What are the Triangle's 2026 loan limits?
For 2026 the conforming loan limit is $832,750 for a single-family home in every Triangle county. FHA limits differ by metro area: $634,800 in Durham, Orange and Chatham counties, and $541,287 in Wake, Johnston, Franklin and Harnett. Borrow above the conforming limit and the loan is a jumbo, with its own guidelines.
Conforming limits: one number across the Triangle
The conforming limit is the largest loan Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will buy, and it marks the line between a conventional loan and a jumbo. The Federal Housing Finance Agency sets it each year, and for 2026 every Triangle county sits at the national baseline:
- One unit: $832,750
- Two units: $1,066,250
- Three units: $1,288,800
- Four units: $1,601,750
FHA limits: two different numbers in one region
FHA limits are set by metro area, from the median sale price there, so the Triangle does not share one. The Durham-Chapel Hill metro sits above the national floor and the Raleigh-Cary metro sits at it. For a single-family home in 2026:
- Durham, Orange and Chatham counties (Durham-Chapel Hill): $634,800
- Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties (Raleigh-Cary): $541,287
- Harnett County: $541,287
What happens above the limit
A loan above the conforming limit is a jumbo loan. Jumbo lenders set their own guidelines, which usually means a larger down payment, higher credit expectations and more savings left after closing than a conventional loan asks for.
An FHA loan cannot exceed the FHA limit. Above it, the choice is a larger down payment to bring the loan under the limit, or a conventional loan instead.
VA loans work differently
With full VA entitlement there is no cap on the loan amount: the VA guaranty covers a quarter of whatever the lender is willing to lend. If you have already used some entitlement, the county limit — the same $832,750 FHFA figure — is used to work out how much remains.
These change every year
FHFA announces the next year's conforming limits in late November, and HUD publishes FHA limits shortly after. New limits apply from January 1, and for an FHA loan the limit that counts is the one in force when the case number is assigned. The figures on this page are for calendar year 2026.
Sources
We would rather you checked than took our word for it.
Related
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Lenders decide what you can borrow using your debt-to-income ratio: your total monthly debt payments, including the new mortgage, divided by your gross monthly income.
What debt-to-income ratio do I need?
Your debt-to-income ratio is your total monthly debt payments, including the new mortgage, divided by your gross monthly income.
Pre-qualification vs pre-approval: what is the difference?
A pre-qualification is an estimate based on information you state about yourself, with nothing verified.