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DATA REFERENCE

Texas Conforming Loan Limits 2026

$832,750 statewide. Every Texas county uses the baseline limit. What that means for your purchase or refinance:

By Case Laviolette, MLO · NMLS #2025459

The Texas conforming loan limit for 2026 is $832,750 for a one-unit home, and every one of the 254 counties uses that same baseline. These are conventional limits set by FHFA for loans eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, not FHA limits; HUD sets separate FHA limits by county. Texas has no high-cost counties for 2026. For a one-unit Texas property, compare the proposed loan amount with $832,750; two-to-four-unit properties use higher unit-count limits, and being within a size limit does not by itself establish loan eligibility.

The 2026 Texas conforming loan limit is $832,750 for one-unit properties, applied uniformly across all 254 counties. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets this baseline annually based on national home-price changes; Texas has no high-cost counties for 2026, so no county uses a higher limit.

Why it matters: loans at or below the applicable county and unit-count limit may be eligible for conforming delivery through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, subject to all other requirements. A loan above the applicable limit is nonconforming; jumbo eligibility, underwriting, and pricing are lender or investor specific.

2026 figures:

Key facts

2026 vs prior years

Texas conforming limits across years. All 254 Texas counties use the same baseline; this is the statewide figure.

Year 1-Unit 2-Unit 3-Unit 4-Unit
2026 $832,750 $1,066,250 $1,288,800 $1,601,750
2025 $806,500 $1,032,650 $1,248,150 $1,551,250
2024 $766,550 $981,500 $1,186,350 $1,474,400

Background and context

The conforming loan limit is the single most important number in the conventional mortgage market. It sets the dividing line between loans that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase, and loans that lenders have to keep on their own books or sell to private investors. That distinction drives pricing, underwriting flexibility, and how many lenders will compete for your file.

For 2026, every Texas county sits at the baseline of $832,750. There are no high-cost counties in Texas. The high-cost designation kicks in when 115% of a county's median home value exceeds the baseline, capped at 150% of the baseline (the $1,249,125 ceiling). Even Travis County, the highest-priced major Texas metro, doesn't hit that threshold. That uniformity makes Texas simpler to work in than states like California or New York, where county-by-county limits create real planning complications.

What this means in practice: a conventional loan is generally conforming when its original loan amount stays at or below the applicable county and unit-count limit. Above that limit, it is generally jumbo. For the local boundary and Austin-specific planning, see my Austin jumbo loan guide.

Jumbo loans aren't worse, they're just different:

On a borderline file, sometimes the right move is to bring in a slightly larger down payment to keep the loan inside the conforming limit. Sometimes it's not worth the cash tradeoff. I run both scenarios when the loan amount is close.

The FHFA announces the next year's limit at the end of November, effective January 1. The increase tracks the change in the FHFA House Price Index, Q3 to Q3. By statute (HERA 2008), the limit can rise but cannot fall. If home prices drop, the limit stays flat until prices recover. That's why the limit has only moved one direction since 2017.

Sources & methodology

All figures verified against primary sources as of September 4, 2026. This page is reviewed quarterly and after any FHFA announcement that changes the underlying figures.

Questions I get about the conforming limit

What is a conforming loan?

A conforming loan is a conventional mortgage that meets the maximum loan amount set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and follows the underwriting guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Loans at or below the conforming limit can be purchased by the two government-sponsored enterprises, which generally means broader agency product availability and more lender options than loans above the limit.

What happens if my loan amount is above $832,750?

For a one-unit property in Texas, a loan above $832,750 is above the 2026 conforming limit and generally moves to a jumbo or other nonconforming route. For a two-to-four-unit property, compare the loan amount with the higher applicable unit-count limit before classifying it. Jumbo eligibility, underwriting, and pricing are lender or investor specific.

Does Texas have any high-cost counties for 2026?

No. All 254 Texas counties use the 2026 baseline limits: $832,750 for one unit, $1,066,250 for two units, $1,288,800 for three units, and $1,601,750 for four units. High-cost designations apply only where the statutory local-value calculation supports a higher limit; no Texas county has a high-cost limit for 2026.

How does the FHFA decide the conforming limit?

Under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), FHFA uses the year-over-year change in its national House Price Index, measured from the third quarter to the third quarter, to set the baseline conforming limit. The statutory formula also prevents the baseline from dropping below its prior high-water mark after a price decline. For 2026, the index increased 3.26%, so the one-unit baseline rose from $806,500 to $832,750.

Why did the limit increase from 2025?

