FHA Loan Limits 2026: What DC, Maryland & Virginia Buyers Need to Know

Every January, the FHA publishes its loan limits for the year — the maximum loan amount the program will insure in each county. Those limits directly determine how much house you can buy with the low-down-payment FHA program, and in the DC metro area, the numbers for 2026 are significantly higher than the national baseline. If you are a first-time buyer in DC, Maryland, or Virginia using or considering an FHA loan, here is what the new limits mean for your purchasing power.

What Are FHA Loan Limits?

The Federal Housing Administration insures mortgages made by approved lenders, which allows those lenders to offer low down payments (as low as 3.5%) and flexible credit requirements (minimum 580 score for 3.5% down). But the FHA will only insure loans up to a certain dollar amount, which varies by county and property type. That ceiling is the FHA loan limit.

Limits are set annually based on the conforming loan limit — the maximum loan size Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase. The FHA sets a "floor" (the baseline limit for most of the country) and a "ceiling" (the maximum for high-cost areas). Counties in between get a limit somewhere in the middle, calibrated to local median home prices.

The 2026 Numbers

For 2026, the FHA announced the following limits:

DC Metro Counties: Are We at the Ceiling?

The DC metro area is one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, and most local counties are designated as high-cost — meaning the FHA applies the ceiling, not the floor. Here is how that breaks down for the counties UMP serves:

In Prince George's County, where the median home price is well below the limit, the FHA ceiling comfortably covers most purchases. In Arlington and DC, where median prices approach the ceiling, the limit matters more — if you are buying above $811,930 with an FHA loan, you will need to make up the difference in cash, or explore a different loan program.

What Happens If the Home Costs More Than the Limit?

The FHA limit is the maximum loan amount the program will insure — not the maximum purchase price. If you find a home listed at $850,000 in Arlington, you can still use an FHA loan, but the insured portion caps at $811,930. You would need to cover the gap with a larger down payment. In this case, your minimum down payment is not 3.5% of the purchase price; it is the greater of 3.5% of the purchase price or enough to bring the loan down to the FHA limit.

For most buyers in the DMV, this is not a day-to-day concern — median home prices in the region fall well within the FHA ceiling. But if you are shopping in the higher end of Arlington, DC, or parts of Montgomery County, it is worth knowing where the ceiling sits before you start touring homes.

FHA Limits vs Conventional Conforming Limits

The FHA limit is not the same as the conforming loan limit — they are separate numbers. Here is how they compare for 2026:

*VA loan limits were eliminated by the Blue Water Navy Act of 2019. Veterans with full entitlement can borrow any amount with $0 down, subject to lender approval. However, veterans with partial entitlement (those who have used some VA entitlement and are using it again) are still subject to conforming loan limits for the zero-down portion.

Why the Higher Limits Matter for First-Time Buyers

The FHA program is one of the most accessible paths to homeownership for first-time buyers in the DMV. With a 580 credit score minimum, 3.5% down, and flexible debt-to-income ratios (up to 56.99% in some cases), it opens doors that conventional loans keep shut. The higher the loan limit, the more homes fall within reach.

In practice, the $811,930 ceiling means a buyer in DC or Fairfax County can purchase a home up to about $841,386 with the minimum 3.5% down payment (since the loan amount after 3.5% down would be just under the limit). That covers the vast majority of entry-level and mid-range homes in the region.

Pairing FHA with Down Payment Assistance

The FHA limit also interacts with down payment assistance programs. Most DPA programs in Maryland and Virginia are designed to layer on top of an FHA loan, covering some or all of the down payment. A higher FHA limit means more homes qualify for DPA-backed purchases — the assistance applies to a larger pool of available inventory.

We work with several DPA programs in the DMV, including TRIO (minimum 620 score) and Chenoa (minimum 640 score), both of which layer on FHA loans. If you want to know what you qualify for, we can run the numbers in a 15-minute call.

FHA Loan Requirements Recap

• Minimum credit score: 580 for 3.5% down; 500–579 with 10% down
• Maximum DTI: 43% for 0% down FHA; up to 56.99% with compensating factors
• Mortgage insurance: required (MIP) — upfront 1.75% plus annual; drops off after 11 years if you put 10%+ down, otherwise lasts for the life of the loan
• Property must be your primary residence — no investment properties
• Property must meet FHA appraisal standards (safety, soundness, security)
• Loan amount cannot exceed the county limit

Bottom Line

The 2026 FHA loan limits give DC metro buyers more room to work with than ever. An $811,930 ceiling covers most starter and mid-level homes in the region, and when paired with down payment assistance, the FHA program remains one of the lowest-barrier paths to homeownership in the DMV. If you are ready to see what you qualify for — or just want to know whether FHA or conventional is the better fit for your situation — reach out and we will walk you through it, no pressure.