Harris County Loan Limits 2026 (Houston, TX)
All 2026 limits for Harris County (Houston area, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands MSA) in one place: FHA, conforming, VA, and Texas VLB. Plus how the 2.15% effective property tax rate affects your monthly payment math.
Harris 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 Harris County; loans above that need conventional, jumbo, or VA. The conforming limit divides conventional from jumbo. Texas-specific: the 2.15% effective property tax rate is well above the national average and materially affects your monthly escrow math.
Harris 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)
- 2.15% — effective property tax rate (verify with county appraisal district)
- $100,000 school district homestead exemption (Prop 13, Nov 2025; effective Jan 1, 2026)
- Houston — county seat; Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands — MSA
- 4,731,145 — 2020 Census population
- Notable cities: Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, Spring, Humble, Bellaire
Harris 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) |
Harris County program limits compared
One-unit 2026 limits across the four main loan programs.
| Program | Harris 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 Harris County affects your file
Harris County's effective property tax rate runs approximately 2.15% of home value per year. The 2025 ratification of Proposition 13 raised the school-district homestead exemption to $100,000 (from $40,000), effective January 1, 2026, which lowers the school-tax portion of your bill. Over-65 and disabled homeowners get an additional $10,000 school-tax exemption.
What this means for your file: Texas property tax rates are well above the national average (Travis approximately 2.10%, Williamson approximately 2.25%, Harris approximately 2.15%, Dallas approximately 1.85%, Bexar approximately 1.75%), and they go into your monthly escrow on top of mortgage principal and interest. For DSCR investor files, the tax rate compresses the rent-to-PITIA ratio versus low-tax states.
I model the full PITIA on every Harris 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 Harris County routinely.
Cities and ZIPs I work in Harris County
I write files across Harris County. The cities below are the most common purchase markets:
Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, Spring, Humble, Bellaire.
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 Harris County loan-limit questions
What is the 2026 FHA loan limit for Harris County?
For 2026, the one-unit FHA loan limit in Harris County is $541,287, per HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-23. Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris County?
Yes. VA loans are available to eligible veterans in every Texas county including Harris 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 Harris County?
Harris County's effective property tax rate runs approximately 2.15% of home value per year. The $100,000 school district homestead exemption (Proposition 13, ratified November 2025) reduces the school-tax portion. Always verify the current rate with the county appraisal district before relying on it.
Buying or refinancing in Harris 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.