Loan Limits / Alabama / Etowah County
2026 Loan Limits · Alabama · GADSDEN, AL
Etowah County, AL.
2026 conforming and FHA loan limits, calibrated to a median sales price of $258,000.
Median Sales Price
$258,000
Per HUD CHUMS, 2026
Conforming 1u Limit
$832,750
Standard conforming
FHA 1u Limit
$541,287
Floor
Jumbo Threshold
> $832,750
1-unit · loans above this are jumbo
Conforming (Fannie / Freddie)
Standard conforming| 1-unit (single-family) | $832,750 |
| 2-unit (duplex) | $1,066,250 |
| 3-unit (triplex) | $1,288,800 |
| 4-unit (fourplex) | $1,601,750 |
FHA Forward (203b)
Floor| 1-unit (single-family) | $541,287 |
| 2-unit (duplex) | $693,050 |
| 3-unit (triplex) | $837,700 |
| 4-unit (fourplex) | $1,041,125 |
About this county
About Etowah County
Etowah County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 103,436. Its county seat is Gadsden. Its name is from a Cherokee word meaning 'edible tree'. In total area, it is the smallest county in Alabama, albeit one of the most densely populated. Etowah County comprises the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area. Read more on Wikipedia →
Population
103,208
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Household Income
$53,070
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Home Value (Census)
$160,600
Owner-occupied · ACS 2023
Owner-Occupancy Rate
74%
Of occupied housing
What these limits mean for buyers in Etowah County
The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Etowah County is $832,750. Loans at or below this amount can be sold by the originating lender to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which keeps pricing tight and underwriting consistent. Etowah County uses the standard national conforming baseline.
For FHA financing, the 2026 1-unit limit is $541,287. The HUD CHUMS table pegs the median sales price for Etowah County at $258,000. This matches the FHA national floor — Etowah County did not qualify for an upward adjustment for 2026.
Practical takeaway. The median sales price in Etowah County ($258,000) is below both limits — FHA, conventional, and VA financing all cover median-priced purchases here. Choice between programs comes down to credit, down payment, and overlay differences.
How the limits are set
Conforming limits come from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which adjusts them each year based on changes in the FHFA Housing Price Index. FHA limits come from HUD: the national floor is $541,287 (65% of conforming baseline), the ceiling is $1,249,125 (150% of conforming baseline), and counties between are calculated as 115% of the area median sales price.
Multi-unit and house-hacking math
Etowah County 2-, 3-, and 4-unit conforming limits are $1,066,250, $1,288,800, and $1,601,750 respectively. If you're house-hacking — owner-occupying one unit of a 2-4 unit property — these are the limits that matter, and the rental income on the other units can be used to qualify. FHA and VA both finance owner-occupied 2-4 unit properties at their own multi-unit limits.
Limits effective 2026 per HUD CHUMS publication. Sourced GSE and FHA files. Generated 2026-04-26.
Buying in Etowah County?
We'll structure the loan against the right limit and the right program. Conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo — all in-house.