2023 conforming loan limits for California is $726,200 and goes up to $1,089,200 for high-cost counties (aka. high balance mortgage loans) for one-unit properties.
Every year Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, FHA, and the VA revise their California county maximum mortgage limits.
On December 1, 2022, The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced they are raising the 2023 Conforming loan limits in California. This is good news for homeowners and homebuyers as it makes it more attainable to buy a house after almost 4 years or rapid home equity and value increases across the nation during COVID.
SnapFi has compiled the list here for your convenience.
What is a Conforming loan?
A loan that meets, or “conforms” to certain qualifying guidelines set by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
California high-cost county loan limits
Derived by median home prices in a particular county and have a ceiling of 150% of the baseline mortgage limit. Median home values generally increased in high-cost areas in 2018, driving up the maximum loan limits. The new ceiling loan limit for one-unit properties in most high-cost areas will be $1,089,200 — or 1.5 times $726,200.
TABLE: 2023 Conforming, FHA, & VA California Loan Limits By County
| COUNTY | 2023 FHA LOAN LIMIT | 2023 CONVENTIONAL LOAN LIMIT | 2023 VA LOAN LIMIT |
| Alameda | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| Alpine | 497,950 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Amador | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Butte | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Calaveras | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Colusa | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Contra Costa | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| Del Norte | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| El Dorado | 763,600 | 763,600 | $763,600 |
| Fresno | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Glenn | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Humboldt | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Imperial | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Inyo | 508,300 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Kern | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Kings | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Lake | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Lassen | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Los Angeles | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | $1,089,300 |
| Madera | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Marin | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | $1,089,300 |
| Mariposa | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Mendocino | 546,250 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Merced | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Modoc | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Mono | 693,450 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Monterey | 915,400 | 915,400 | 915,400 |
| Napa | 1,017,750 | 1,017,750 | 1,017,750 |
| Nevada | 644,000 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Orange | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| Placer | 763,600 | 763,600 | 763,600 |
| Plumas | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Riverside | 644,000 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Sacramento | 763,600 | 763,600 | 763,600 |
| San Benito | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| San Bernardino | 644,000 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| San Diego | 977,500 | 977,500 | 977,500 |
| San Francisco | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| San Joaquin | 656,650 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| San Luis Obispo | 911,950 | 911,950 | 911,950 |
| San Mateo | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| Santa Barbara | 805,000 | 805,000 | 805,000 |
| Santa Clara | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| Santa Cruz | 1,089,200 | 1,089,200 | 1,089,300 |
| Shasta | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Sierra | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Siskiyou | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Solano | 685,400 | 726,200 | 550,850 |
| Sonoma | 861,350 | 861,350 | 861,350 |
| Stanislaus | 517,500 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Sutter | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Tehama | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Trinity | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Tulare | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Tuolumne | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
| Ventura | 948,750 | 948,750 | 948,750 |
| Yolo | 763,600 | 763,600 | 763,600 |
| Yuba | 472,030 | 726,200 | 548,250 |