U.S. home prices increased 3.26% between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025 according to the FHFA House Price Index. FHFA applied that increase under HERA, so the one-unit baseline rose from $806,500 in 2025 to $832,750 for 2026.

Does this apply to FHA and VA loans?

No. FHA uses separate county and unit-count limits. For VA borrowers with full entitlement, VA does not impose a county loan limit, but lender approval, affordability, appraisal, eligibility, entitlement, and lender requirements still apply. When entitlement is not fully restored, the county one-unit conforming limit is used in the VA guaranty and potential down-payment calculation rather than as an absolute borrowing cap.

Can I still get a conventional loan above the limit?

Potentially. A conventional loan above the applicable county and unit-count conforming limit may use a jumbo or another nonconforming route. It is not eligible for standard Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac purchase based on its size, and availability, underwriting, documentation, pricing, and other requirements are lender or investor specific.

Does the conforming limit affect my mortgage rate?

Indirectly. An otherwise eligible loan at or below the applicable county and unit-count limit may use Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac delivery and pricing frameworks. A loan above the applicable limit uses a jumbo or other nonconforming lender or investor framework, whose pricing can be higher or lower depending on the documented file and market conditions.

Is the conforming loan limit in Texas the same in every county?

Yes. For 2026 the conventional loan limit in Texas is $832,750 for a one-unit home in all 254 counties. Because no Texas county carries a high-cost designation, the limit in Austin, Travis County, and the surrounding metro is the same baseline figure used in every other Texas county. That uniformity makes planning simpler here than in states where each county has its own number.

What is the difference between a conforming loan and a conventional loan in Texas?

All conforming loans are conventional, but not every conventional loan is conforming. "Conventional" means the loan is not government-backed like FHA, VA, or USDA. "Conforming" means the loan is within the applicable county and unit-count limit and meets the relevant Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac requirements. The 2026 Texas one-unit baseline is $832,750; a conventional loan above its applicable limit is nonconforming and may use a jumbo or another lender-specific route.

When do the 2026 Texas conforming loan limits take effect?

The 2026 values took effect for Fannie Mae whole-loan deliveries and MBS pool issue dates on or after January 1, 2026. Freddie Mac states that loans above the 2025 limits but within the 2026 limits became eligible for sale on or after January 1, 2026, with separate December cash-contract instructions. For a year-end file, confirm the selected lender's agency and delivery treatment instead of relying only on the note date.

How does the Texas conforming loan limit compare to the FHA limit?

They are set differently. The conventional conforming limit is one statewide number ($832,750 for a one-unit home in 2026), while FHA limits vary by county based on local home prices. In the Austin metro, which covers Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties, the 2026 FHA one-unit limit is $571,550. If you want the full FHA picture, see my Texas FHA loan limits 2026 page.

What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Texas?

For 2026 every Texas county uses the same baseline conforming limits: $832,750 for one unit, $1,066,250 for two units, $1,288,800 for three units, and $1,601,750 for four units. These are maximum original-loan-amount thresholds for potential Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac delivery, not stand-alone approval criteria; the file must also meet applicable agency and lender requirements.

What is the difference between a conforming loan and a jumbo loan?

A conforming loan is within the applicable county and unit-count limit and also meets the relevant Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac requirements. The 2026 Texas limits are $832,750 for one unit, $1,066,250 for two units, $1,288,800 for three units, and $1,601,750 for four units.

A loan above the applicable limit is nonconforming and may use a jumbo or another lender-specific route. Jumbo credit, equity, reserve, documentation, underwriting, and pricing requirements vary by lender or investor. I compare eligible structures on a borderline file.

When do you need a jumbo loan in Texas?

For a one-unit Texas property, a jumbo comparison generally begins when the original loan amount exceeds $832,750. For two-to-four-unit properties, use the higher applicable unit-count limit before classifying the loan. A loan above the applicable FHFA limit generally needs a jumbo or another nonconforming route.

Because the limit applies to the original loan amount rather than the purchase price, the down payment can affect which size category applies. I compare eligible routes when a file is close to the line.

What is the high-cost conforming loan limit?

The high-cost conforming loan limit is a higher ceiling, capped by law at 150% of the baseline, that the FHFA assigns to counties where local home values run far above the national norm. For 2026 no Texas county qualifies, so every Texas county uses the $832,750 baseline one-unit figure rather than a high-cost number. The high-cost ceiling matters in places like parts of California and the New York metro, but not here, which keeps planning in Texas simpler.

Loan amount close to the limit?

Send me your scenario. I'll run it as both conforming and jumbo and tell you which one wins on your file.

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