California conforming loan limits have been increased for 2021. Federal housing officials announced this change on November 24, 2020. The table below has been fully updated to include the revised (increased) limits for all counties across the state.
You’ll notice that most counties within California have a 2021 conforming loan limit of $548,250, for a single-family home. Higher-priced areas, like those in the San Francisco Bay Area, have conventional limits of up to $822,375 due to higher home values. Other counties fall somewhere in between these “floor” and “ceiling” amounts.
See the table below for 2021 conforming loan limits in all California counties.
2021 Conforming Loan Limits for All California Counties
The table below contains the 2021 conforming limits for all 58 counties in California, listed in alphabetical order. In this table, “1 unit” refers to a single-family home, “2 unit” refers to a duplex-style home with two separate residents, and so on.
| COUNTY | 1-UNIT | 2-UNIT | 3-UNIT | 4-UNIT |
| ALAMEDA | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| ALPINE | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| AMADOR | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| BUTTE | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| CALAVERAS | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| COLUSA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| CONTRA COSTA | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| DEL NORTE | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| EL DORADO | $598,000 | $765,550 | $925,350 | $1,150,000 |
| FRESNO | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| GLENN | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| HUMBOLDT | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| IMPERIAL | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| INYO | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| KERN | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| KINGS | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| LAKE | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| LASSEN | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| LOS ANGELES | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| MADERA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| MARIN | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| MARIPOSA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| MENDOCINO | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| MERCED | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| MODOC | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| MONO | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| MONTEREY | $739,450 | $946,650 | $1,144,250 | $1,422,050 |
| NAPA | $816,500 | $1,045,250 | $1,263,500 | $1,570,200 |
| NEVADA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| ORANGE | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| PLACER | $598,000 | $765,550 | $925,350 | $1,150,000 |
| PLUMAS | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| RIVERSIDE | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| SACRAMENTO | $598,000 | $765,550 | $925,350 | $1,150,000 |
| SAN BENITO | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| SAN BERNARDINO | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| SAN DIEGO | $753,250 | $964,300 | $1,165,600 | $1,448,600 |
| SAN FRANCISCO | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| SAN JOAQUIN | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| SAN LUIS OBISPO | $701,500 | $898,050 | $1,085,550 | $1,349,050 |
| SAN MATEO | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| SANTA BARBARA | $660,100 | $845,050 | $1,021,450 | $1,269,450 |
| SANTA CLARA | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| SANTA CRUZ | $822,375 | $1,053,000 | $1,272,750 | $1,581,750 |
| SHASTA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| SIERRA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| SISKIYOU | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| SOLANO | $550,850 | $705,200 | $852,400 | $1,059,350 |
| SONOMA | $707,250 | $905,400 | $1,094,450 | $1,360,100 |
| STANISLAUS | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| SUTTER | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| TEHAMA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| TRINITY | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| TULARE | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| TUOLUMNE | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
| VENTURA | $739,450 | $946,650 | $1,144,250 | $1,422,050 |
| YOLO | $598,000 | $765,550 | $925,350 | $1,150,000 |
| YUBA | $548,250 | $702,000 | $848,500 | $1,054,500 |
For additional information and housing market commentary, continue reading below. You can also view FHA mortgage loan limits here.
Terminology Guide for Borrowers
Not sure what these terms mean? Here’s a mini glossary of loan limit terminology:
Conforming: A California “conforming” home loan is one that falls within the maximum size limits used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These caps are established by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). In short, if a California home loan falls within these conforming limits, it can be sold to Freddie and Fannie via the secondary mortgage market. Anything larger is considered a jumbo loan and cannot be sold into the secondary market. These limits vary by county, as shown in the table above.
Conventional: The term “conventional” is used to describe mortgage products that are not insured by the government. This distinguishes them from FHA and VA loans, which are insured or guaranteed by the federal government. California conventional home loans are originated (and sometimes insured) within the private sector, with no government backing.
Loan limit: This is the maximum borrowing amount within a certain mortgage loan category. For instance, the maximum amount for a conforming single-family home loan in San Diego County is $753,250. There are caps for other products as well, including FHA and VA mortgage programs. They also vary by county and are based on median home prices.
Rising Prices Bring Higher Limits in 2021
At the end of 2020, federal housing officials increased the conforming loan limits for California, in response to rising home prices across the state (and elsewhere in the U.S.).
In a November 24 press release, the Federal Housing Finance Agency stated:
“The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2021. In most of the U.S., the 2021 maximum conforming loan limit (CLL) for one-unit properties will be $548,250, an increase from $510,400 in 2020.”
Disclaimers: This page includes California loan limits by county. It is based on information provided by official sources, including the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The FHFA determines the maximum amount for loans that can be purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our website content, there is always a chance for human error. For the most current and accurate information available, please refer to www.FHFA.gov.