FHA loan limits in San Diego for 2026 ($1,104,000)
Quick answer: FHA loan limits San Diego 2026 start at $1,104,000 for a 1-unit. The 2-unit figure is $1,413,350, 3-unit is $1,708,400, and 4-unit is $2,123,100. That is a loan-amount cap, not a list-price cap. Financed upfront MIP counts. $832,750 is the national baseline, not the San Diego ceiling. Confirm the current HUD county table for the property type before you write an offer.
Buyers search "FHA loan limits San Diego 2026" and get two different 1-unit numbers in the same week. One is $1,104,000. The other is $832,750. A third number, $1,249,125, is the national high-cost ceiling. San Diego County sits in the high-cost band, but not at that ceiling. Left Coast Leaders, Inc. (NMLS #2394495) uses the county 1-unit figure of $1,104,000. This page is the limits table. The program guide is FHA loans in San Diego. The service hub is FHA loans San Diego.
The 2026 San Diego County FHA numbers
HUD publishes FHA forward limits separately from conventional. In high-cost counties they often match the FHFA high-cost figure. The table below is the same 1- to 4-unit set on our San Diego conforming loan limits 2026 post and the FHA guide. Confirm the current HUD county table for the property type before you write an offer.
| Property | 2026 San Diego County high-cost limit |
|---|---|
| 1-unit (house, condo, townhome) | $1,104,000 |
| 2-unit | $1,413,350 |
| 3-unit | $1,708,400 |
| 4-unit | $2,123,100 |
The same 1-unit cap applies countywide. El Cajon, La Jolla, Downtown San Diego, and unincorporated county areas use the same HUD county line. Neighborhood does not raise or lower the FHA cap.
Loan amount, not list price
3.5% down is calculated from the purchase price. The $1,104,000 figure is a loan-amount cap, not a list-price cap. If you finance the 1.75% upfront MIP, the total loan is the base plus that fee. If that total would clear $1,104,000, FHA is not the path unless the price or down payment changes. We run that math on the contract price. I am not posting a max-purchase sticker here.
The $850,000 purchase already on the FHA MIP vs conventional PMI post is the clean example. 3.5% down is $29,750. The base loan is $820,250. Financed UFMIP (1.75% of $820,250) still keeps that file under the $1,104,000 cap.
Low-balance vs high-balance FHA
San Diego buyers hear $832,750 and assume FHA stops there. It does not. $832,750 is the 2026 national baseline. Amounts at or under that line are the low-balance bucket. Amounts from $832,751 through $1,104,000 are high-balance FHA. Same 3.5% down. Same HUD MIP table. The split is loan amount, including financed UFMIP, and how some investors price the file. The full bucket page is FHA high-balance vs low-balance in San Diego.
| Bucket | 2026 1-unit loan amount |
|---|---|
| Low-balance FHA (national baseline) | At or under $832,750 |
| High-balance FHA (San Diego high-cost) | $832,751 through $1,104,000 |
| Above the FHA cap | Over $1,104,000 (not FHA on a 1-unit) |
A higher list price with more down can stay low-balance. A lower list price with 3.5% down can land high-balance. Crossing $832,750 is a loan-amount test, not a price-tag test.
2- to 4-unit FHA limits
A duplex or house-hack can stay FHA when a 1-unit at the same price would not. The high-cost figures again: 2-unit $1,413,350, 3-unit $1,708,400, 4-unit $2,123,100. FHA still wants you in one unit as a primary residence. If the loan amount on a 1-unit would clear $1,104,000, we price conventional high-balance or jumbo instead, or we look at a 2- to 4-unit that still fits the FHA table.
How this sits next to conventional
The $1,104,000 1-unit San Diego County number is also the FHFA high-cost conforming line. Baseline conforming is $832,750. High-balance conventional is $832,751 through $1,104,000. Above $1,104,000 is generally jumbo on the conventional side. FHA vs conventional is not a different county cap in 2026. It is MIP vs PMI, credit rules, and the monthly number. Price both on FHA vs conventional after you know the loan amount.
From the MIP post, the pieces that sit in that monthly number:
- Upfront MIP: 1.75% of the base loan amount on most purchases, usually financed.
- Annual MIP: often 0.55% of the base loan on many 30-year files since HUD's 2023 cut. Confirm the factor on your Loan Estimate.
- Under 10% down: annual MIP typically lasts for the life of the loan.
- 10% or more down: annual MIP typically ends after 11 years if the loan is current.
I am not quoting a rate on this page. Amir Nurani (NMLS #197458) will price FHA and conventional on the same credit and down payment once the loan amount is in a bucket.
What to do if you are near the cap
If the house is in a higher-priced pocket (La Jolla, coastal Point Loma, Del Mar), get a pre-approval that states FHA, the max loan amount, and whether financed UFMIP still fits under $1,104,000. If you are looking in El Cajon, Santee, Chula Vista, or many interior neighborhoods, you may never hit the 1-unit cap. Still know the number. A duplex can use the 2-unit line.
Use the affordability calculator for a payment sketch. Use pre-approval for the number that goes in the offer. Confirm the HUD county table on the day you write it.
Frequently asked questions
The 2026 1-unit FHA figure we use for San Diego County is $1,104,000. HUD publishes FHA forward limits separately. In high-cost counties they often match the FHFA high-cost figure. Confirm the current HUD county table for the property type before you write an offer.
The same high-cost figures we publish on the FHA and conforming-limits pages: 2-unit $1,413,350, 3-unit $1,708,400, 4-unit $2,123,100. A duplex or house-hack can stay FHA when a 1-unit at the same price would not.
No. 3.5% down is calculated from the purchase price. The $1,104,000 figure is a loan-amount cap, not a list-price cap. If the base loan plus financed upfront MIP would clear that line, FHA is not the path unless the price or down payment changes.
No. $832,750 is the 2026 national baseline. San Diego County is high-cost. Amounts at or under $832,750 are the low-balance FHA bucket. Amounts from $832,751 through $1,104,000 are high-balance FHA. Same 3.5% down and MIP rules.
Want the 2026 FHA limit run on your San Diego purchase?
We will price FHA against conventional on the same credit and down payment, including financed UFMIP against the $1,104,000 cap.
Get Pre-Approved(619) 366-9494 · Amir Nurani · NMLS #197458
Left Coast Leaders, Inc. · San Diego, CA 92111 · (619) 366-9494 · NMLS #2394495 · DRE #02191517 · Equal Housing Lender