Loan Limits / California / Imperial County
2026 Loan Limits · California · EL CENTRO, CA
Imperial County, CA.
2026 conforming and FHA loan limits, calibrated to a median sales price of $355,000.
Median Sales Price
$355,000
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 Imperial County
Imperial County is located on the southeast border of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 179,702, ranking as the least populous county in Southern California. The county seat and largest city is El Centro. Imperial is the most recent California county to be established, as it was created in 1907 out of the eastern half of San Diego County. Read more on Wikipedia →
Population
179,319
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Household Income
$56,393
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Home Value (Census)
$279,500
Owner-occupied · ACS 2023
Owner-Occupancy Rate
57%
Of occupied housing
What these limits mean for buyers in Imperial County
The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Imperial 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. Imperial 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 Imperial County at $355,000. This matches the FHA national floor — Imperial County did not qualify for an upward adjustment for 2026.
Practical takeaway. The median sales price in Imperial County ($355,000) 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
Imperial 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 Imperial County?
We'll structure the loan against the right limit and the right program. Conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo — all in-house.