Loan Limits / Massachusetts / Barnstable County
2026 Loan Limits · Massachusetts · BARNSTABLE TOWN, MA
Barnstable County, MA.
2026 conforming and FHA loan limits, calibrated to a median sales price of $720,000.
Median Sales Price
$720,000
Per HUD CHUMS, 2026
Conforming 1u Limit
$832,750
Standard conforming
FHA 1u Limit
$828,000
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) | $828,000 |
| 2-unit (duplex) | $1,060,000 |
| 3-unit (triplex) | $1,281,300 |
| 4-unit (fourplex) | $1,592,350 |
About this county
About Barnstable County
Barnstable County is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. The county seat is Barnstable. The county consists of Cape Cod and associated islands. Barnstable County was formed within the Plymouth Colony on June 2, 1685, including the towns of Falmouth, Sandwich, and others to the east and north on Cape Cod. Plymouth Colony was merged into the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691. Read more on Wikipedia →
Population
230,073
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Household Income
$94,452
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Home Value (Census)
$575,900
Owner-occupied · ACS 2023
Owner-Occupancy Rate
81%
Of occupied housing
What these limits mean for buyers in Barnstable County
The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Barnstable 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. Barnstable County uses the standard national conforming baseline.
For FHA financing, the 2026 1-unit limit is $828,000. The HUD CHUMS table pegs the median sales price for Barnstable County at $720,000. Barnstable 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 Barnstable County ($720,000) 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
Barnstable 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 Barnstable County?
We'll structure the loan against the right limit and the right program. Conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo — all in-house.