Loan Limits / Maryland / Baltimore City County
2026 Loan Limits · Maryland · BALTIMORE-COLUMBIA-TOWSON, MD
Baltimore City 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 City County
The Baltimore–Columbia–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Central Maryland, is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It is part of the larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. As of 2022, the combined population of the seven counties is 2,985,871, making it the 20th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the nation. Read more on Wikipedia →
Population
577,193
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Household Income
$59,623
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Home Value (Census)
$219,300
Owner-occupied · ACS 2023
Owner-Occupancy Rate
48%
Of occupied housing
What these limits mean for buyers in Baltimore City County
The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Baltimore City 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 City 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 City County at $650,000. Baltimore City 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 City 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 City 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 City County?
We'll structure the loan against the right limit and the right program. Conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo — all in-house.