Loan Limits / Maryland / Baltimore County
2026 Loan Limits · Maryland · BALTIMORE-COLUMBIA-TOWSON, MD
Baltimore County, MD.
2026 conforming and FHA loan limits, calibrated to a median sales price of $650,000.
Median Sales Price
$650,000
Per HUD CHUMS, 2026
Conforming 1u Limit
$832,750
Standard conforming
FHA 1u Limit
$747,500
Mid-tier
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)
Mid-tier| 1-unit (single-family) | $747,500 |
| 2-unit (duplex) | $956,950 |
| 3-unit (triplex) | $1,156,700 |
| 4-unit (fourplex) | $1,437,500 |
About this county
About Baltimore County
Baltimore County is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland. The county is part of the Central Maryland region of the state. Baltimore County partly surrounds but does not include the independent city of Baltimore. It is part of the Northeast megalopolis, which stretches from Northern Virginia in the south to Boston in the north and includes major American population centers, including New York City and Philadelphia. Major economic sectors in the county include education, government, and health care. As of the 2020 census, the population was 854,535. The county is home to several universities, including Goucher College, Stevenson University, Towson University, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Read more on Wikipedia →
Population
849,586
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Household Income
$90,904
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Home Value (Census)
$330,000
Owner-occupied · ACS 2023
Owner-Occupancy Rate
66%
Of occupied housing
What these limits mean for buyers in Baltimore County
The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Baltimore 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. Baltimore County uses the standard national conforming baseline.
For FHA financing, the 2026 1-unit limit is $747,500. The HUD CHUMS table pegs the median sales price for Baltimore County at $650,000. Baltimore County is in HUD's FHA high-cost tier — its limit sits between the national floor of $541,287 and the ceiling of $1,249,125, calculated as 115% of the area median.
Practical takeaway. The median sales price in Baltimore County ($650,000) 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
Baltimore 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 Baltimore County?
We'll structure the loan against the right limit and the right program. Conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo — all in-house.