Loan Limits / Tennessee / Hamilton County
2026 Loan Limits · Tennessee · CHATTANOOGA, TN-GA
Hamilton County, TN.
2026 conforming and FHA loan limits, calibrated to a median sales price of $350,000.
Median Sales Price
$350,000
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 Hamilton County
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the southern part of East Tennessee on the border with Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 366,207, making it the fourth-most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Chattanooga, located along the Tennessee River. The county was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury. Hamilton County is one of 95 counties within Tennessee. Hamilton County is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county was created on October 25, 1819. Hamilton County expanded to meet the state line with Georgia after absorbing parts of three different counties including Bledsoe, Marion, and Rhea. Part of the traditional Cherokee homeland, the county was created after the Cherokee signed a treaty in 1817 with the United States and ceded land north of the Hiwassee River. In the 21st century, Hamilton County is the eighth-highest income Tennessee location by per capita income ($26,588). Read more on Wikipedia →
Population
370,913
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Household Income
$72,568
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Home Value (Census)
$282,100
Owner-occupied · ACS 2023
Owner-Occupancy Rate
64%
Of occupied housing
What these limits mean for buyers in Hamilton County
The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Hamilton 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. Hamilton 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 Hamilton County at $350,000. This matches the FHA national floor — Hamilton County did not qualify for an upward adjustment for 2026.
Practical takeaway. The median sales price in Hamilton County ($350,000) 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
Hamilton 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 Hamilton County?
We'll structure the loan against the right limit and the right program. Conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo — all in-house.