What Is a Jumbo Loan in California?
A jumbo loan is a mortgage larger than the conforming loan limit FHFA sets for the county where the home is. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cannot buy it, so the lender’s own program sets the rules for credit, income documentation, reserves and appraisals. In California, where the line sits depends on the county.
Jumbo is a size, not a product. This guide explains where the line sits in California, the four loan sizes on either side of it (conforming, high-balance, jumbo and super jumbo), and what a jumbo program asks of you once your loan is above it.
Pre-qualification, not pre-approval, in one conversation.
Figures reviewed
Key Facts
- A loan is jumbo when it is above the conforming limit for its county; FHFA sets the limits each year.
- In higher-cost counties, high-balance conforming loans sit between the national baseline and the county’s own limit.
- Jumbo programs on file accept credit scores from 660
- Jumbo debt-to-income on the programs on file runs up to 50%
Where the Jumbo Line Sits in California
Every year the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) publishes the conforming loan limit for every county. A loan at or under the limit can be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac; a loan above it cannot, and that loan is a jumbo loan.
For 2026 the national baseline limit for a one-unit home is $832,750, and most California counties use it. Higher-cost counties have a higher limit of their own, up to the high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125, so the same loan amount can be jumbo in one county and conforming in another. The limit also rises with the number of units: a two-to-four-unit property has a higher limit than a single-family home.
2026 Loan Limits by County
Find your county below. At or under the baseline, a loan is conforming everywhere. Above the baseline but at or under your county’s own limit, it is a high-balance loan: still conforming, still under Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules. Only a loan above your county’s limit is jumbo.
Ventura County is a true-jumbo county. Its limit is $1,035,000, below the $1,249,125 high-cost ceiling, so a loan between those two figures is jumbo in Ventura but high-balance in Los Angeles or Orange County.
| County | 2026 one-unit limit |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $1,249,125 |
| Orange | $1,249,125 |
| San Diego | $1,104,000 |
| Ventura | $1,035,000 |
| Riverside | $832,750 |
| San Bernardino | $832,750 |
| Alameda | $1,249,125 |
| Alpine | $832,750 |
| Amador | $832,750 |
| Butte | $832,750 |
| Calaveras | $832,750 |
| Colusa | $832,750 |
| Contra Costa | $1,249,125 |
| Del Norte | $832,750 |
| El Dorado | $832,750 |
| Fresno | $832,750 |
| Glenn | $832,750 |
| Humboldt | $832,750 |
| Imperial | $832,750 |
| Inyo | $832,750 |
| Kern | $832,750 |
| Kings | $832,750 |
| Lake | $832,750 |
| Lassen | $832,750 |
| Madera | $832,750 |
| Marin | $1,249,125 |
| Mariposa | $832,750 |
| Mendocino | $832,750 |
| Merced | $832,750 |
| Modoc | $832,750 |
| Mono | $832,750 |
| Monterey | $994,750 |
| Napa | $1,017,750 |
| Nevada | $832,750 |
| Placer | $832,750 |
| Plumas | $832,750 |
| Sacramento | $832,750 |
| San Benito | $1,249,125 |
| San Francisco | $1,249,125 |
| San Joaquin | $832,750 |
| San Luis Obispo | $1,000,500 |
| San Mateo | $1,249,125 |
| Santa Barbara | $941,850 |
| Santa Clara | $1,249,125 |
| Santa Cruz | $1,249,125 |
| Shasta | $832,750 |
| Sierra | $832,750 |
| Siskiyou | $832,750 |
| Solano | $832,750 |
| Sonoma | $897,000 |
| Stanislaus | $832,750 |
| Sutter | $832,750 |
| Tehama | $832,750 |
| Trinity | $832,750 |
| Tulare | $832,750 |
| Tuolumne | $832,750 |
| Yolo | $832,750 |
| Yuba | $832,750 |
Limits from FHFA, published November 2025, for 2026.
Four Loan Sizes: Conforming to Super Jumbo
Loans fall into four sizes. Knowing yours tells you whose rules your file will meet.
Conforming
At or under the national baseline limit. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules apply, through their automated review.
High-balance conforming
Above the baseline but within a higher-cost county’s own limit. Still sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and still under their rules. It exists only in counties whose limit is above the baseline.
Jumbo
Above the county’s limit. The lender’s own program sets the rules. The jumbo programs on file are full-documentation loans for a home you live in, a second home or an investment property.
