide Texas baseline), VA no limit for full-entitlement borrowers. Why it matters: the FHA limit caps maximum FHA loan amount in Fort Bend County; loans above that need conventional, jumbo, or VA. The conforming limit divides conventional from jumbo. Texas-specific: the 1.65% effective property tax rate materially affects your monthly escrow math.
Fort Bend County key facts (2026)
- $541,287: 2026 one-unit FHA loan limit (Standard designation; HUD ML 2025-23)
- $832,750: 2026 one-unit conforming loan limit (statewide; FHFA Nov 25, 2025)
- No loan limit for full-entitlement VA borrowers; partial entitlement uses conforming
- $832,750: Texas VLB Home Loan cap (Texas GLO, January 2026)
- 1.65%: effective property tax rate (verify with county appraisal district)
- $140,000 school district homestead exemption (Prop 13, effective 2026)
- Richmond is the county seat; Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is the MSA
- 822,779: 2020 Census population
- Notable cities: Sugar Land, Missouri City, Katy, Rosenberg, Richmond, Fulshear
Fort Bend County 2026 FHA loan limits (1 to 4 units)
Per HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23, effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
| Units | FHA Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Unit | $541,287 | Single-family / condo |
| 2-Unit | $693,050 | Duplex (owner-occupied one unit) |
| 3-Unit | $837,700 | Triplex (owner-occupied one unit) |
| 4-Unit | $1,041,125 | Fourplex (owner-occupied one unit) |
Fort Bend County program limits compared
One-unit 2026 limits across the four main loan programs.
| Program | Fort Bend County 2026 Limit (1 unit) |
|---|---|
| FHA | $541,287 |
| Conforming (Fannie/Freddie) | $832,750 |
| VA (full entitlement) | No limit |
| VA (partial entitlement) | $832,750 |
| Texas VLB Home Loan | $832,750 |
How property tax in Fort Bend County affects your file
Fort Bend County's effective property tax rate runs approximately 1.65% of home value per year. Proposition 13, approved by Texas voters in November 2025, raised the school-district homestead exemption to $140,000 (from $100,000) effective in 2026, which lowers the school-tax portion of your bill. Over-65 and disabled homeowners receive an additional $60,000 exemption, for $200,000 total off school-district taxes.
What this means for your file: at approximately 1.65%, Fort Bend County's effective property tax rate reflects Texas's reliance on property tax in place of a state income tax, and it lands in your monthly escrow on top of mortgage principal and interest. For DSCR investor files, a higher tax rate compresses the rent-to-PITIA ratio versus low-tax states.
I model the full PITIA on every Fort Bend County file before we make an offer, so the monthly payment math is real, not a guess. I am Austin-based and licensed statewide in Texas, working Fort Bend County routinely.
Cities and ZIPs I work in Fort Bend County
I write files across Fort Bend County. The cities below are the most common purchase markets:
Sugar Land, Missouri City, Katy, Rosenberg, Richmond, Fulshear.
Sources & methodology
- HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23: 2026 Nationwide Forward Mortgage Limits
- HUD FHA Loan Limits Lookup (county-by-county)
- FHFA: 2026 Conforming Loan Limit Values (Nov 25, 2025)
- Texas Comptroller: Property Tax (county-by-county rates)
- Texas Veterans Land Board: Home Loan Program
- Kellibrooke: Texas Conforming Loan Limits 2026
- Kellibrooke: Texas FHA Loan Limits 2026 (all 254 counties)
Common Fort Bend County loan-limit questions
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit for Fort Bend County?
For 2026, the one-unit FHA loan limit in Fort Bend County is $541,287, per HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23. Fort Bend County is designated a standard-cost area. Two-unit, three-unit, and four-unit limits step up from there: $693,050 / $837,700 / $1,041,125.
What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Fort Bend County?
$832,750 for one-unit conventional loans. The conforming limit is statewide in Texas; no county uses a higher limit for 2026. Loans above $832,750 are conventional jumbo loans.
Are VA loans available in Fort Bend County?
Yes. VA loans are available to eligible veterans in every Texas county including Fort Bend County. Full-entitlement borrowers have no loan limit; partial entitlement uses the conforming limit ($832,750). All VA programs subject to VA eligibility and entitlement.
What is the property tax rate in Fort Bend County?
Fort Bend County's effective property tax rate runs approximately 1.65% of home value per year. The $140,000 school district homestead exemption (raised by Proposition 13, approved November 2025, effective 2026) reduces the school-tax portion. Always verify the current rate with the county appraisal district before relying on it.
Buying or refinancing in Fort Bend County?
Send me the property and your scenario. I will run the math across FHA, conventional, jumbo, and VA (with eligibility) so you see which program your file actually lines up with.