Loan Limits / Washington / Whatcom County
2026 Loan Limits · Washington · BELLINGHAM, WA
Whatcom County, WA.
2026 conforming and FHA loan limits, calibrated to a median sales price of $578,000.
Median Sales Price
$578,000
Per HUD CHUMS, 2026
Conforming 1u Limit
$832,750
Standard conforming
FHA 1u Limit
$664,700
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) | $664,700 |
| 2-unit (duplex) | $850,950 |
| 3-unit (triplex) | $1,028,600 |
| 4-unit (fourplex) | $1,278,300 |
About this county
About Whatcom County
Whatcom County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland of the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north, Okanogan County to the east, Skagit County to the south, San Juan County across Rosario Strait to the southwest, and the Strait of Georgia to the west. Its county seat and largest population center is the coastal city of Bellingham. Whatcom County is coterminous with the Bellingham, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 226,847. Read more on Wikipedia →
Population
228,432
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Household Income
$80,989
U.S. Census ACS 2023
Median Home Value (Census)
$536,100
Owner-occupied · ACS 2023
Owner-Occupancy Rate
64%
Of occupied housing
What these limits mean for buyers in Whatcom County
The 2026 conforming 1-unit limit for Whatcom 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. Whatcom County uses the standard national conforming baseline.
For FHA financing, the 2026 1-unit limit is $664,700. The HUD CHUMS table pegs the median sales price for Whatcom County at $578,000. Whatcom 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 Whatcom County ($578,000) 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
Whatcom 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 Whatcom County?
We'll structure the loan against the right limit and the right program. Conforming, FHA, VA, jumbo — all in-house.