Super jumbo
The top of the jumbo range. On the programs on file, super jumbo loans start at $3,000,001 and reach $5,000,000 on a primary residence with credit scores from 720, depending on the program. Some programs at this size require two appraisals and larger reserves.
How a Jumbo Loan Works
A jumbo loan is a conventional mortgage: not insured by FHA or backed by VA. It is underwritten to the lender’s program instead of the agency rules, and that changes four things:
- Credit. The jumbo programs on file accept credit scores from 660 at the smaller loan sizes, and the floor rises as the loan grows.
- Debt-to-income. Your monthly debts, including the new house payment, can run up to 50% of gross monthly income on the programs on file, depending on the program.
- Reserves. Savings left after closing, counted in months of the new payment. They scale with the loan amount, depending on the program.
- Appraisal. An appraisal on every loan; larger loans may need a second one, depending on the program, and the lender works from the lower value.
Documentation is full: tax returns, pay stubs or W-2s, and statements for your accounts. Self-employed borrowers qualify on their returns. If your income does not show on your returns, see bank statement vs conventional.
The down payment follows the same logic as the credit floor: it rises with the loan amount and with a second home or rental. Jumbo loan down payment explains how programs set it.
Who Uses Jumbo Loans in California
Jumbo loans serve buyers whose loan is above their county’s limit, whatever the reason: a higher-priced home, a smaller down payment on a mid-priced one, or a second home or rental at a larger loan amount. Homeowners use them too, to refinance a loan that is already above the limit.
If your loan is close to the limit, compare the two sides before you settle on a down payment; jumbo vs conventional loan sets them side by side.
Jumbo Loans by County
We work statewide, with a jumbo page for each of our four main markets:
- Orange County jumbo loans
- Los Angeles County jumbo loans
- San Diego County jumbo loans
- Riverside County jumbo loans
The requirements by loan amount and property type are on our main guide:
Which Route Fits Which Borrower
Only programs on file and active today appear as columns, and each column links to its page. Conforming and high-balance loans follow the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac review, so those cells name the rule instead of a number. Jumbo figures are the low or high point across the programs on file; most files land inside them.
| Borrower | Conforming | High-balance | Jumbo | Super jumbo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets the rules | Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac | Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac | The lender’s own program | The lender’s own program |
| Loan amount | Up to the baseline limit | Above baseline, to county limit | Above the county’s limit | The top of the jumbo range |
| Credit score from | Set by the agency review | Set by the agency review | 660 | 700 |
| Loan at or under your county’s baseline limit | May fit | May not fit: only above the baseline. | May not fit: not jumbo under the limit. | May not fit |
| Loan above the baseline, within a higher-cost county’s own limit | May not fit | May fit | May not fit: not jumbo under the limit. | May not fit |
| Loan above your county’s conforming limit | May not fit | May not fit | May fit | May not fit: only at the top of the range. |
| Loan at the top of the jumbo range | May not fit | May not fit | May fit: depending on the program. | May fit |
| A second home or a rental property | May fit | May fit | May fit: usually more down. | May fit: depending on the program. |
What Is a Jumbo Loan? FAQ
What is considered a jumbo loan in California?
Any mortgage above the conforming limit for the county where the home is. FHFA sets the limits each year; most California counties use the national baseline, and higher-cost counties such as Los Angeles and Orange have a higher limit. The table on this page lists every California county’s 2026 limit.
How does a jumbo loan work?
Like any mortgage, with one difference: the lender’s own program, not Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, sets the credit floor, documentation, reserves and appraisal rules. The jumbo programs on file are full-documentation loans with debt-to-income up to 50%, depending on the program.
Is a high-balance loan a jumbo loan?
No. A high-balance loan is above the national baseline but within a higher-cost county’s own limit, so it is still conforming and follows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules. Only a loan above the county’s limit is jumbo.
How much can you borrow with a jumbo loan?
On the programs on file, jumbo loans reach $5,000,000 with credit scores from 720, depending on the program. Most files land well below that; the amount you can borrow is set by your income, debts, reserves and down payment.
Do jumbo loans need a bigger down payment?
Usually more than the smallest conforming down payments, and it rises with the loan amount; a second home or rental asks for more on most programs. Our jumbo loan down payment guide explains how programs set it.
Find Out Where Your Loan Falls
Bring a price range, the down payment you have in mind and the county. We will show where the loan falls against that county’s limit, what each route would ask of you, and whether moving the down payment changes the side.
Pre-qualification, not pre-approval, in one conversation.
